Although the origins of the Mercedes S-Class go back to the 1950s, the first chassis generation to carry the "S-Class" name debuted in 1972 with the W116 generation. Choosing the greatest among them is no small task — but we've done our best to identify the S-Class models that truly earned their place in history. Despite this, the W126 generation remains the most successful S-Class ever built, with the longest production run of any S-Class generation — 892,123 units over 12 years. 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMGHorsepower: 518 hpNext came the W221 generation of the S-Class (2007–2013), which arrived at a pivotal moment for Mercedes' entire vehicle lineup. Were it not for the occasionally temperamental seven-speed automatic, the W222 S63 AMG would be a near-perfect modern S-Class.