Built in conjunction with British engineers Cosworth to rally before the Audi Quattro debuted (and siphoned instead into the DTM when Mercedes realized it stood no chance), the 190E 2.3-16 marries the handsome lines and tank-like build quality of the W201 chassis with a race-tuned four pot engine and a muscular and aerodynamically purposeful bodykit. We’ve featured a number of 16 valvers on the site lately and I’m beginning to wonder if there has (finally) been an uptick in the market for these cars. It does seem as though there are more nice examples out there for sale with every passing year, in contrast to the raft of rotted out and abused ones that used to dot Craigslist not too long ago.
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We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.Tag: 2.3-16
I’ve posted several 190Es since joining GCFSB, making no secret of my love for the W201. But I haven’t yet written up a 2.3-16, the high-performance version developed in conjunction with Cosworth to go racing at the DTM. It’s not because I don’t like them. Far from it; I lusted after one of these when I was in the market for a W201 a few years ago. But the 16v models in my price range were all wrecks and so I settled for a stock 2.6 instead. (I did, however, get my hands on a full 16v body kit but, as some of you will know, I crashed my car before I had the chance to install it). The reason is rather that many of these come to market in poor shape, and it takes a special car to pique my interest. This one has it’s faults but, being a European market gray import, it also has a few redeeming features.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 on eBay
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The time has once again come that you can not purchase a new Mercedes-Benz in the United States with a manual gearbox. The SLK250 was the last to be equipped as such. Even on a stroll around Frankfurt, Germany last week, I spotted few new Mercedes-Benzes with a proper gearshift on the console. As time passes on, they are only going to become more rare. So we might as well look back to more vintage models to satisfy our dynamic driving needs. We’ll take a look at two very different 190E models today, both equipped with 5-speed manual gearboxes. We’ll start first with this European spec 1985 190E 2.3-16 for sale in Florida.
Click for details: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 at Champion Motors
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Technically, this post could be filed under “Motorsports Monday.” The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 was the contemporary of the E30 M3 we saw in Carter’s post earlier today, a darling of the DTM, or German Production Cars Championship, started in 1984. Originally intended for rallying purposes, the Cosworth tuned W201 190E was deemed a bit uncompetitive for such an event by the boffins at Mercedes, so they went to the track with it, instead. As a result, a homologated version was released to the public shortly thereafter. While this particular 190E 2.3-16 for sale in Philadelphia has low miles, it has a number of issues that need to be addressed. Still, the rarity of these special W201s make this a car worth saving.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 on Craigslist Philadelphia
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It was only a matter of time for 2.3-16 prices to follow E30 M3 values. To a lesser extent of course with the dominance of the M3 in almost every aspect; most importantly overall victories on the track. Nonetheless, the 2.3-16 homologation specials are still just that: special. Especially in this condition. In this case a picture (or dozens) really are worth a thousand words. This example is very cleanly preserved and prepared. Bidders are ready to buy with the current reserve met at $22k and climbing, with a very active 125+ bids thus far. If the auction proceeds to completion, we’ll witness a great bidding war considering the show doesn’t end until tomorrow night. Good luck to buyers and seller!
dc
