MERCEDES-BENZ

W201

The Mercedes-Benz W201, universally known as the 190E, was the compact saloon that redefined what an entry-level Mercedes could be. Launched on 8 December 1982 after a development program that famously cost Daimler-Benz around DM 2 billion, the 190E earned its 'over-engineered Baby Benz' reputation by introducing the multi-link rear suspension, a five-link design so effective it still underpins modern Mercedes models. Styled under Bruno Sacco, the 190E was built in Germany at the Sindelfingen and Bremen plants between 1982 and 1993, with total W201 production reaching 1,879,629 units. The range stretched from frugal four-cylinder models to the six-cylinder 2.6, but the legend of the 190E was forged in motorsport: the 190E 2.3-16, with its Cosworth-developed 16-valve head, set endurance records at Nardo in 1983, and in May 1984 a young Ayrton Senna beat a field of world champions in identical 190E 2.3-16s at the opening race of the new Nurburgring GP circuit. Homologation specials followed, culminating in the winged 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II of 1990, limited to 502 units and now trading well into six figures. When production ended in August 1993 to make way for the C-Class, the 190E had secured Mercedes' future in the compact segment. Today the 190E is a favorite of the youngtimer movement: honest drivers remain affordable at around US$10,000 on average, while Cosworth and Evolution models climb steeply year after year.