In the late 80s my dad had two Mercedes 190Es - both with the 2 litre 4-cylinder engine. I went to the dealer with him to choose the first one (he bought the second on personal import - remember that?). It was the first time I'd set foot inside a Mercedes dealer and I was taken aback at how posh it was. But, despite all the smart Mercedes on display I was glad he bought a 190E - because of the 190E 2.3-16.
It was a great looking car back then, and it still is. The 190E has a reputation as one of the last Mercedes to be built when the balance between engineering and accountancy was tipped firmly in the engineers favour.
The expression bomb-proof could have been invented for it.
This particular 190E 2.3-16 looks a little haggard but it's described as being unmolested and has a full service history and only three owners. And it's only got 86,000 miles on the clock, which is pretty amazing for a car from 1987.
The 2.3 litre engine was developed by Cosworth from a standard Mercedes unit and power increased from 149bhp to 186 bhp, and then down to 170bhp in 1986 when catalytic converters were introduced. 0-60mph took 7 seconds and top speed was 142mph.
The Getrag 5-speed gearbox had a dog-leg configuration, for faster 2nd to 3rd changes.
There are only 193 Mercedes 190E 2.3-16s still registered in the UK today. This one is up for just under £4k and needs some work doing. It will be a worthwhile investment. One day its value will start to rise.
Here's a link to the advert.
Below the photos is a Top Gear clip from 2008 where Richard Hammond chooses his tips for future classic cars. Fast forward to 2 minutes 30 to find the 190E 2.3-16's sibling the 2.5-16.
