By the late 1990s, city cars were exploding in popularity, and Mercedes-Benz was ready to get in on the action. The company had enjoyed success in its luxury class for decades with low-volume, high-margin products that were renowned the world over for their comfort, performance, and design. But there’s always more money to be made, and the turning point came in 1997 when the company introduced its smallest car yet: the A-Class.
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