2000 W202 Mercedes-Benz C180 (now sold)
The W202 was the first C-series compact saloon by Mercedes, following on from the successful W201 190E 'Baby Benz'. Development started on a replacement to the 190 series in October 1986, with design work commencing in 1987 under Bruno Sacco (see our 1988 230TE for more reference to Bruno Sacco). By 1988, the first full-scale models were made, narrowed to two design directions by December 1988. The design by Olivier Boulay was chosen in 1989 and the production design was frozen in January 1990, subsequently patented on 19 December 1990. Rough prototypes went into testing in 1989, with first production design prototypes commencing testing in 1990.
On 2 May 1996, the C-Class was subsequently given a minor facelift, with revised wheels, interior trim, door mouldings, front and rear bumper fascias as well as colour-coded side skirts, darker rear tail light lenses, and a rear windshield integrated radio antenna. Many other improvements to build quality (particularly rustproofing and abandoning the problematic biodegradable wiring harnesses) were also introduced, along with improvements to the engine and the introduction of a 5-speed automatic with lock-up torque converter. This 'facelift' model has subsequently been generally recognised as a more desirable model than either the pre-facelift W202, or the subsequent W203 models.
The car was initially a reluctant addition to the Kelly St Classics collection, but it had only a little over 160,000km on it when purchased, and its economy and sheer driveability instantly made it a car my partner and I absolutely LOVE, and it has become our main 'daily driver'. I hope you understand why after seeing these photos.
After Ollie the collie joined our household in late October 2022, this much-loved car was a bit of a misfit - dogs in the back seat of a sedan are not a marriage made in heaven, even when all precautions are taken to protect the car interior. So, the search was on. At 3PM on the 29th August, 2023, I purchased the replacement; an E46 BMW 320i Touring, made in December 2003 (2004 model year).