1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 16v Cosworth

First registered in November 1987 by Bradshaw & Webb Mercedes-Benz of Chelsea, this 190E 2.3-16V Cosworth was the personal conveyance of Mr Edward Dawe, a director of the DeBeers diamond mining company in London.

Needless to say, the specification was high; factory options included automatic transmission, air conditioning, cruise control, rear headrests, electric driver’s seat, sunroof, alarm system and a Blaupunkt Vancouver stereo.

The original bill of sale included in the car’s history file details how the extras and options on the car plus taxes added up to an on the road price of £31,035.53 - quite a lot to pay back then and the equivalent of around £90k in today’s money.

In the mid-nineties, the car was bought by DeBeers’ fleet manager, Raymond Chalkley from south Essex, in whose name it remained until late 2009, although it was his son Scott - a member of staff at Mercedes-Benz Stratford - who looked after the car.

It passed to its third owner in South Wales in late 2009 and was sold at auction in the following June. The fourth owner was a modern classics specialist from Oxfordshire, and he kept the car on the road for around 4 years before dry storing it until 2019 when it was sold, again at auction, to the current owner - our vendor.

Soon after the purchase, he sent the car to a German car specialist in Hitchin for recommissioning which cost over £3k (full details in History Highlights). Sadly (or not depending on your view of the comparative climate) he has found himself stranded in Florida by the pandemic and has decided to sell the car.

The exterior of the car is painted Smoke Silver metallic, one of only two colours available for the 2.3-16V (the other being Blue-Black metallic). The paintwork looks strong for a 30+ year old car, with only a few small knocks and scuffs. The bodywork appears straight with perhaps the exception of the offside lower body trim behind the front wheel arch which looks just a touch wavy and the nearside sill trim which has been heavily scuffed.

The bumpers and door mirrors have likely been re-blacked recently and look solid, and the grille, badges and other trims and fittings appear in good order.

The car sits on its original lightweight 15-inch forged alloy wheels, which look in a good condition with just a little kerb scuffing on the front nearside. All were fitted with Marshal Matrac tyres in 2006 and, although now dated, the tread depth is good.

On our inspection we noted the trafficator seemed not to work. 

The interior of this 190E appears largely original. The bill of sale specified the trim as black cloth 071 which is indeed the checked fabric you see on the facings of the leather seats and on the door cards. The upholstery appears in a fair to good condition with no apparent damage other than snagging on the driver’s seat base, a little wear in the usual places and the occasional spillage stain.

The dash and the instrument panel are in good order and seem original too, but the steering wheel is a later addition. It appears to be an Italvolanti model, the same brand of wheel that AMG fitted to the cars that they breathed on in period.

The centre console sports the additional 3 gauges that came with the 16V cars, and above sits a period Mercedes-Benz stereo. It doesn’t appear to be the originally specified Blaupunkt Vancouver but a contemporary Becker unit. The radio needs a code.

The wood veneer around the gear shift is intact and doesn’t appear to be cracking as many do, although there are a few nicks on the edges. Alongside the handbrake lever sits a classic late ‘80s Racal Vodafone car phone which is now known as a brick but in period was the last word in executive connectivity.

So far as we’ve been able to test, most of the electrics and interior equipment is functioning - including the electric sunroof - but only the driver’s window seems to operate correctly. Before you ask, we haven’t tried to “phone home” as the UK’s cellular telephone network has moved on somewhat since 1987. Now the retro car phone will just have to be a different kind of conversation starter.

The carpets are in good order with a little wear by the driver’s footwell and there are also overmats for additional protection. The headlining too appears clean and intact.

Under the bonnet, which is missing its acoustic lining, the engine bay appears in a fair to good condition. There is some surface rust across the back of the engine bay on the driver’s side and on some of the components and fixings, but the engine and major ancillaries seem in good order.

The undersides of the car appear largely rust free and floor panels are still coated in underseal. There is a little surface rust across some of the suspension and steering components but otherwise the underneath looks relatively clean, tidy and undamaged with evidence of recent work on the brake lines.

Inside the boot, the carpet and linings are intact but a little soiled in places. Underneath is the jack and full-size spare wheel with Bridgestone tyre. The boot and wheel-well floor appears sound with no significant rust. Also in the boot are a first aid kit and warning triangle, original tool kit and the mobile phone transmitter unit which is fitted under the rear deck.

It pulls a little to the left but otherwise drives nicely.

There is a little bit of duct tape protecting the boot seal where one of the hinges passes it, presumably to prevent abrasion, and the rubber is starting to perish in a few places. Neither appears to have compromised the integrity of the seal.

The 190E has a current MoT valid until February 2022 which it passed with no advisories once headlamp alignment and emissions issues were addressed. The paper MoT history with the car stretches back to 1994 and aside from the period in storage 2015-19, it has had a near annual inspection which records and validates the current mileage of 103,000.

The car also comes with numerous Mercedes-Benz invoices for parts and work done as well as its original book pack including sales brochure, owner’s manuals and service booklet, in which the following services are documented:

Nov 1987 - PDI - Bradshaw & Webb Chelsea

Dec 1988 - 10,776 - Mercedes-Benz Brentford

Oct 1989 - 18,448 - Mercedes-Benz Brentford

Oct 1990 - 24,123 - Mercedes-Benz Brentford

Oct 1991 - 33,489 - Mercedes-Benz Brentford

May 1992 - 35,303 - Mercedes-Benz Brentford

Jun 1993 - 40,157 - Mercedes-Benz Brentford

Jan 1994 - 42,632 - Mercedes-Benz Brentford

Feb 1997 - 53,509 - unknown

Nov 1997 - 60,025 - owner serviced Chalkley

Jul 1999 - 72,583 - Mercedes-Benz Southend

Aug 2000 - 78,911 - Mercedes-Benz Southend

Aug 2019 - 103,302 - Auto Service Hitchin

In addition to the MOT and service in August 2019, Auto Service also carried out a full recommissioning of the car, documented in the history file, with work totalling over £3k:

- Brakes overhauled

- Throttle cable renewed

- Hydraulics renewed

- Drive belt replaced

- Electrical issues

- Coolant refreshed

- NSF lower ball joint

- Fuel feed issues

Please also see the list of factory fitted items in the gallery under the document section.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V - aka Cosworth - is a desirable modern classic and asking prices for sorted examples, even high milers, are very strong compared to the standard 8V cars. Mercedes of all vintages are a popular choice on The Market, but those from the late 20th Century - especially those with Cosworth engines and stylish body kits - offer a great mix of classic feel and modern comfort with amazingly solid engineering.

We estimate this rare 190E Cosworth - which has a good and interesting history, and relatively low miles compared to most examples of its type - will reach somewhere between £18,000 and £23,000.

As well as ongoing maintenance, there is still scope for a new owner to make improvements but otherwise it appears to be a ready-to-go car.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.