Ngaphezu kwendaba ye-S-Class Mercedes ethandwa kakhulu, lena indaba yeqembu labasebenzi bakwaMercedes, abahlangene ukuze bahloniphe u-«Madiba».
Kwakungu-1990 futhi uNelson Mandela wayesezophuma ejele, iNingizimu Afrika kanye nomhlaba wentando yeningi wawugubha. E-East London, efemini yakwaMercedes eNingizimu Afrika, kube nenye futhi impumelelo. UNelson Mandela waboshwa iminyaka engu-27, ngenxa yokulwa nobandlululo nokulwa nemithetho yokucwasana eyayiqhutshwa eNingizimu Afrika.Usuku lokukhululwa kwakhe lwaluzongena emlandweni. Kodwa kukhona okwengeziwe kuze kube namuhla abantu abambalwa abakwaziyo ngakho.
I-Mercedes yaba yinkampani yezimoto yokuqala eNingizimu Afrika ukuhlonipha inyunyana yabasebenzi abamnyama. Efemini yakwaMercedes e-East London, iqeqebana labasebenzi libe nethuba lokwakhela uNelson Mandela isipho, njengesenzo sokubonga ngawo wonke amazwi athi kuleyo minyaka engama-27 eboshiwe awazise umhlaba wonke, umhlaba ongakaze wambona, umuntu, aziqondise ngakho. Isithombe sokugcina esasaziwa esidlangalaleni sikaNelson Mandela sasuka ngo-1962.
Iphrojekthi etafuleni kwaba ukwakhiwa phezulu uhla Stuttgart brand, Mercedes S-Class W126. Ngokusekelwa yinyunyana kazwelonke yabasebenzi bensimbi, iphrojekthi yavunywa. Imithetho yayilula: AbakwaMercedes babezohlinzeka ngezinsimbi bese abasebenzi bakhela uMandela iS-Class Class Mercedes isikhathi esengeziwe, ngaphandle kokukhokhelwa imali eyengeziwe ngayo.
Ngakho kwaqala ukwakhiwa enye yezinhlobo zikanokusho kakhulu brand, 500SE W126. Ngaphansi kwebhonethi, injini enkulu engu-245 hp V8 M117 izophumula. Amathuluzi abenezihlalo, amawindi kagesi nezibuko, kanye ne-airbag yomshayeli. Isiqephu sokuqala esakhiwa kwakuwuqwembe olwaluzohlonza iMercedes S-Class njengekaMandela, lubhalwe amagama alo: 999 NRM GP ("NRM" kaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela).
Ukwakhiwa kwathatha izinsuku ezine, izinsuku ezine zachithwa enjabulweni ehlala njalo. Kwakuyisipho kuNelson Mandela, uphawu lwenkululeko kanye nokulingana ezweni eliphawulwe ngengcindezelo. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezine zokwakhiwa, iMercedes S-Class 500SE W126 ishiye imboni ibomvu ngokugqamile. Umbala othokozisayo nonemibhiyozo wembula uthando lwalabo abawakhayo, umuzwa ovamile emhlabeni wonke owabonakala lapho.
IMercedes Class S yalethwa kuNelson Mandela ngoJulayi 22, 1991, emcimbini owawusenkundleni yezemidlalo iSisa Dukashe futhi ezandleni zikaPhilip Groom, omunye wabasebenzi ababebambe iqhaza ekwakhiweni kwemoto.
Bathi lena cishe ingenye yeMercedes ehamba phambili emhlabeni, eyakhiwe ngezandla futhi ngenjabulo yabantu ababumbene nabakhululekile. UNelson Mandela wayeneMercedes Class S enkonzweni yakhe amakhilomitha angu-40 000 ngaphambi kokuyidlulisela eMnyuziyamu Wobandlululo, lapho namanje imile, ihlanzekile futhi iphumule.