With their utter dominance in Formula One over the last seven-years, Mercedes-Benz is on one heck of a 'success wave.' Even before now, Mercedes has been setting the standard for both luxury cars and supercars; contrasted only by the likes of affluent and prestigious manufacturers/competitors.
However, even with all of Mercedes' victories (in motorsports and production cars, alike), the company is still comprised of many human-beings. And, as we know, humans are bound to make mistakes here and there. Mercedes, comparatively to lower-tier brands, isn't one to produce constant failures. Though, when they do, it's hard for the car community to scrub it from their memories.
So, as much as it pains us to harp on Mercedes (given their current F1 status), we can't help but bring up their worst model ever: the original A-Class. A car that should be stricken from Mercedes' records...
An Egg-Shaped Mess: The Original A-Class
During the mid-to-late-1990's, all sorts of new vehicle categories were beginning to sprout up. While cars like the McLaren F1 were setting the best examples, Mercedes wasn't doing so well. At least, in one particular department: compact cars.
In 1997, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the first iteration of the A-Class - A smaller than average family car. The goal with the A-Class was too provide a European, luxurious aesthetic to the already existing compact cars; something that the Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Golf couldn't keep up with. Suffice it to say, what we got was less than extraordinary.
As you can see in the photo above, the 1997 to 2004 Mercedes A-Class (code 'W168') is a disaster of vehicle design. The best comparison we can give to it is an egg since there's hardly any figure outside its roundness. Beyond just the shape, the W168 has all of the negatives of an early-2000's Mercedes-Benz: Plastic-looking headlights, flat add-ons, etc.
We don't mean to put designer Steve Mattin on blast here (as he's made some awesome cars throughout his life), but what was he thinking when he approved a car as hideous as the O.G. A-Class?
Slow And Dangerous
Not only was the 1997 - 2004 Mercedes-Benz A-Class an ugly car, it was also a slow one, as well as dangerous to boot! To start, though, we need to discuss its power-output. Or, rather, the lack thereof, as the W168 is quite low on horsepower.
How low? The fastest version, the A210 Evolution, had around 138-hp, whilst the rest hovered near the 80-hp to 90-hp range. Although the A-Class was small, its lightweight body wasn't nearly light enough to get it anywhere past 126 MPH.
To be fair, nobody buying this 'thing' was thinking about high-end performance. If they were, they're either mad or just have a strange sense of humor...
In terms of safety, the W168 was a disappointment there, too. When performing an "elk test" (a study "to determine how well a certain vehicle evades a suddenly appearing obstacle" according to VEHICO), the Mercedes A-Class continually failed. Essentially, this meant that, when forced to aggressively turn at high-speeds, it was highly likely the car would flip.
While all of that was going on, Mercedes had another problem on their hands: the dreaded recalls and, oh boy, did the A-Class have a few. However, once Mercedes had fixed those problems, they'd eventually be able to get back to where they started. Nevertheless, the process required the repair and subsequent return of all 2,600+ W168's.
To the chagrin of all normal-minded car enthusiasts, the A-Class wasn't immediate canned for something else.
A Trial By Fire: Phoenix Reborn
Once the W168's time had expired, Mercedes-Benz managed to sell over 1 million models throughout its eight-years on the market. That kind of money was enough for Mercedes to commission a second generation, the W169. Like its predecessor, the W169 A-Class was also a disgusting and slow economy car.
By 2012, Mercedes-Benz saw the writing on the wall: The A-Class just wasn't popular or well-sold. As such, the 2012 model W169 would be its last for four-years. However, in 2016, Mercedes came back, and they did so with a vengeance!
The redesigned Mercedes-Benz A-Class for the 2016 to 2018 model years were what the A-Class should have been the entire time. It's sleek, sporty, luxurious, comfortable, and (surprisingly) affordable for its class. Now, the fourth generation is carrying the torch for the A-Class.
Similar to a Phoenix from ancient Greek mythology, the A-Class was reborn. First, starting life as a worthless addition to the Mercedes lineup, resulting in its end. Years later, the A-Class emerged from its trial by fire, giving us the wonderful iterations we see before us today.