The Mercedes-Benz W140 is a series of flagship vehicles that were manufactured by the German automotive company Mercedes-Benz from 1991 to 1998. Mercedes-Benz unveiled the W140 S-Class at Geneva Motor Show in March 1991 with sales launch in April 1991 and North American launch in August 1991. The W140 represented the last of old school German engineering from Mercedes-Benz that leaned on overengineering principle namely "engineer's car". As with each generation of S-Class, a plethora of innovations in technology, climate protection, and creature comfort was introduced. Those innovations later trickled down to smaller C-Class and E-Class models over time. As with previous generations of S-Class, the W140 was available in two body styles (sedan/saloon and coupé) along with two wheelbase lengths (sedan/saloon only). The standard wheelbase, SE, and long wheelbase, SEL, along with coupé version, SEC, was renamed in 1993 as part of the corporate-wide nomenclature changes for 1994 model year onward, becoming S only regardless of wheelbase length or body style as well as fuel type. A TURBODIESEL label affixed to the right side of the trunk/boot lip was the only visual clue of its diesel engine. In 1996, the S-Class coupé was renamed again as CL-Class and split off to its own model range. The W140 gained a notoriety for its substantial appearance with tall roof and larger side windows, described as "driving safe box", brick on wheels, moving shoe carton, etc. Emerging concerns for climate protection and the effect of global recessions in the early 1990s targeted the W140 as an ostentatious symbol of excess. A further notoriety for the W140 occurred when Diana, Princess of Wales and two others died in a car crash, involving a S 280 model, in a Paris tunnel. The only survivor sat in the front passenger seat. The W140 series S-Class was superseded by the W220 S-Class sedan and C215 CL-Class coupé in 1998 after an eight-year production run. Mercedes-Benz built 432,732 examples of the 140 series, comprising 406,710 sedans and 26,022 coupés.