190E 2.3 (W201)

The W201 was unveiled in December 1982 and reached customers in early 1983. It was Mercedes-Benz's first compact sedan, designed to compete with the BMW 3 Series. Despite its smaller size, the W201 received the same engineering rigor as the S-Class.

The standard 190E 2.3 used the M102 four-cylinder producing 132 hp (136 PS). The car's real significance was structural: the multi-link rear suspension, developed by Mercedes, was a breakthrough in ride and handling balance.

On May 12, 1984, the reopening of the Nurburgring GP circuit was celebrated with a one-make race featuring identical 190E 2.3-16 cars driven by Formula 1 drivers. Ayrton Senna, then an F1 rookie, won in wet conditions, beating Niki Lauda, Carlos Reutemann, and James Hunt.

The high-performance 190E 2.3-16, with a Cosworth-developed 16-valve cylinder head producing 185 hp, became a touring car racing icon. The even more extreme 2.5-16 Evolution II, with its aggressive bodywork and 235 hp, dominated DTM in the early 1990s.

1,879,629 W201s were produced before the C-Class replaced it in 1993. The 2.5-16 Evo II now commands EUR 200,000 to EUR 400,000, while standard 190Es remain accessible at EUR 10,000 to EUR 25,000.