[W126 Coupe] OEM Fire Extinguishers?

[Dawid Loubser]

Hi,

My car has a fire extinguisher fitted to the front (below) the  
passenger seat. (See attached photograph).
I have never seen another SEC with this option before, and I was  
wanting to find out a bit more about it?

 From the MB logos on it and the mounting bracket, I assume that this  
was fitted to the car as original equipment.
Was this available during the full SEC lifespan? (1981-1991) I have,  
in fact, never seen another Mercedes with
this before - were they available before the W126 series? And after?  
What is the story behind this (and fire
extinguishers in cars in general?) I remember in the 1980s and 1990s  
when I was a kid, seeing fire extinguishers
on some cars, though I doubt they were OEM... Cars like Ford Sierra,  
Datsuns, etc. Where cars in the 80s just
likely to spontaneously combust more easily, or was it a safety fad  
or fashionable thing brought on by racing
maybe?

Any insights much appreciated :-)

regards
Dawid, 1990 560SEC Euro

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