190E 1.8 Manual

Timeless quality.

I've always been a bit of a Merc fan, having been converted to their cause by my car trader father. Over the years we've had a few pass through the family, my favourite being a 1977 450SEL I owned in the 1990s. So, when this lovely old 190E came up at a very reasonable price, I couldn't resist. I've always viewed the 190E as one of the last of the "true Mercs" and, as the W123 and the like have crept up in price, it seems that now is a great time to get into the still affordable W201.
Mine is the basic "taxi spec" car with wind up windows, a manual gearbox and cloth upholstery. (Still got an electric sunroof though!) She has 116,000 miles on the clock and she's still a delight to drive. Solid, just about quick enough and reliable as a well looked-after swiss watch. She has a tiny bit of rust to one wheel arch and an unfortunate parking ding to the boot but I'll sort them out over time. The interior is immaculate though, with none of the standard wear to the seat bolster and everything where it should be. Only the gear stick gaiter let it down and I soon replaced that. She's a great old car and still draws admiring glances wherever I park. And there's something about the lines that mean she looks fine alongside a Bentley or a bus.
For what I paid, she's a real bargain, offering a real quality driving experience every day. I'll be keeping her forever.

Report as offensive