Description
By: James Taylor .
The 1990s were a time of major change at Mercedes-Benz. As the decade opened, rival manufacturers were already making serious inroads into the company's traditional sales territory and, worse, were offering wider ranges of cars that seemed to have more appeal to a greater number of customers.
It was clearly time for a radical re-think. From early in the decade, things began to change. The traditional focus on engineering above all else was sacrificed for a more customer-oriented approach, and corners were cut in order to husband resources and allow expansion into new market areas. New and exciting model ranges began to appear alongside those occupying the traditional Mercedes positions but, sadly, the cost-cutting became evident and for a time Mercedes cars lost their hard-won reputation for build quality and reliability.
None of this prevented the marque from delivering engineering innovation in some stunning models that are destined to become classics of their time. This book covers the full story of the W202 compact saloons, the W124 and W210 mid-range cars, the W140 and W220 S-classes, the W168 A-class, the W208 CLK coupes and the W163 ML- class, as well as the sports models: the R129 SL roadsters and the R171 SLK 'unior' models. It contains full specifications, production changes and archive photographs, and is a must-have for all owners and admirers of the modern Mercedes.
Contents include:
- The full range of Mercedes-Benz cars during the 1990s
- Models carried over from the 1980s
- Production changes
- Full specifications
- Over 200 archive and contemporary photographs, mostly in full colour
