The 1970s and 1980s were a period where
automobile development reached a certain peak. It was when
manufacturers perfected the basic monocoque chassis based on the
technology at that point of time. It was a pinnacle of sorts as we
see manufacturers keeping the same model chassis for decades instead
of the current practice of a new platform every five to seven years
like most do today. We had cars like the Lancia Delta, born in 1979
and carrying on until 1995.
We had various generations of
Volkswagen Golf Mk1 and Mk2 going on sale for over ten years
concurrently in the 1980s and we had those Mercedes Benz cars like
the W124 E-Class, the W126 S-class, the R107 SL-class and the R129
SL-class that came after the R107. These cars were deemed by their
makers to be able to be in production for over a decade in terms of
chassis design and only with changes to engines and equipment (to
keep up with the times and electronic technology basically). It was a
period of some stability in terms of automotive technology and it
showed in the cars at the time.
