C-CLASS W201

About the C-Class W201

The W201 — the original 190 — was Mercedes-Benz's first compact car, and they over-engineered it like they over-engineered everything in the 1980s. The base 190E was a solid, well-built commuter. The 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 Cosworth variants turned it into a DTM homologation car that could beat BMW's E30 M3 on a good day. The W201 proved Mercedes could build a small car without sacrificing the quality that defined the brand. Every C-Class that followed owes its existence to this car getting the formula right on the first try.