Fred, nice post but 1995 couldn't possibly have been the last E-class model year without Chrysler influence. First of all it's unlikely that Chrysler management ever influenced anything in the combined company, let alone product, let alone German based product. Influence of the merger, which didn't take place until 1998, couldn't have started to effect product until at least a couple years after the merger. Decisions to cheapen the 210 chassis had to take place well before it came out in late 1995.