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When the Mercedes-Benz 190E arrived on the scene in the early 1980s, the notion of such a small car from the house of the Three Pointed Star seemed far fetched. Even more so was when the Cosworth-tuned 190E 2.3-16 debuted. Here was a car that was originally designed for rallying but wound up competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series, equipped with a twin cam four cylinder engine, available 5-speed manual gearbox with dog leg first gear and a full on bodykit. Quite un-Mercedes like.
The US market would see the 190E 2.3-16 for just a few years, but the evolution of the breed would continue on in Europe right up to the end of the production run, with a 2.5 liter engine and Evolution models. This 190E 2.5-16 Evo for sale in The Netherlands was brought to our attention by our reader Walker and is now legal to import to the US. Just over 500 were produced to comply with DTM homologation regulations, with and engine that revved higher and had improved top end power. While not as aggressive as the Evo 2 that would follow up this act, those who know about these special 190Es will recognize this car’s awesomeness in an instant.
As enthusiasts, oddly we often lament new cars. Undoubtedly, newer models turn better, stop better and accelerate faster than most of the cars that they replace. They return better fuel economy, have more gears, and are generally more reliable. In a crash, they’ll save your life and some will even call the police for you. Impressive? Sure, without a doubt. But if I had a nickle for every time I heard how some enthusiast would rather have a brand new example of a car from their youth, I’d be a rich man. I’ve heard it from all sources; desire for a bullet-proof reliable new W126 S-Class, longing for a return of the real Quattro with locking differentials, dreams of finding a new E30 M3 or 3.2 Carrera. But if you’re a bit different, perhaps you’re one of the devoted Merkur fans – and your dream could be realized:
Our friends over at BlythBros. featured a piece last week regarding a road trip they took in their own Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 on a road trip to Canada. Ever the most resourceful enthusiasts, they packed their tools along with their bags and set off to visit our northern neighbors in this Cosworth legend. What struck me is how reliable and well suited it was for such a trip, considering its age. It really is a testament to how well made these cars were. If you are seeking to make some road trip memories of your own, this 190E 2.3-16 for sale in New Hampshire is worth a look. It has passed through three owners and has seen light usage, clocking only 55k miles over almost 30 years.
If you’ve been watching in dismay as E30 M3 prices have gone through the roof, there’s still two ways to get your 1980s German touring car fix. If you’re unconventional, you do what Audi did and choose the V8 quattro, the dark horse (and two time champion, don’t forget) of the DTM. People that complained that Audi “cheated” to create the winning force obviously aren’t familiar with the creative race constructions of Porsche, BMW or Mercedes-Benz. The latter, in fact, employed Formula 1 in the last of the barely-recognizable 190E racers. But the legend that was Mercedes-Benz created a lesser-known and generally lesser appreciated legend in those 190E racers; powered by Cosworth Technology-designed twin-cam 16 valve engines and originally intended to replace the 450SLC 5.0 in the World Rally Championship, the 190E 2.3 and 2.5-16 Valves found themselves at home on the track, and consequently with an enthusiastic fan base. Today, the 190E 2.3 16V can generally be had for significantly less than their more famous counterpart, the E30 M3. Take a look at this example:
Some forbidden fruit today, coming to us from Japan via Canada. It’s the beefier 2.5 Cosworth that we never got in the US, bringing with it dual timing chains and 17 extra horsepower. The optioned automatic gearbox is interesting as most 190E 16s came with a dogleg 5-speed to keep the racy feel. The 2.5-liter 16-valve should keep things at a nice pace though, even if it needs some love. The whole car needs some attention, from a few interior and exterior blemishes to the too-low suspension. Sitting on Lorinser monoblocks, though, it’s hard to deny the appeal of this E30 M3 counterpart, especially when you take into account that it will cost at least 75% less than the Bimmer.
