HI Michel, believe it or not, this is the first time I have seen this thread. Sure enough, the dialogue is in the best of German tradition and, luckily enough, I can understand it. What is very clear, and perhaps not so remarkable to the ones that follow Mercedes terminology, is the fact that the W116 was the first Mercedes model to carry the "S" Class denomination.
The previous models, and I am talking of the 108's in particular, were known as the "New Generation" models (starting with the 250S/SE.. Regards Styria
The following confirms the timing of the 'S' Class
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ogcYOndZU&feature=related- thirty six years...