General Information

In 1886 Karl Benz patented his 3-wheeled motorwagen, which is now generally accepted as the first true automobile.  Gottlieb Daimler was working on early automobiles at about the same time and in the same region of Germany, and the Mercedes name came about in 1901 when an agent for Daimler agreed to place a large order on the condition that the cars were named after his daughter.  The two companies merged in 1926 to form Daimler-Benz, and from that point forward they have produced some truly remarkable automobiles.  The SSK models were some of the fastest cars of the prewar years and their racing cars of the 1930s were all but unbeatable.  Unlike many manufacturers, Mercedes did not cheapen their product after the war and they have always kept their reputation for high-quality, luxurious cars.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is their top-of-the-line model.  It was first introduced in 1972 and has always been big, luxurious, and stuffed with innovative features.  Some have said that if you want to know what will be on cars ten years from now, look at a Mercedes S-Class today.  The S-class was the first car with standard airbags and one of the first with ABS.  The W220 generation was introduced in late 1999 and built through 2006, and it brought with it such innovations as air suspension, ventilated seats, keyless entry and ignition, and voice recognition.  It was available with several engines, including a 5.5 liter, 493 horsepower twin turbo V-12.  Small wonder it was the car of choice for daredevil motorcycle jumper Evel Knievel, who wanted an extremely fast car, but also one that cosseted a set of bones that had been broken a record 433 times by then.  He personally used the car until his death in 2007, and comparatively few miles were put on during his three-year ownership.  Collector Tammy Allen has always been drawn to cars with celebrity connections, and this Mercedes fulfills that requirement while also being an exquisite automobile in its own right.