Every W201 variant.

The original W201. A carburettor-fed 2.0-litre M102 four-cylinder producing 90 bhp — modest by any measure, but that was never the point. Bruno Sacco's design carried the Mercedes build quality of the S-Class into a car half its size. The 190 established the W201's reputation for solidity and longevity. Many survive today as daily drivers with six-figure mileages intact. A rust-free 190 with a clean service history is an increasingly valuable survivor.

Introduced in the final two years of W201 production as an entry-level injected option. The 1.8-litre M102 produces 109 bhp. Built in smaller numbers than other variants, the 190E 1.8 has a loyal following among buyers who want injection reliability and W201 quality without the running costs of the larger engines. Spec sheet numbers are unimpressive. Real-world usability is not.

The volume seller. The injected 2.0-litre M102 produces 122 bhp and delivers the W201 chassis at its most accessible. More than any other W201, the 190E 2.0 kept the chassis alive in everyday use across three decades. It is the variant most likely to have survived without restoration — and least likely to have been thrashed. A genuine low-mileage example is a compelling buy. It is also the clone platform: 2.0 bodyshells are common candidates for fake Cosworth conversions. Verify VINs on anything presented as a 16v.

The 2.3-litre M102 sits between the 2.0 and the Cosworth in the range — more torque, more confidence at motorway speeds, same W201 virtues. An overlooked variant. Enough performance to be genuinely enjoyable, cheap to maintain, and not yet commanding the premiums the 16v models attract. The 2.3 pushrod engine is shared with the SL R107 and shares parts availability with the broader M102 family.

The 2.6 is the W201's GT variant — a straight-six M103 engine borrowed from the 260E W124. Smooth, refined, muscular in a way the four-cylinders are not. 166 bhp and 220 Nm of torque, delivered with the characteristic silkiness of the six. It rides on the same chassis, with standard power steering, and is visually distinguished only by its front splitter and wider sills from the factory. The 2.6 attracts a specific buyer: one who values character over competition history. Values have risen sharply as buyers discover the car.

The indestructible diesel. The OM601 and OM602 are pre-common-rail, mechanically injected diesel engines with a well-documented reputation for crossing 500,000 km without major failure when serviced correctly. The 190D is the taxi driver's W201 — built for load, maintained hard, and outlasting everything around it. The 2.5 is the most usable road car variant. Rust is the only serious threat: find a solid body and these engines can be relied on indefinitely. Interest in diesel W201s has grown sharply in recent years.

The turbocharged 2.5-litre diesel is the 190D at its most capable. 126 bhp from an oil burner in the late 1980s was a genuine achievement, and the torque delivery makes the car deceptively quick in normal driving. Turbo lag is present but manageable. These are rarer than the naturally aspirated cars and attract disproportionate attention from diesel enthusiasts. The turbo and intercooler add maintenance complexity, but the core OM602 is as durable as in naturally aspirated form.

The one that started it. Cosworth developed a twin-cam 16-valve head for the M102 block — a technically demanding job given the pushrod engine's combustion chamber geometry. The result was 185 bhp in European ECE form (170 bhp with catalyst) and a character entirely unlike the standard 190E. Where the pushrod cars are smooth and measured, the 2.3-16 rewards high revs and precise gearchange timing. The Fuchs alloys, aerodynamic addenda and lowered ride height set it visually apart. All 2.3-16s were built at Sindelfingen with Cosworth heads shipped directly. 19,487 built.

Mercedes replaced the 2.3-16 with a longer-stroke, larger-displacement development of the same engine — the M102 E25/2 — bringing capacity to 2,498 cc. The 2.5-16 delivers more torque across a wider rev range than the 2.3-16, making it the more usable road car of the two. The head is stronger and less prone to the cracking issues the 2.3-16 can suffer. Available in five colours (versus the 2.3-16's two), the 2.5-16 is the volume Cosworth — 5,743 built — and the best daily-driver option in the 16v range.

Built to homologate the racecar for the 1989 DTM season, the Evolution I uses a short-stroke version of the 2.5-litre engine — 97.3 mm bore with an 82.8 mm stroke produces 2,463 cc. On paper the power figures match the standard 2.5-16. In practice the shorter stroke allows higher revs and a sharper, more aggressive character. The body carries wider front and rear tracks, a deeper front splitter, and flared arches. All 502 cars were built in three months at Bremen. The Evo I ran a single factory colour: Blue-black DB 199.

The most extreme W201 built. Mercedes commissioned AMG to develop the aerodynamic package for the Evolution II — the towering adjustable rear wing, the aggressive front lip, the extended sill panels, the bonnet louvres. Compression rises to 10.5:1 and power to 235 bhp at 7,200 rpm. The wider 17-inch Evo II wheels and a more aggressive differential (3.46:1) complete the package. 502 cars were built between May and July 1990 at Bremen — all in Blue-black DB 199. Every one was fully sold before production ended. DTM race cars used the Evo II silhouette as their basis through 1993. Values have crossed £100,000 at auction.