autoevolution
 

A Short History of The Mercedes-Benz C-Class in DTM

Almost 31 years ago, the spiritual grandfather of the current Mercedes-Benz C-Class W205 was starting an unofficial motorsport career for the original Baby Benz.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class in Motorsport 36 photos
Photo: Image Edited by autoevolution
Mercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C 63 AMG DTM Safety CarMercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupe DTM Safety CarMercedes-Benz 190 2.3-16 Record CarMercedes-Benz 190 E (W201) DTMMercedes-Benz 190 E (W201) DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W204 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz 190 E EVO II DTMMercedes-Benz C 55 AMG T-Modell and SLK 55 AMG Safety CarMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz 190 E EVO II DTMMercedes-Benz 190 E EVO II DTMMercedes-Benz 190 E DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W202 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W204 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W204 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class in MotorsportMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W203 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W204 DTMMercedes-Benz C-Class W204 DTM
Between 13 and 21 August of 1983, a small fleet of pre-production Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 were breaking three world records and nine other international records at the high-speed circuit in Nardò, southern Italy.

It was the beginning of a rather impressive motorsport career for the smallest three-pointed star sedan in the lineup, but the real race actually took place in 1984, on the new Grand Prix circuit near the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife.

No less than 20 identical versions of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 were driven by an internationally-acclaimed consortium of drivers, with the first three being none other than Niki Lauda, Carlos Reutemann and Ayrton Senna.

A racing version of the aforementioned model then proceeded to finish the French (of all places) Touring Car Championship of 1985 in second place, while 1986 saw an AMG-tuned model also finish runner-up in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) championship.

After a less successful 1987 motorsport season, 1988 saw no less than five DTM teams receive official support from then Daimler-Benz, with Roland Asch managing to end the season in second place.

The instantly-recognizable Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution in its both Evo 1 and ahead-of-its-time Evo II versions pretty much stormed the 1989 and 1990 DTM championships with their technology and looks, but sadly didn't make it more the second place in the standings.

The 1991 season saw the 190 E Evo II come first in the constructors championship, despite Klaus Ludwig finishing second in the driver standings with the model.

It was 1992 when the Evo II amassed no less than 16 wins and Klaus Ludwig managed to take the championship ahead of Kurt Thiim and legend Bernd Schneider, while the 1993 season saw Roland Asch again finish as a runner-up behind Nico Larini.

Starting with 1994 until the old DTM slowly transformed into ITC (International Touring Car Championship) there was no stopping the Mercedes-Benz C-Class W202 touring car, which won every championship until 1996.

With no less than 86 wins, the three-pointed star was the most successful manufacturer european touring car championship in the decade between 1986 and 2006, with the 190 E and the C-Class being the formidable weapons nobody had expected.

When they returned in the newly-formed DTM in 2000, Mercedes-Benz first brought the C-Class-based CLK C208 into competition, winning three championships in a row with Bernd Schneider behind the wheel.

The C-Class W203 entered the DTM scene in 2004, but it wasn't until the following year that it managed to win the championship, with the model winning both 2005 and 2006 seasons until its winning spree began to be interrupted by the Audi A4.

The following C-Class generation, the W204, began yet another winning odyssey in 2008, 2009 and 2010, this time modified by HWA.

Mostly because of a development ban on both the car and its engine, the 2001 and 2012 championships didn't go so well for the C-Class, with the 2012 season seeing the C-Class Coupe C204 enter the spotlight and Gary Paffett managing to finish as a runner-up.

2013 was no longer a win-all season for the three-pointed star brand, with the HWA Team finishing in third place, just one point from BMW Team RBM.

This wasn't the only form of motorsport where the C-Class and its 190 E predecessor shined in the spotlights, with Mercedes-Benz being involved with the use of Safety Cars and Medical cars in Formula 1 and the DTM since 1996, and from 2014 onwards it will not be any different.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Alex Oagana
Alex Oagana profile photo

Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories