Fiye da labarin wani bespoke S-Class Mercedes, wannan shi ne labarin wani rukuni na ma'aikatan Mercedes, wanda ya taru don ba da girmamawa ga «Madiba».
A shekarar 1990 ne Nelson Mandela ke shirin fita daga gidan yari, Afirka ta Kudu da kuma duniyar dimokuradiyya sun yi ta murna. A gabashin London, a masana'antar Mercedes a Afirka ta Kudu, an sake samun wata nasara. An daure Nelson Mandela a gidan yari na tsawon shekaru 27, saboda yaki da wariyar launin fata da kuma yaki da manufofin wariyar launin fata da ake yi a Afirka ta Kudu, ranar da aka sako shi za ta shiga tarihi. Amma akwai ƙarin har yau da mutane kaɗan suka sani.
Mercedes shi ne kamfanin mota na farko a Afirka ta Kudu da ya amince da kungiyar ma'aikatan bakar fata. A masana'antar Mercedes ta Gabashin London, gungun ma'aikata sun sami damar gina wata kyauta ga Nelson Mandela, a matsayin nuna godiya ga dukkan kalaman da a cikin wadannan shekaru 27 na tsare da ya bayyana wa duniya, duniyar da ba ta taba yin irinsa ba. Ka gan shi, mutum, bari kansa ya shiryar da shi. Hoton da aka sani na ƙarshe na Nelson Mandela ya kasance daga 1962.
Aikin da ke kan teburin shine ginin saman kewayon alamar Stuttgart, Mercedes S-Class W126. Tare da tallafin kungiyar ma'aikatan karafa ta kasa, an amince da aikin. Dokokin sun kasance masu sauƙi: Mercedes za ta samar da kayan aikin kuma ma'aikata za su gina S-Class na Mercedes na Mandela, ba tare da an biya shi ƙarin ba.
Ta haka ne aka fara gina ɗaya daga cikin mafi kyawun samfuran samfuran, 500SE W126. A karkashin bonnet, injin 245 hp V8 M117 zai huta. Kayan aikin na da kujeru, tagogin lantarki da madubi, da jakar iska na direban. Ginin farko da aka gina shi ne plaque wanda zai bayyana Mercedes S-Class a matsayin na Mandela, mai dauke da baqaqen sa: 999 NRM GP ("NRM" na Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela).
Ginin ya dauki kwanaki hudu, kwanaki hudu a cikin farin ciki da jin dadi. Kyauta ce ga Nelson Mandela, alamar 'yanci da daidaito a kasar da ke fama da zalunci. Bayan kwanaki hudu na ginin, Mercedes S-Class 500SE W126 ya bar masana'antar a cikin ja mai haske. Launi mai farin ciki da farin ciki ya bayyana ƙaunar waɗanda suka gina shi, wani yanayi na gaba ɗaya a duniya wanda ya faru a can.
An kai motar Mercedes Class S ga Nelson Mandela a ranar 22 ga Yuli, 1991, a wani biki da ya gudana a filin wasa na Sisa Dukashe da kuma hannun Philip Groom, daya daga cikin ma'aikatan da suka yi aikin gina motar.
Sun ce watakila wannan yana daya daga cikin mafi kyawun Mercedes a duniya, wanda aka gina da hannu kuma tare da farin ciki na haɗin kai da 'yanci. Nelson Mandela ya samu motar kirar Mercedes Class S a tsawon kilomita 40,000 kafin ya mika ta ga gidan tarihi na wariyar launin fata, inda har yanzu take a tsaye, ba ta da kyau kuma tana hutawa.