THE MARKETPLACE
THE CARS
THE BEGINNING
Giventhe diversity of a model line-up that now includes hatchbacks, saloons, estates, twoand four-door coupes, cabriolets, commercials and a truly bewildering assortment of SUVs, it’s hard to recall a time when Mercedes-Benz only made big cars. German rival BMW had shown that a prestige take on more compact models could be hugely successful, but Mercedes was almost two decades late to the party when it first launched the 190 series – codenamed W201 – at the end of 1982. Thankfully, the new model would prove to a massive hit regardless, becoming the first of what we now know as the C-Class, unlocking a new market segment for Mercedes, setting the trend for its new design language and selling to the tune of over 1.8 million units. So, 40 years on, story of the 190 series is surely worth a revisit.
In truth, Mercedes wasn’t as far behind its Bavarian rival as the W201’s 1982 launch suggests – it had just spent an awful long time working on it. As early as 1974, and amidst an uncertain financial climate, Mercedes had identified a demand for a more compact car that was no doubt inspired by the success of BMW’s ’02 and 3-Series cars, but also the looming threat of corporate average fuel economy requirements in the US market. Rather than rush its launch and produce a cut-price car, however, Mercedes embarked on a massive development programme for the W201 that’s said to have cost more than 600 million Deutsche marks depending on who you listen to. It would also lead to the firm marketing the ‘baby-Benz’, as it affectionately become known, as ‘overengineered’.
NO COMPROMISES
The brief was that none of the traditional Mercedes values should be compromised in the move to a smaller car and increased fuel efficiency. To achieve that aim, design chief Bruno Sacco orchestrated an engineering feat that optimised the aerodynamics of the body while also using high-strength sheet steel and other innovative materials to reduce the weight of the car, thus reducing fuel consumption. As a result, the 190 weighed just 1180kg, without any reductions in passive safety. Indeed, the forked-member
