Highlights
- One owner from new
- Less than 66,000 Miles from new
- Amazing interior condition
The Appeal
From 1982-93 the 190E was Mercedes’ offering in the saloon car sector, and over its 11-year lifespan, it would manage to sell an incredible 1.8 million units.
This example has been well looked after by its first owner from new and as such it now sits in front of us in amazing condition, the interior for example still looks like new. It is clear to see that the first owner has loved this car from day dot, and it is now your chance to reap the rewards with a 190E in excellent condition.
The History and Paperwork
- The history of this 190E starts in 1987 when the first, and only owner, ordered and subsequently picked up their new 190E
- Although it was delivered to the UK and registered as such, you will be able to see that it is indeed a left-hand drive
- It is a LHD version because the owner would split his time between his house in the UK and his house in Italy
- By the looks of it, the majority of the miles were completed in the first part of its life
- Since 2006 the car has covered less than 1,000km a year which means the odometer reads a very low figure
- The owner has appeared to have kept a lot of the old MOT certificates, the majority of his agreed value insurance policy documents, and some assorted photos from their time with the car
- A V5 is also present
- It is now time for you to add to the history of this amazing 190E, but treat it well
The Interior
- Amazing condition
- Electric front windows
- Electric sunroof
The interior of this 190E looks as if no one has ever sat in it, it could be down to the hard wearing fabric seats or the fact that it has been barely used in the last 20 years. You will be able to experience many happy miles sitting at the helm of this classic Mercedes.
If we start by looking at the condition of the fabric seats, we can see that they are presented amazingly well. You would expect to see some wear on the driver’s seat but there doesn’t appear to be any obvious signs of damage at all. This condition is carried through the rest of the cabin with all of the passenger seats being presented very well. It looks like the first owner took a lot of pride in their Mercedes.
This condition is reflected in the other elements that would usually take a beating too, such as the over mats and carpets. You can see that these too almost look like new. This is an amazing feat for a Mercedes of this age. Even the wood surround covering the manual gear selector shows no major signs of wear or damage.
The black plastic dash and centre console, much like the rest of the interior, are in very good condition too with all of the elements present and working.
Looking at the more obscure and often overlooked areas of the interior such as the headliner, door cards, and boot we can see that these two are almost like new.
It is amazing to see that this 190E has been looked after properly with love and care over its lifetime, the baton now falls to you to keep it in such great condition throughout your ownership. There is no doubt that you will enjoy every second spent behind the wheel of this over engineered German saloon.
The Exterior
- Lovely paint condition
- Wears the three-pointed star proudly
- Wonderful overall condition
Mercedes at this time were producing some of their best work, and the 190E is no exception. The simple lines and 3-box design philosophy resulted in a timeless look that we still love to this day. Luckily for you, the exterior has been looked after as well as the interior.
The logbook says that the exterior colour is gold, but it could probably come under the Champagne umbrella. This subtle yet lovely paint colour looks amazing on this old Mercedes and sets off the entire exterior look perfectly. As you would expect from a car of this age, there are a few marks here and there but no major damage that you should be worrying about.
To further enhance the exterior, look the black plastic trim is still presented well, there are some slight signs of a scrape on the front corner and some minor fading in places but these days there are so many ‘back-to-black’ products that it shouldn’t be too difficult to bring them back to their former glory.
This Mercedes sits on four matching Michelin tyres, with some good tread still left this is yet another sign that this car has been looked after properly. Looking in further the four original hubcaps are still fitted, although they show some signs of kerb rash up close this soon fades as you step back.
One of the main exterior features of this 190E is the electric sunroof. This retracted back in a nice swift motion on the day of the photos, and it looks like it doesn’t have any problems with water ingress.
Overall, the exterior of this classic German saloon is in good condition indeed. It is just waiting for you to park it up pride of place in your collection.
The Mechanics
- Low mileage
- Well maintained
- Sparingly used
Throughout its life the 190E came with many different engine offerings, this example is fitted with the 2.0l M102 8v inline-four petrol engine. The power is then fed through a 5-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels, which is always a recipe for fun.
Although we couldn’t find the service book on the day of the photos, it is more than likely that it has been serviced well throughout its life. This can somewhat be proved by the 60,000km paper sticker in the doorjamb there also appear to be a few under this sticker as well. As the car has been used so little over the past two decades the mechanical elements haven’t been put under much stress so they should still be in working order.
On the day of the photos, the car started up first time and drove to the photo location with ease. It would then maneuvered into position without any complaints shifting into first and reverse with no issues. You should be able to have a lot of fun during your ownership of this 190E.
Luckily for you, Mercedes of this era are known for being nigh-on bulletproof. So with a quick modern service and once over you should be able to continue long into the future at the helm of this classic German barge.
Summary
What's not to love about a 190E, it has beautifully simple lines that still look good today, a powertrain that will outlive us all, and a very comfortable interior. As this is a UK-registered LHD version it will be perfect to use for continental holidays, or you may even be able to park it up in your holiday house and use it when you go out to spend a few weeks abroad.
You should be able to have many happy years ahead of you with this 190E, make sure you look after it though.
