The SsangYong Chairman (Korean: 쌍용 체어맨) is a full-size luxury car that was manufactured by South Korean automaker SsangYong from 1997 to 2017. The original model was renamed Chairman H in 2008, with a new model introduced in the same year and designated Chairman W.
History
On release to the South Korean market in 1997, the chairman was a high-end executive sedan. Its manufacturer, SsangYong, was best known for SUVs and RVs, and the chairman has been its only sedan. The first generation chairman was built on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W124) platform, but styled more like a modernized W140 S-Class. Coincidentally, the design also foretold that of the upcoming W220 S-Class, which led to some consternation at the German company. Mercedes-Benz requested that Ssangyong redesign the car to make it look less like a Mercedes-Benz and to refrain from selling it in developed export markets such as Europe and the United States.[1]