NOTE: As with all of my Airbag Timeline posts, this applies to the USA market. Foreign markets' airbag availability may vary.
Luxury cars tend to get safety features first, with those features trickling down to cheaper cars over time. Airbags are a prime example of this. While most vehicles would wait until the 1990-1994 period to get their first airbag, the first airbag^ would make an appearance as an option on some 1984 Mercedes vehicles. By the end of the 1980s, you could even get a passenger airbag on some luxury vehicles! These 19 vehicles represent large luxury sedans and coupes; sports cars and exotic cars are not included in this group.
Airbag availability in luxury cars kicked off in 1984, with Mercedes-Benz offering optional driver airbags in some S-Class and SL-Class vehicles.
1985 saw airbag availability spread to the Mercedes E-Class, as well as some BMW 7-Series models.
For 1986, Mercedes-Benz made a driver airbag standard on all of their US-market vehicles.
For 1987, there were no changes in airbag availability in this vehicle grouping.
For the 1988 models, the redesigned BMW 7-Series got a driver airbag as standard equipment, while the BMW 6-series and Acura Legend made a driver airbag an option.
For 1989, the Acura Legend made the driver airbag standard, and the Audi 5000 was renamed to the 100, adding a standard driver airbag in the process. The Mercedes S-Class and E-Class made a passenger airbag an option, while the Lincoln Continental made the jump from no airbags to standard dual airbags. By this point, half of this class offered at least a driver airbag.
By the 1990 model year, only the Cadillac Brougham remained airbagless. The BMW 5-Series, Cadillac Deville, Seville, Fleetwood, and Eldorado, and the Lincoln Mark VII all made a driver airbag standard this year. The Lexus LS400, Infiniti Q45, and Audi V8 were introduced, all packing a driver airbag as standard equipment. The Mercedes SL-Class got an optional passenger airbag, and the Lincoln Town Car was redesigned, bringing standard dual airbags*.
For 1991, the Mercedes S-Class and SL-Class got standard dual airbags. The Acura Legend added an optional passenger airbag.
For 1992, the Audi V8 got standard dual airbags.
For 1993, the Mercedes E-Class and Acura Legend made their previously optional passenger airbag standard. The BMW 7-Series, Audi 100, Cadillac Seville, Cadillac Fleetwood, Cadillac Eldorado, and Lexus LS400 all made dual airbags standard. The Lincoln Mark VII was replaced by the Mark VIII, which had standard dual airbags. Only three out of 17 vehicles remained with only a driver airbag.
For 1994, these three vehicles, the BMW 5 Series, Cadillac Deville, and Infiniti Q45 finally made dual airbags standard.
Researching for this article was difficult, primarily because of the German luxury cars and their differences in airbag availability around the world. For instance, the Mercedes S-Class had an optional driver airbag in Europe in 1981 (!), but didn't have one in the USA until '84, and it was made standard in '86 (one of the few easy tidbits: all Mercedes in the USA for '86-88 had standard driver airbag, but no passenger airbag, as those first saw availability in '89). If you spot any errors in the chart, point them out and I will fix them. Again, this chart applies to USA models.
*Due to a March 14, 1990 fire at the passenger airbag plant, late production 1990 and 1991 models were built without passenger airbags. Buyers were given a credit equal to the cost of installing the airbag. In summer 1991, the airbags became available.
^ Some large General Motors vehicles were offered with dual air bags in the 1974 to 1976 model years, but the first modern airbag system (designed to work with a three point seat belt) was introduced by Mercedes Benz and first saw availability in the USA in 1984.
All airbag systems since then have been designed to work with the three point seat belt system. That's where the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System), also called SIR (Supplemental Inflatable Restraint) in some vehicles, comes from. Regardless of what the airbag says, it's still designed to work with a three point seat belt.
Luxury cars tend to get safety features first, with those features trickling down to cheaper cars over time. Airbags are a prime example of this. While most vehicles would wait until the 1990-1994 period to get their first airbag, the first airbag^ would make an appearance as an option on some 1984 Mercedes vehicles. By the end of the 1980s, you could even get a passenger airbag on some luxury vehicles! These 19 vehicles represent large luxury sedans and coupes; sports cars and exotic cars are not included in this group.
Airbag availability in luxury cars kicked off in 1984, with Mercedes-Benz offering optional driver airbags in some S-Class and SL-Class vehicles.
1985 saw airbag availability spread to the Mercedes E-Class, as well as some BMW 7-Series models.
For 1986, Mercedes-Benz made a driver airbag standard on all of their US-market vehicles.
For 1987, there were no changes in airbag availability in this vehicle grouping.
For the 1988 models, the redesigned BMW 7-Series got a driver airbag as standard equipment, while the BMW 6-series and Acura Legend made a driver airbag an option.
For 1989, the Acura Legend made the driver airbag standard, and the Audi 5000 was renamed to the 100, adding a standard driver airbag in the process. The Mercedes S-Class and E-Class made a passenger airbag an option, while the Lincoln Continental made the jump from no airbags to standard dual airbags. By this point, half of this class offered at least a driver airbag.
By the 1990 model year, only the Cadillac Brougham remained airbagless. The BMW 5-Series, Cadillac Deville, Seville, Fleetwood, and Eldorado, and the Lincoln Mark VII all made a driver airbag standard this year. The Lexus LS400, Infiniti Q45, and Audi V8 were introduced, all packing a driver airbag as standard equipment. The Mercedes SL-Class got an optional passenger airbag, and the Lincoln Town Car was redesigned, bringing standard dual airbags*.
For 1991, the Mercedes S-Class and SL-Class got standard dual airbags. The Acura Legend added an optional passenger airbag.
For 1992, the Audi V8 got standard dual airbags.
For 1993, the Mercedes E-Class and Acura Legend made their previously optional passenger airbag standard. The BMW 7-Series, Audi 100, Cadillac Seville, Cadillac Fleetwood, Cadillac Eldorado, and Lexus LS400 all made dual airbags standard. The Lincoln Mark VII was replaced by the Mark VIII, which had standard dual airbags. Only three out of 17 vehicles remained with only a driver airbag.
For 1994, these three vehicles, the BMW 5 Series, Cadillac Deville, and Infiniti Q45 finally made dual airbags standard.
Researching for this article was difficult, primarily because of the German luxury cars and their differences in airbag availability around the world. For instance, the Mercedes S-Class had an optional driver airbag in Europe in 1981 (!), but didn't have one in the USA until '84, and it was made standard in '86 (one of the few easy tidbits: all Mercedes in the USA for '86-88 had standard driver airbag, but no passenger airbag, as those first saw availability in '89). If you spot any errors in the chart, point them out and I will fix them. Again, this chart applies to USA models.
*Due to a March 14, 1990 fire at the passenger airbag plant, late production 1990 and 1991 models were built without passenger airbags. Buyers were given a credit equal to the cost of installing the airbag. In summer 1991, the airbags became available.
^ Some large General Motors vehicles were offered with dual air bags in the 1974 to 1976 model years, but the first modern airbag system (designed to work with a three point seat belt) was introduced by Mercedes Benz and first saw availability in the USA in 1984.
All airbag systems since then have been designed to work with the three point seat belt system. That's where the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System), also called SIR (Supplemental Inflatable Restraint) in some vehicles, comes from. Regardless of what the airbag says, it's still designed to work with a three point seat belt.
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