The first generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the W116. Introduced for the 1973 model year, the W116 was the first Mercedes model to be officially known as the S-Class. This generation of cars were available with an inline 6 or a V8 engine, and were offered with a short or long wheelbase. The top of the line model was the 450 SEL 6.9, which remains one of the most desired W116 variants. Other variants include the 280S, 280SE, 280SEL, 300SD, 350SE, 450SE, and 450SEL. In production until 1980, the W116 was succeeded by the W126 S-Class.