When Mercedes Were Solid

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The Mercedes 190E, or baby Benz, has aged well and makes for a great entry level modern classic. They are comfortable, superbly built and reliable (if properly serviced). They also project just a little bit of old school class – an understated elegance that has improved with age. But the wee Merc still seems overlooked, and as such, good ones remain affordable. Like this 1992 model with the excellent 2.3L 4 cylinder engine that is being auctioned with a $1 reserve. Read on...

The Merc 190E has the internal designation of W201 and was designed by Bruno Sacco. Sacco was head of design for Mercedes from 1975 -1999 and was responsible for the design of every Mercedes model through this period (S-class, E-class, SL, CLK, SLK, M-class, W123 – the lot). But his favourite design was the 190E.

The baby Benz was Mercedes’ first compact model and was a great success, selling over 1.8 million units. And many are still chugging along today. Most 190 models aren’t fast or particularly sporty but they were graced with some cutting edge tech for the day. Airbags, ABS, seatbelt pre-tensioners, and multi-link suspension were standard and it was considered one of the safer cars of the time. And if you wanted to go fast there was the Cosworth 16v versions.

This face-lifted car comes from near the end of production and appears to be very tidy considering its 32 years of service. It is located in Dunedin and is being auctioned online with a $1 reserve. And if you think you live too far away, fly down and waft home in comfort and style. Make a holiday out of it. More details here.