A Question '89 560SEL vs. an '88 560SEL

I think when they put in the passenger airbag in SELs '89 there was no longer space for the glove box. That's why the center console went from being an open area pre-'89 to a locked compartment, to compensate.

Pete

"Bill G." wrote in news:3zJQb.17758 $ snipped-for-privacy@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net:

You mean to say the '88 have airbags?

Bill

Doesn't the '89, or at least some '89 models, have a passenger air bag in lieu of the glove box?

89 models have driver and passenger side airbags while 88 models only have drivers side airbags. Hence no glove box on 89 for the room was needed for the airbag.

"Bill G." wrote

They were available as an option starting from 1980.(The W126 was the first production car to have SRS) In 1986 they became standard. In 1989 a passenger airbag was available.