The Grand Edition and its origins
On July 26, 2019, as a 1999 S 500 Grand Edition with 66,000 miles hit the hammer for $32,000 on classic auction site Bring A Trailer (BAT), the special edition of a regular car entered collectors’ sights.
The 1999 S 500 Grand Edition was launched in the US market in 1998, limited to 600 units. As a designo personalized product, it enjoys the exclusive SA code 909 and is uniformly equipped with 197 Obsidian Black Metallic paint. In terms of configuration, Grand Edition unity provides 235A Beige Nappa leather , 732 Bird’s eye maple trim and 799 AMG wheel:4 pieces of 8.5X18 ET 47 255/45, which is not available in the US market for regular models. It is also equipped with special equipment of the B6 series: illuminated door sills, manual sunshades for the rear side windows and exclusive floor mats with “Grand Edition” snitching. The rest is the same as the regular S 500 in the US market, with a 5.0 liter V8 gasoline engine with a maximum power of 326 horsepower, 0-100 km/h acceleration in 7.3 seconds, and a maximum speed of 250 km/h.
Grand Edition can be translated as “Great Edition”. Citing a 1998 US media information brochure, the 1999 S 500 Grand Edition was launched as a “celebration of the brand’s flagship model”, while later Grand Edition were generally regarded as discontinued commemorative editions, namely a The special version launched before the model change, it makes sense to explain the S 500 in this way, because model year 1999 is indeed the last model year of the 140 in North America. What needs to be added is that the model year 1999 S-class, which was only launched in the United States and Canada, is exactly the same as model year 1998, and the production time also overlaps with the 1998 model in Europe, so it was not sold in 1999 (while the Sonderschutz in 2000 European market remains model year 1998). For the record, the 1999 S 500 Grand Edition was Mercedes-Benz’s first Grand Edition model, and Mercedes hasn’t offered many in the past two decades, ” The second time appears on the market is the 2005 G 55 AMG Grand Edition, which seems to be related to sales strategies in different regions.
As the pioneer work of the Grand Editions of Mercedes-Benz , the 1999 S 500 has essential differences from its successors. The production number 600 has been determined at the beginning of the launch, today is not. As the only limited edition 140 officially launched in US, the production number of the Grand Edition is more exact than the S 500 Exklusiv launched in Europe in 1997 (the declared output is 50, the actual output is 61, including a prototype). Consistently, of all 2,907 1999 S 500s sold in the US market, this accounted for more than 20%, which means that one in every five S 500s sold was the Grand Edition.
The Grand Edition to me
I wouldn’t have thought to write something for the Grand Edition if it wasn’t for the sudden heat. After becoming a fan of 140 in 2012, I began to understand all aspects of this car step by step, and tried to maintain the symmetry of information with fans from other countries. It should be said that in the past most of the time, the Grand Edition was forgotten.
This is easy to understand. First of all, any Grand Edition of Mercedes-Benz is not launched as a pivotal product in its long history. It is better to say that it is the manufacturer’s wishful thinking, and it is difficult to say that the monotonous personalized scheme of the Grand Edition can please all consumers. Secondly, S 500 is not the model that 140 is sought after in the collector market. People generally prefer economical and practical 6-cylinder models or top-level 12-cylinder models. In the end, this Grand Edition 140 was only sold in the US market for one model year (actually half calender year), it lack visibility in the well-received Eastern Europe and Asian markets. I personally didn’t have much passion for this particular car, but bought one anyway. The Grand Edition is my second car in the United States.
Based on the experience of getting along with 12-cylinder models for many years, I realized that I need a car that is more friendly to myself for commuting. So the plan for the car before going to the United States is 1+1, one for commuting, one for fun, of course the funny one would be 12-cylinder, then the commuter can only be 6-cylinder or V8. While looking for a red V12, I was also looking for a suitable commuter, starting in June 2017 to be precise. Regarding the essence of the difference between commuter cars: the number of cylinders, I am sure that the 6-cylinder model of this car can support high-load operation. I haven’t heard too many complaints about the V8, so I take it for granted. Taking the V8 Grand Edition as the first choice, the starting point is very simple. I have complained many times in different articles about the “cookie-cutter” phenomenon of US-spec cars, and the best solution to break this curse and obtain some rare elements is The so-called “Grand Edition” of designo’s personalized design . However, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, I think the design of the Grand Edition does not please everyone who buys or wants for a character.
Regardless of the inherent configuration of an 1999 S 500 in US market, in my opinion, the unique features of the Grand Edition are not all appropriate. For this personalized product, the manufacturer appointed the best-selling black color of the S-class sedan. Compared with the most common 040 Black color, 197U Obsidian Black Metallic color is relatively rare but has no essential difference. Under this single choice of conformity, Designo probably does not exist. 235A beige Nappa leather, the interior design named after 23X is equivalent to using the “V12 differentiation” seat shape and monochrome Nappa leather, which can be understood as the monochrome version of the V12 model seat, and the rest is the same as the ordinary 265A beige leather interior. Same, without the double-stitched door panels and dash. This kind of interior is generally used on V8 two-door models, and it can also be selected for four-door cars in the European market. However, from the results, the most common car with 235A is the Grand Edtion, and a small number of them are supplied to the Middle East market. The 732 Bird’s-eye maple trim is also an option that was not seen in the United States before. This kind of deep and textured trim looks dark when matched with the light-colored interior. For a personalized product, such an interior The decoration combination only provides something that the US market has not been able to choose in the past, rather than really improving the level with distinction. Other equipment, such as manual sunshades for the rear side windows and self-illuminated welcome pedals, seem unimaginable. As two additional equipment that were originally provided but not sold well, their appearance on the Grand Edition is more like the manufacturer’s handling of two product inventory behavior.
From the statistical perspective of FuryGoose, by calculating the growth rate of different models in 1999 and 1998, the growth rate of S 500 is basically the same as that of S 320, which is 37.6%. Therefore, the Grand Edition is equivalent to replacing original 600 conventional models of 2907 S 500s. Observing the normal distribution of its VIN, it can be found that the Grand Edition was produced in the first half of the production cycle of the 1999 model (from the end of January 1998 to the beginning of May 1998).
From the sequence of VIN and production number, it is not ” The last version before the discontinuation of production”, but the “priority production version in the last year”, that is to say, the Grand Edtion is planned to be pre-produced and mixed with the regular S 500 for sale. In addition, in the second-hand market, “rare” is the most common label for Grand Edtion , but for a “limited” 600 car, it also means 600 twins, even in the United States where the individual differences of vehicles are very small it’s also a very scary number. Here is a data for reference. The 1999 S 500 conventional model has the largest number of twins in 040 Black and 261A Black leather. There are 442 units, even less than the Grand Edtion. Of course, the Grand Edtion provides equipment that most of the 432741 140s do not have. The number of 600 vehicles is risky for personalized products. Presumably, manufacturers have conducted careful research on buyer preferences before launching products, and that may be the reason why Grand Edtion eventually become plain.
Since 2017, I have seen about 70 Grand Editions for sale on the Internet, and identified the VIN of 65 of them. Compared with the total production of 600, the capture rate is 10.3%, compared with the 1999 S 500 the average capture rate of 8.6% is even higher, which proves that the retention rate of this car is higher than that of conventional models (it can also explain that the re-export rate is less), and only 10 of the 65 cars are considered to be in a state of total loss by the insurance company. The observation found that what really affects the value of a Grand Edition is its subsidiary products. As a part of being easily replaced, whether the exclusive floor mats printed with “Grand Edition” are complete can greatly affect the price of the car. Taking it to the next level, this car was handed over to 600 car owners in addition to the aforementioned configuration, and there is also a promotional hand-painted copy. If you are really lucky, you can also get a leaflet provided by the dealer. The top-of-the-line collection comes from the dealership’s Grand Edition dedicated display number plate.
The Grand Edition is my choice after choosing the lesser of evils. After all, this car is only available in the US market, and it can fill the collection labels with model year 1999 and S 500 at the same time. In my words, it is one stone, three birds, and save money again. Only in the past two years, the number of Grand Edition in circulation at that time was not as good as it is now. In the summer of 2017, I found two favorite cars in Rhode Island and California, and they were sold quickly. Seeing the Grand Edition with a good price/performance ratio , to be precise, I haven’t encountered a suitable one for a whole year. I roughly understand the trend that they are gradually being discovered by enthusiasts, so I canceled the plan to use it as a commuter car and replaced it with the 1999 143 Glacier White S 320. However, what happened to the Grand Edition also happened to the S 320. The 1999 Glacier White S 320 with a mileage of less than 100,000 miles sounds like a common. After series of harsh conditions, but there is still visibility in the US used car market, but they refused to appear after I didn’t have a car to daily. Even if the condition of the car I didn’t like before, I was told to sell it after calling. It was mid-August 2018, and I had been in the United States for half a month. Ruby lay down for the second time because the half shaft was broken. I had no car to drive, so I had to borrow the teacher’s 1987 300 E to go to and from school…
It was the same as buying Ruby. When I first saw #419945, I was very disdainful, because the weather in Texas caused a lot of damage to its interor. For this reason, I also sent it to my friends in Texas, saying that your cars are too wear. But the avoidant attachment personality is at work again—after two days of subtle influence, considering the price is not high, the distance is not far away, and a friend is at the location of the car, I asked him to look at the car. Things happened to make some compensation. As expected, it has a lot of flaws, but we are already there, why not buy it, it was the end of August, because I was too embarrassed to borrow the car to drive again, my ambition almost collapsed – I almost bought a 1992 400 SEL, of course the color is also very special. The above decline was formed after 2 months of searching on the basis of having a “perfect search system”. I don’t know when I will have to wait until I buy it.
I seldom mention too much about the condition of the car when I bought it, and it’s the same in reality. In my subconscious, car condition is always a temporary state, once bought back, there is always a way to restore it – maybe because there are so many cars, they seem to take decades to complete, so I really don’t I really care about one or two more flaws, as long as I don’t cause secondary damage. Especially for cars that have a special meaning to me, the flaw doesn’t count. But having said that, #419945 is my first car that has no special meaning. It is a 600 twin, which can theoretically be replaced by one of its’ 599 sisters. The real reason for buying it is price and time. Speaking of blemishes, among the many faults, #419945’s stubbornness is that leather is worn out, even though 95,000 miles is not a lot. Because the thin and soft Nappa material cannot resist the sun in US, and the climate in most parts of the US is harsh to the cars, you can often see the Grand Edition with severe cracking of the driver’s seat cushion on the market. So even a low-mileage car doesn’t mean good seat condition, and it’s no surprise that a Grand Edition with 66,000 miles and excellent leather condition is hot. At the beginning of the purchase, #419945 was regarded as a commuter car, so a lot of mileage may be added on this basis. Combined with my understanding of the US environment, its leather is considered “replaceable”, even if it should not be. ,especially for a car with special leather. I later ordered a reasonably satisfactory set of replacement leathers for this car from California, and didn’t mind the imperfections, as the second set of leathers would probably be replaced as well.
Commuting 60 miles a day with such a car is just a wish. I really don’t know the climate where I am. When its damaged self leveling shock absorber reservior was finally replaced to a tolerable level, it snowed heavily in October. Living in a community without snowplows, #419945 has been mothballed. It can be seen that the car condition is not the main reason for its role change. Compared with the 14-owner Ruby, #419945 is still too healthy. Here we can mention its history. #419945 was sold for the first time on November 3, 1998. At that time, American consumers could see the next-generation models in Europe, but the sales of 1998+1999 models continued to grow explosively. It can be seen that the prospects of the next-generation products in the United States are not too optimistic. Speaking of #419945, it accompanied its first owner in California until December 2001, and was bought back at auction by a used car dealer in Texas. Interestingly, the dealer didn’t sell the car, but used it himself It has been 15 years, so under the market rules in the US that “selling to a dealer does not count as a transfer”, I became its second owner. So far, September 7, 2019, I have only driven less than 100 miles in over a year, go to eat and wash the car when the weather is good, repair the car at least ten times as long as driving , just another garage queen.
Such mileage is the same as the media test drive, and most importantly, the feeling of driving the S 500 is as fresh as the test drive. V8 are rare in China , so before #419945, I only drove a few hundred kilometers of S 500 when traveling with friends in 2014. It was a 1998 China-sepc. The experience is not very impressive. After four years, the two cars are theoretically the same, but because I have been driving a V12 model since then, #419945 brings a refreshing feeling. The starting sound is the same as Helmut Kohl’s car, as I heard repeatedly in the video, introverted, quiet and unrecognizable, unlike those loud guys, as if just to tell people that they are V8 and become V8; when accelerating, the sound will be really different from the V12 models . For me, the V12 models, especially the models that are common in China without three-way catalytic converters, can always give people inside and outside the car a sense of depression when accelerating. , is the kind of dull growl below 1500 rpm. For those who don’t get in touch with those cars often, whether they are driving or listening to them, they think they are cool, but if you are accompanied by such sounds every time you accelerate, it is absolutely impossible to leave the parking lot quietly, and then your family will Will say, every time there is always someone looking at you. As the speed increases, the S 500 will not make the transition from a tenor to a clarinet like a V12 model . It is gentle and powerful step by step, giving people a very relaxed feeling. The V12 model can’t help showing its true identity after 1600 rpm. At this time, the design of the muffler desperately strangles the throat of the supercar engine. All in all, it’s a bit strange. In 1995, Auto Motor und Sport did the same for the S 600 evaluation of.With a difference of 70 horsepower, the acceleration difference between the S 500 and the 12-cylinder model is only 0.6 seconds. This is also the deepest impression I had on that car when I drove the S 500 four years ago-the acceleration is similar, but the sound brings the two A huge sensory change, when my friend asked me to accelerate quickly on the V12, I just wanted to end the hustle and bustle, but #419945 people can’t help but often take the initiative to do so, thanks to the previous owner, its gearbox Just had it serviced in 2017 and the gear shifts are fantastic. In fact, what is the bigger difference between 500 and 600 than the engines? All unfamiliarity is a by-product of this distinction.
IIn the end, regardless of the significance that this car has been and will be endowed by future generations, I would like to comment on the 1999 S 500 Grand Edition: The Grand was in the United States market where the choice was limited that consumers even could not choose another rim. After extensive research in the market, manufacturers provide the version that everyone wants more, rather than the version that a few people really pursue individuality.