While MB is marketed as a "luxury" car here in NA, it built its reputation
upon solid engineering and reliable transport for folks at a variety of
different economic strata.  My daily driver is really nothing more than a
tarted up taxi cab ('90 300D).  That taxi lineage is precisely why I love
the 124 models, 'cause they're a wonderful combination of comfort, handling
and robust engineering...but luxury, not so much.  Classy is a more
accurate term

On Fri, Jun 14, 2013 at 12:30 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com>wrote:

> I�ve never been into luxury cars and never will be, but I have always had
> tremendous respect for the company that arguably invented the automobile in
> 1886 and has advanced the safety of it throughout the decades with
> engineering innovations and liberal licensing of their technology. Did you
> know they invented airbags and first installed them in Europe in 1981? We
> could have had them in our Vanagons, not that they would help much without
> the front crumple zone they also invented in 1951 (the defunct Eurovan had
> both). But in many other ways our VWs are descendants of this lineage. A
> Wikipedia excerpt:
>
> �Numerous technological innovations have been introduced on Mercedes-Benz
> automobiles throughout the many years of their production, including:
> � The internal combustion engined automobile was developed independently by
> Benz and Daimler & Maybach in 1886
> � Daimler invented the honeycomb radiator of the type still used on all
> water-cooled vehicles today
> � Daimler invented the float carburetor which was used until replaced
> by fuel injection
> � The "drop chassis" � the car originally designated the "Mercedes" by
> Daimler was also the first car with a modern configuration, having the
> carriage lowered and set between the front and rear wheels, with a front
> engine and powered rear wheels. All earlier cars were "horseless
> carriages",
> which had high centres of gravity and various engine/drive-train
> configurations
> � The first passenger road car to have brakes on all four wheels (1924)
> � The "safety cage" or "safety cell" construction with front and
> rear crumple zones was first developed by Mercedes-Benz in 1951. This is
> considered by many as the most important innovation in automobile
> construction from a safety standpoint
> � In 1959, Mercedes-Benz patented a device that prevents drive wheels from
> spinning by intervening at the engine, transmission, or brakes. In 1987,
> Mercedes-Benz applied its patent by introducing a traction control
> system that worked under both braking and acceleration
> � Airbags were first introduced in the European market, beginning with
> model
> year 1981 S-Class.
> � Mercedes-Benz was the first to introduce pre-tensioners to seat belts on
> the 1981 S-Class. In the event of a crash, a pre-tensioner will tighten the
> belt instantaneously, removing any 'slack' in the belt, which prevents the
> occupant from jerking forward in a crash
> � In September 2003, Mercedes-Benz introduced the world's first
> seven-speed automatic transmission called '7G-Tronic'
> � Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), brake assist, and many other types
> of safety equipment were all developed, tested, and implemented into
> passenger cars � first � by Mercedes-Benz.
>
> Mercedes-Benz has not made a large fuss about its innovations, and has even
> licensed them for use by competitors � in the name of improving automobile
> and passenger safety. As a result, crumple zones and anti-lock brakes (ABS)
> are now standard on all modern vehicles.�
>
> I'm a bit of a car history buff. I have a short automobile history reading
> list if anyone is interested.
>
> Stuart
> '85 Westy and VW driver since 1976
>

-- 
Casey