1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Cosworth

This Mercedes-Benz 190E 25-16 Cosworth was registered in February 1990 by Continental Cars of Cardiff for its first owner - a Mr Morris. We were surprised to learn that he was an accountant, as this brute of a car isn’t what you might think to associate with a ‘bean counter’ - well, that’s stereotypes for you.

A handful of owners later and the car was put away in storage for around five years, after which it was recommissioned and brought back up to top spec with a partial respray and new suspension and brakes. When shown at Cranleigh Classic Car Show afterwards, the Cosworth apparently caught the eye of a very enthusiastic Mike Brewer who was incredibly complimentary about the Merc’s condition.

The current owner is something of a collector and regular trade customer of ours - both selling and buying - and although he initially bought this as trade stock in an auction about seven years ago, he liked it so much that he registered it in his name rather than keeping it on the company books.

He always believed that he’d never sell the 190E but more cars in the collection and other things going on has meant that he’s not used it a great deal over the past few years. Like many vendors who drive their cars for one last time bringing them to our HQ for auction, he had a little wobble wondering if he was doing the right thing by selling. Luckily for us all he stayed strong and the car is definitely for sale.

Could there be a better exterior colour for a performance saloon car with such presence than the Blue-Black Metallic that this example is finished in? We understand that the car was partially resprayed around seven years ago but all of the paint remains in a generally good condition with just a few marks here and there.

Bodywork-wise, there’s a small dent in the boot under the badge and a couple of little chips to one side of the windscreen but nothing that detracts from the overall great look of this 190E.

The Cosworth has been given a few modifications from standard such as the sports grille and the rather expensive Carlsson rims, but both are easily changed if they’re not to your taste. Also the OEM self-levelling suspension has been swapped out for springs and dampers giving it a slightly lower ride.

Rear badges aside, there is no brightwork to speak of - with the grille and three-pointed star having been painted in a satin black to match the bumpers and lower body styling kit, and the window trims also painted - it is only the wheels and lighting that show anything other than black.

As mentioned, the 190E doesn’t have its original rims - it sits on 17-inch OZ Racing Carlsson two-piece wheels, which are in a very good condition with barely a mark on them. All are fitted with new Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tyres.

For a car well into its fourth decade, the interior is in an amazing condition. The vast majority of the inside is clad in black leather, with perforated hide on the seat facings. All seats front and back have fared well in terms of condition, with only minor wear such as a few marks on some of the seat bases plus creasing and a little wear on the driver’s seat side bolsters.

Up front the dash, instrument panel and centre console have a classic Mercedes-Benz look - with even a small token panel of wood veneer around the gear shift. The steering wheel rim is rather worn and polished smooth, as you might expect, but everything else appears in good condition.

A more modern Kenwood CD-radio is fitted centrally and is connected to speakers in the dash top and set into the rear parcel shelf, either side of the first aid kit compartment. The vendor reports that aside from LCD failure in the central clock, all interior equipment is working as it should, although he’s never used the air conditioning and suspects it is now of an obsolete type in any case.

The dark grey carpeting looks in good order and there are navy blue floor mats with lighter blue edge stitching fitted in both the front and rear footwells. Up above, the light coloured headlining appears clean, taut and fits nicely around the electric tilt and slide sunroof.

The rear boot looks in an equally fine fettle. The warning triangle is still present secured under the boot lid and the dark grey carpet and linings are clean and tidy. Lift up the carpet and plastic cover and you’ll see the Dunlop-shod spare wheel and jack.

The engine bay tells the story of Mercedes design teams becoming more efficient at packaging than before. The 4-cylinder engine and its ancillaries take up almost all available space under the bonnet. All looks very clean and well looked after - although one or two rubber hoses look perished (likely the inoperative air conditioning), and the insulative bonnet liner which is starting to disintegrate in places might be worth replacing.

The undersides appear generally sound, with older underseal but no corrosion of any significance - at least not sufficient to attract the attention of the MOT inspector a couple of months ago. As far as we can see nothing is damaged underneath aside from a bit of scuffing and scraping on the sump guard - which is of course what it is there for.

As is fairly common, the rear suspension has been converted from the sometimes troublesome hydraulic self-levelling system to conventional springs and dampers. Our vendor considered converting it back to standard but never really found it much of an issue.

The 190E has a current MOT valid until May 2024, which it passed with no advisories.

There is quite a history file with the car, including numerous invoices for parts and maintenance, old MOTs and the original book pack.

In around 2015, the car was brought out of storage and re-commissioned. This included a bonnet and boot re-spray to remove some minor scratches. The suspension was also completely replaced with new shock absorbers, springs and Mercedes-Benz bushes. The brakes were overhauled gaining new pads and fluid and this is also when the Carlsson wheels were fitted.

In recent ownership, the car has been well cared for with plenty of work carried out, including having the injectors tested and serviced by Mr Injector near Hertford.

A true ‘homologation hero’ with the later, more reliable 2.5-litre twin-chain engine, this is a great-looking example of the desirable 190E 2.5-16 - aka Cosworth - with huge amounts of power and fantastic handling.

The vendor says that it is exactly as it should be - a wonderful car to drive and enjoy, both for longer distance driving on the motorway and on B-roads, which is when he enjoys it the most.

We think it should make between £12,000 and £16,000 but this increasingly collectible 190E ‘Cosworth’ is selling with no reserve, so give it your best bid and you may well become the lucky new owner for less than you imagined.

Should you be put off by the 188k mileage? We don’t think so. The car has been well maintained by successive owners, and over-engineered Benzes from this era are well known for their longevity. And it isn’t as if you’re considering using it as a daily… are you?!

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at Bonhams|Cars Online 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’.