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The Mercedes-Benz 190 E Class 1 was a true crossover between two eras. Based on the final evolutionary stage of the classic DTM, this transitional model standing just 1,300 millimeters tall was only deployed during the 1993 and 1994 seasons before making way for the C-Class. (A historically significant example of this model was built from the winning car of the 1992 DTM season, which secured Klaus Ludwig his second German Touring Car Championship title.)

Our own Mercedes 190 DTM class 1 was delivered to Bernd schneider in earlv August 1993, this should be his third car. His two first Klasse 1s were based on 1992 EVO 2s.

In 1994 it was used by Sandy Grau for the zakspeed Junior team. But only for the last race at Hockenheim.

Norbert Brenner acquired this car in 1996 and used it in Hill-climbing.

To save the DTM and create a technological showcase for car manufacturers, the Class 1 regulations were introduced for the 1993 season. This offered constructors unprecedented technical freedom.

The car no longer had to roll directly off the production line. As long as the outer roofline and basic grille shape resembled the road car, the underlying chassis could consist entirely of carbon fiber and a tubular spaceframe.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz found itself caught in a difficult dilemma:

1. The law of marketing: The brand-new C-Class (W202) was launched in 1993 to succeed the aging 190 E (W201). According to unwritten Mercedes laws, the C-Class could not appear on the track until the car was actually at the dealerships and official homologation was complete.
2. The emergency solution: Because the C-Class DTM car would not be ready until 1994, the AMG factory team had to build an interim model for 1993. They took the existing Group A chassis of the 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II and modified it heavily to make maximum use of the new Class 1 aerodynamic rules.

This led to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190 E Class 1 (sometimes referred to as the '93 specification). The car was drastically lowered to just 1,300 mm, received extremely wide wheel arches, a front spoiler positioned far forward, and the iconic, massive Doppelspalt (double split) rear wing to maximize aerodynamic downforce. Under the hood, however, lay the trusted 2.5-liter Cosworth four-cylinder engine, with around 380 hp.

“Because the 190 E Class 1 was only deployed for a single season (with continued use by private teams in '94), only a handful of units were built at the time. Today, this makes the car highly sought after by collectors and historic restorers.”