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I intended to keep my 190E forever. Unfortunately, the snow bank that I hit after spinning off of the I-95 this past winter had other ideas. I walked away from the accident unscathed but my Baby Benz ended up in a ditch to the side of the road, the right front wheel pointed inward at a disconcerting angle. The front suspension was ruined and the frame slightly bent, but the rest of the car looked fine. I waited nervously for a few days to learn of the car’s fate: ultimately, the insurance company refused to pay for the necessary repairs and the car was totaled. I came very close to buying the wreck back and having it rebuilt, such was the strength of my emotional connection to the car. But calm reason prevailed and I let it go.
Nearly every day since then I search the internet for another one just like it. Apart from the color, this car for sale in Maryland is almost identical to the one I lost, even down to the mileage and condition.
A few months ago, I happened to stop by Keenan Mercedes in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. For those not aware, the owner of the dealership has acquired a car similar to the one we see here for sale in California, a 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II. Those not familiar with this winged beast might mistake it for a gussied up 190E 2.3-16, but it was so much more. While 235 horsepower might not seem like much in this day and age, getting that much grunt from a four-cylinder engine 25 years ago was no mean feat. Add into this mix self-leveling suspension, adjustable rear wing and those tasty Evo alloy wheels and you had a limited production car which would sell out before it went on sale. Expensive when new, prices for these rare Evo IIs are heading through the roof. This one for sale in California has just 10,000 mies on the clock and is surely amongst a handful that have found their way to these shores.
They weren’t produced in big numbers, but we’ve seen a couple 1993 Mercedes-Benz 190E Limited Editions appear on GCFSB as of late, both in 2.3 and 2.6 form. This 190E 2.6 Limited Edition for sale in Florida has extremely low mileage and certainly appears as such. These 2.6 Limited Editions came equipped in black over black and red leather with carbon fibre trim, tighter suspension settings and sport seats. The carbon fibre trim has been replaced by wood trim in this example, which, in my opinion doesn’t really complement the more sporting look of the interior. It’s not terrible, mind you, but I would have preferred the stock look in this case. Given the small number of these 190Es built and the smaller number that still exist in good shape, you’ll want to look this example over a bit more closely.
The 1990s would bring about a shift in Mercedes-Benz naming language, but the year before the C class would arrive, the original baby Benz, the 190E, would have one last shout in the form of two Limited Edition models. The 190E 2.3 Limited Edition would be offered only in Emerald Green over parchment leather with burlwood trim. The 190E 2.6 Limited Edition, like the one we see here for sale in Missouri, was offered solely in black over black and red leather with carbon fibre trim. While the 2.3 Limited Edition was tuned more towards luxury, this 2.6 had a bit more aggression with the Sportline spec. On offer were tighter suspension settings and sport seats, among other features. This 190E 2.6 Limited Edition is especially attractive, having had one owner for many years with low mileage showing on the odometer.
Look closely and you might mistake these two Mercedes-Benz 190Es and you might mistake them for any other run of the mill W201. Dig a little deeper and you’ll notice they are sitting just a little bit lower on their haunches and a small badge on the lower front fender: Sportline. This was an option that added a tauter suspension and differing interior trim to the usual baby Benz package. While the 190E 2.3-16, 2.5-16 and Evo models carried the performance torch for the W201 lineup, the Sportline option gave buyers the ability to have something just a bit different than your run of the mill Mercedes sedan. First up, we have a 1990 190E 2.6 Sportline for sale south of Munich, Germany with just 53,000 miles on the clock.
