Book excerpt: Ever since their introduction in 1972, the S-Class saloons from Mercedes-Benz have been considered the pinnacle of automotive excellence. For most of that time, ownership of an S-Class - at least, of a reasonably recent one - has been symbolic of material success and of restrained yet impeccable good taste. Several other car makers have nibbled at the edges of the S-Class market, but none has produced a viable and lasting alternative to the big Benz. Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1972-2013 charts the evolution and success of the series, from the W116 model, the first to be designed from the ground up as a large luxury saloon, through to the C126 coupe, one of the all-time Mercedes-Benz classic designs.Topics covered include: development and production of the W126 saloons and classic W126 coupes; the W140 saloons in the 1990s; the 140 coupes, the W220 models and the elegant 215 coupes; the W221 models, introduced at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 2005; the C216 coupes and the future of Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Superbly illustrated with 288 colour photographs.