Description
1992 Mercedes-Benz (W201) 190E 2. 6 Sportline Auto
Only 104K Miles - Superb History - Pristine Condition
Gleaming 249 Malachite Green - Immaculate Sportline "Karo" Grey Check Interior
Unique Specification - Immaculate Condition - Sought Variant of the W201
Originally a Pentagon Mercedes Aylesbury Demo Vehicle
THE CAR
Date of Registration: 14th December 1992
VRM:K3 OJM
MOT Expiry: 27th March 2025 (No Advisories)
Number of Previous Keeper on V5: 2 (1st Owner was Pentagon Mercedes, Aylesbury)
Mileage: 104, 000 Miles
Service History Comprises of:
* Stamped Service Booklet
* Extremely Large A4 Lever Arch File of Supporting Paperwork
* All Old MOT Certificates
* Original Sales Invoice for £25, 708. 74 (at 1 month old, as car was a dealer demo)
Last Service: 18th March 2024 at 104, 045 Miles (inc ATF & Filter & Brake Fluid) (This car has been in a state of perpetual service for a decade with its last owner!)
Keys: All Original Keys: Two Keys
Also Included: Glovebox Book Pack, All Manuals, Tool Roll, Jack, Warning Triangle, Unused First Aid Kit
Road Tax: Pre-March 2001 Flat Rate of £325/ Year
HPI Status: 100% Clear (report included)
FEATURES
Grey "Karo" Sportline Check Interior
Driver Airbag
Outside Temperature Gauge
Leather Rimmed Steering Wheel
Leather Gear Knob
Front Armrests
Rear Armrest
Electric Windows x 4
Electric Tilt/ Slide Sunroof
Electric/ Heated Mirrors
Power Steering
Load Adjustable Headlamps
Original Dealer Fit Tape/ Tuner
Hirschmann Electric Aerial
Front Fog Lamps
Headlamp Wash/ Wipe
High Capacity (70 Litre ) Fuel Tank
Factory Tinted Glass with Gradient Band Windscreen
Refurbished MB 8 Hole Sportline Spec Alloys with Near New Falken Tyres
Matching Spare Tyre
MB Ribbed Overmats
Long Life Stainless Exhaust
Sportline Package Includes:
* Sportline 390mm Diameter Steering Wheel
* Sportline Wing Badges
* Stiffer/ Lower (by 23mm) Suspension
* Larger Diameter Anti-Roll Bars
* Quicker Steering
* Sportline 7J x 15" 8-Hole Alloy Wheels (inc Spare) with recent Falken 205/ 55 R15 Tyres
FACTORY DATA (BUILD) CARD
General Data
FIN WDB2010292G037498
Model 190 E 2. 6
Engine 103942 22 078658
Transmission 722409 03 257683
Order Number 0 2 537 54756
Order Location GREAT BRITAIN
Interior 378
Paint 1 MALACHITE GREEN METALLIC (249U)
Approx. Build Date 1992-10
Code Description
232 TIRES - PIRELLI WIDE TIRES USED FOR EXPORT
240 OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
280 LEATHER STEERING WHEEL AND LEATHER GEAR SHIFT KNOB
286 LUGGAGE NETS ON DRIVER RESTS L AND R
341 ADDITIONAL BLINKER LAMPS
362 RHD VEHICLES AS PER EC REGULATIONS (CONTROL CODE)
400 FOLDING ARMREST IN THE REAR
412 ELECTRIC SLIDING ROOF WITH TILTING DEVICE
420 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 4-GEAR
430 HEADREST IN THE REAR, LEFT AND RIGHT
442 AIRBAG IN STEERING WHEEL
461 INSTRUMENT WITH MILES IND. AND ENGLISH LEGEND
524 PAINTWORK - PRESERVATION
570 FOLDING ARMREST, FRONT
584 ELECTRIC WINDOW LIFTERS (FRONT AND REAR DOORS)
593 HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, ALL-AROUND, HEATED REAR WINDOW PANE (SINGLE-SHEET SAFETY GLASS), BAND
FILTER
600 HEADLAMP WIPER/ WASHER
613 HEADLAMP LEFT-HAND TRAFFIC
620 VEHICLES WITH CATALYST TECHNIQUE
653 SPORTS CHASSIS WITH 8-HOLE LIGHT ALLOY WHEELS
664 20 LITERS OF FUEL AND MODE OF PACKING VE III
876 REAR DOOR CONTACTS AND LAMP ABOVE REAR WINDOW
915 FUEL TANK, 70 LITER
SUMMARY
Welcome to the advert for this wonderful 190E 2. 6 Sportline, which I know very well indeed. I first bought this car back in December 2013, directly from the gentleman who bought it brand new from Pentagon Mercedes in Aylesbury in 1992. He told me that he originally went in to buy a 190E 1. 8 but ended up coming out with this beautiful 190E 2. 6 Sportline. The dealership happened to have this particular car “in stock” which was quite unusual for Mercedes at that time, and his wife took an instant shine to it. It first was registered to the dealership, so I can only assume it was either a showroom vehicle or demonstrator. The deal was done, and he took delivery of the car on 22nd December 1992 with just a nominal delivery mileage on the clock, and owned it right up to 17th December 2013, almost 21 years to the day he bought it. That’s when it came to me for the first time.
I subsequently sold the car in March in 2014 to a lovely gentleman, from Shrewsbury, who owned it right up to December this year, which is when I bought it back for the second time. He’s decided as he was approaching his 90th birthday, it was maybe time to reduce his collection; he also had several Morris Minors which needed constant attention. During his decade long ownership of this Mercedes, he covered just under 10, 000 miles, and kept the car in fine order, in fact it was essentially in a perpetual state of service during his ownership. In his tenure, over and above the usual servicing and maintenance, among the very long list of jobs he did/ had done were a full long life stainless exhaust fitted (£1140), had the exhaust manifolds ceramic coated, replaced brake discs and pads, had all the differential seals changed, replaced all the tyres, had the wheel refurbished, replaced both front and rear screens and replaced shock absorbers just to name a few.
Anyone will tell you when you buy a car of this vintage, there’s usually lots of unknowns and sometimes incorrect assumptions are made by sellers, as lots can happen in thirty one years, but with this car, that’s simply not the case. The first owner told me in the twenty years he owned this car, it had never let them down, and over and above the usual wear and tear items, nothing had ever gone wrong with it. It was also garaged every night, and when not in use, also stored in a dry integral garage, which is clearly verified by the fact that the instrument needles are still bright orange…a sure sign with these older Mercedes, where the instrument needles tend to fade to varying shades of yellow if the car is kept outside. The second owner, also continued with an even higher level of care; he only used the car in good weather, took it to several shows and kept the car covered in his garage when it wasn’t in use. It’s so unusual to get such a detailed background with a vehicle of this age.
Bodywork, is in superb condition, commensurate with a vehicle that has been garaged. Its never been involved in any accidents, all panels are original, and paint is virtually all original, which is incredible for a 31 year old vehicle. Obviously both the owners will verify this, and its also backed up by a relevant HPI reports too. The car has recently also had the paintwork professionally ceramic coated and looks absolutely amazing
Interior and trim are also equally superb condition too. Both previous owners were a non smokers, so there’s none of the resultant damage and/ or odours that careless smokers sometimes inflict on their cars. I also have to add, the interior still has that “New Mercedes” smell about it..... those who owned, or drove this era of Mercedes when they were relatively new will know exactly what I mean; I drove a brand new W124 230E, back in August1990, and this car’s smell conjures up vivid memories of that brand new W124 . Also, as the main driver of the car for the first 21 years was a lady, and the second owner was a slightly built elderly gentleman, the drivers seat is just about as firm and supportive as it was when it was new.
The drive quality of all good W201’s is excellent, but an incredibly well maintained 190E 2. 6 with the highly desirable Sport line option is a league of its own; the car feels supple yet taught and wonderfully controlled in the bends while power delivery is smooth, but deceptively rapid with bags of effortless low down torque, and for me its almost the perfect combination of handling versus comfort, which together with that solid feeling that all the Mercedes of this era exude, make the 190E 2. 6 Sportline, the complete package in my opinion. I’d go as far to say I prefer driving this particular car more than any other W201 I’ve ever driven, and that’s including the 16 valve Cosworth models, which can feel a bit thrashy. Also what has further preserved this car’s “tightness” is it was actually bought for the gentleman’s wife, and the second owner was an elderly gentleman, so its never really been hard driven, unlike like many examples which fell into the hands of wannabe touring car drivers.
Finally, maintenance was carried out for the first three years by Mercedes, then was entrusted to a respected independent, who serviced the car at least once a year, which was well within the prescribed intervals. What’s very clear thumbing through the service history is there isn’t any horror stories or recurring problems, and in true W201 style has been unfailingly and boringly reliability over the 31 year ownership of both owners. As nice and thoughtful touch, the first owner has also kindly enclosed a letter with the service history confirming all the above, which is great for the vehicles provenance in years to come. In the last decade, in the tenure of the second owner, the car has almost been in a state of perpetual service, and which added to the already extensive A4 lever arch file. More latterly, the car has just had a major service including gearbox fluid and filter change.
So, there you have it, aside from the “Cosworth” and “Evo” models, this car sits high in the tree of W201 desirability. As such potential buyers have to be aware there’s lots of W201’s that sellers advertise as a Sportline , which are simply just standard cars with modifications. This one is the “real deal”, and has the relevant option codes on the data card to prove it. I said back in 2014 when I first advertised this car “I’m fairly sure, one day in the not so distant future, these cars will start to rapidly appreciate” Well, those days are upon up now, and on the current trajectory, values of the 190E 2. 6 Sportline are fast heading towards £20K plus. I’m probably going to again regret not holding on to this one a second time. As I’ve said many times, decent examples of the 190E are now getting very rare indeed, and its going to be special cars like this that appreciate at the fastest rate.
THE MTSV DIFFERENCE
Unlike some, I don't just simply go out, buy any old car, give it a good clean, then advertise it for more than the purchase price, disregarding any issues the car may have in the hope the new buyer won't notice…I just couldn't do that. The cars I source are carefully selected and I work very hard so that when my cars leave me, I have the satisfaction of knowing they are as good as they possibly can be within the constraints I have. As such I have many repeat customers and new customers that have been recommended via word of mouth…the ultimate accolade for anyone in business.
Any other questions, please feel free to contact me. I've been dealing in Mercedes-Benz vehicles for almost 20 years, but I'm a firstly and foremostly a true car enthusiast of many more years, and a Mercedes Club Member, so it's a pleasure to meet and speak to like-minded people.
Finally, I'm situated in Keighley, West Yorkshire (Postal Code Area BD21) which is approximately 11 miles from Skipton, and 20 miles West of Leeds.
All major debit/ credit cards accepted.
Thanks for reading my advert!
Mark.
