Models like the W115, the W123 and the W124 enjoy a reputation for Swiss watch-like reliability matched only by other common desert dwellers like the Toyota Hilux and the Peugeot 504. They come from an era when Mercedes designed cars to a precise standard, not to a price point set in response to a growing list of competitors. They’re overbuilt to a degree that defies modern beliefs.

Here, we explore some of the best over-engineered Mercedes models: