When Mercedes launched the A-Class in 1997, one of the first journalists who did a test-drive rolled the car over while performing the “moose test” – a quick avoidance maneuver at moderate speed. Initially this was a public relations disaster, and in Germany the car is still called “the moose”:



To their credit, Mercedes quickly re-engineered all models to include the ESP (Electronic Stability Program), originally meant to be a top-level option, which solved the roll-over problem and also included other safety goodies.