190 E 2.3

STORY

The "Baby Benz" was Mercedes-Benz's first compact saloon, a bold downward move launched in 1982 that would eventually spawn the entire C-Class. Designed under Bruno Sacco, the W201 refused to feel cut-price: it introduced a patented five-link independent rear suspension so good that Mercedes carried the design into its larger cars for decades.

Before the 190 had even properly launched, three lightly modified cars ran continuously at Italy's Nardò bowl in 1983, setting world endurance records at an average of nearly 250 km/h. The performance flagship was the 2.3-16, its Cosworth-developed sixteen-valve head turning the sensible saloon into a genuine sports sedan and the basis for a fearsome DTM campaign.

Nearly 1.9 million were built through 1993, saving Mercedes' finances and reshaping the brand's future.