1992 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5 16v Cosworth

This particular example is one of the later 2.5-litre 16v models, finished in the classic press colour of Smoke Silver and was purchased by our vendor in December 2016, drawn to it thanks to its cherished history, largely garaged lifetime (as evidenced by the rich orange on the instrument dials, which fades easily in the sun) and its entirely original condition.

That originality has been retained by the vendor, with the only modification made being a slight increase in wheel size, retaining the same design but shifting from a 15-inch to 16-inch setup. This is a subtle change - without knowing about it, you’d probably never notice it - but when compared to a standard example with 15” wheels, it makes a world of difference.

Whilst in the care of the current owner, the car has been cherished and pampered, used mainly for weekend jaunts to various shows and events, including trips to Beaulieu, Mercedes-Benz world, the annual 190E GTG event, and numerous shows at Sherborne House. It was also accepted for the Wilton Supercar Show for 2020, though the event was cancelled due to the pandemic at the time.

Alongside being used sparingly and enjoyed, the car has also received some bodywork attention during the last six years, including work to the paint on the driver’s door pillar, the boot being resprayed, replacement chrome boot badges (genuine OE parts) and repairs to a large stone chip near the front grille, which had gone down to bare metal.

Of particular note is that the original ASD hydraulic system and alarm system remain in place, both of which are often removed or replaced by owners looking to ‘upgrade’ their vehicles.

Now, having enjoyed long-term ownership and continued investment, this 190E Cosworth is only being put up for sale due to the vendor moving house, therefore having to downsize their car collection due to a lack of covered storage.

Finished in the press specification of Smoke Silver over a black leather interior - as made famous by the one-and-only Ayrton Senna - this example presents in excellent condition throughout, and defies its age and mileage with apparent ease; You’d be hard-pushed to tell this 190E has over 100,000 miles on the odometer. Then again, that’s just about ‘run in’ for many 90’s Mercedes products!

Looking along the bodywork, there are signs of any damage, bad panel gaps or other issues that we could see, with the door shuts all being nice and even, and no evidence of any accident damage.

The Smoke Silver paintwork is in similarly excellent condition, with only some commensurate wear such as stone chips, minor scratches and imperfections visible when looking up-close. We also noticed that the lower door halves on the offside appear to be very, very slightly different colours in certain lights, though this may just be a trick of the light.

Elsewhere, all of the badges and chrome trims are in good condition with minimal patina or dulling, whilst the boot badges are recently fitted as we’ve previously mentioned.

All four of the 16-inch ‘bottletop’ style wheels are in fantastic shape, and are wrapped in matching Sport Contact 2 tyres.

As per the exterior, the black leather interior of this 190E Cosworth remains in lovely condition throughout, testament to Mercedes’ excellent build quality of the 1990s, and again you’d struggle to tell the age and mileage of the vehicle without looking at the odometer!

Naturally, there is some wear to the front seats - such as scuffs to the prominent outer bolsters, creases and light marks in the leather - but there are no areas of damage, rips or tears that we could see.

In the rear, the ‘sports’ seats - unique to the homologation Cosworth models - are in excellent condition throughout, and are also devoid of the usual wear-and-tear expected from a 100,000 mile-plus vehicle.

Up above, the electric sunroof is in full working order with no obvious hesitation or operational issues, and no reports of any leaks. The headliner is also taut throughout with no sagging or staining.

Being picky, there is wear visible to the inner door sill covers, steering wheel, shifter and some of the high-traffic touch-points, but this is in keeping with the rest of the car’s age and condition.

From what we could tell, all systems are working as they should be, including the additional gauges set into the lower dashboard which were a factory feature on 190E Cosworth models.

Under the bonnet, the famous Cosworth-fettled power plant presents well, though there is plenty of potential for a home detailing guru to transform its appearance with an afternoon of fastidious cleaning, should they wish to do so.

In terms of its performance, the 2.5-litre engine fired into life with ease and idled happily, behaving without fault throughout our test drive and photo shoot. Similarly, the transmission appeared to be in rude health, and we noticed no unusual noises or feelings emanating from the suspension or chassis.

The vendor notes that aside from routine servicing, the only work required whilst in his care was to have the valve clearances set - a routine item on any 90s Mercedes - and the oil/filter was changed annually regardless of mileage covered.

Underneath, the chassis looks to be in very good, solid and clean condition, with only some usual grime build-up and superficial ‘bloom’ visible on exposed components, and no obvious issues lying in wait.

The most recent MoT exam - dated 16 May 2022 - shows a clean pass with no advisory items.

Included with the vehicle is an extensive history and paperwork folder, with over 150 photographs of the documentation included at the end of the gallery below.

Naturally, that’s far too much to list here, but we’ve compiled a brief run-down of highlights for easy digestion:

- The V5 registered keepers document, showing just three former keepers from new

- A well-stamped service record, showing the most recent stamped job as May 2020 at 117,245 miles, though the vendor notes that the oil/filter was changed annually in his ownership.

- Printed history of the 190e Cosworth, along with details of this particular car’s history.

- Invoice for new rear pads and brake callipers

- MoT certificates

- Invoice for major service items including plugs, filters, calliper guide sleeves, and a power steering filter

- Numerous older invoices for parts and work

A true ‘homologation hero’ with the later, more reliable 2.5-litre twin-chain engine, enthusiast owned for the last six years, exhibited at numerous shows and with a strong history, this is a wonderful example of the desirable 190E Cosworth which is ready to use and enjoy, as well as being eligible for numerous shows and displays should the next owner wish to show it off to the adoring public.

Presented in excellent aesthetic and mechanical condition, we estimate this 90s hero to fetch in the region of £15,000 to £20,000 when the hammer falls.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.