One to Buy: 135,000km 1 of 502 built 1989 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution 1
Although Mercedes originally conceived the 190 E 2.3 Cosworth for rallying, it went on to fulfil its promise in Touring Car racing, most notably the DTM.
As part of a big push for the 1989 DTM season, Mercedes launched a bigger, more powerful 2.5-litre version of the 16 valve 190 at Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1988.
This was followed by the Evolution 1 at Geneva in March 1989 which would serve as the basis for Mercedes’ 1989 DTM cars. Most notably, the Evo 1 came with an uprated aero pack, an enhanced engine, beefier brakes and bigger wheels in order to homologate similar features for the 1989 campaign.
500 examples had to be built to comply with the Evolution regulations. Mercedes completed 502 cars between March and May of 1989, all of which were left-hand drive.
Set to go under tha hammer at Bonhams’ Goodwood Festival of Speed auction on July 14th is this low mileage domestic market Evo 1 which has resided in the UK since 1998.
Finished in the one and only colour available (Blue-Black Metallic), chassis 603555 is offered from an owner of 24 years who subjected the car to a substantial restoration in 2021. Today the mileage reads around 135,000km.
Although currently riding on 17-inch Evolution 2 wheels, the car comes complete with an array of original equipment to include the original 16-inch Evolution 1 rims (as fitted to the R129 SL).
Reprinted below is Bonhams’ description for this rare and interesting 190 Evo 1:
Registration no. B18 EVO
Chassis no. WDB2010361F603555
Engine no. 10299110000246
Delivered new in Germany 1989
Registered in the UK since 1998
Present ownership since 1999
Maintained with no expense spared
Restored to concours condition
Mercedes-Benz went head to head with BMW when it launched the compact 190 Series in December 1982, expanding its market to include motorists hitherto unable to afford the Stuttgart manufacturer's high-quality products. This policy proved an outstanding success, with sales of the 190 range totalling almost 1.9 million over the course of its ten-year production life.
A conventional front-engine, rear-drive, four-door saloon, the 190 was available with a variety of engines ranging from a 1.8-litre four to a 2.6-litre six, plus 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre diesels. 'E' models came with Bosch KE-Jetronic multi-point fuel injection.
Mercedes-Benz's engineers contrived to offer generous interior accommodation, rivalling that of the firm's larger models despite the 190's compact overall dimensions, while an ingenious new computer-designed five-link rear suspension system was combined with conventional McPherson struts at the front to ensure excellent roadholding without compromising ride comfort.
A sports model was not long in coming, the 185bhp 2.3-16 joining the expanding 190 range in the autumn of 1983, to be followed by the even more powerful 2.5-16 in 1988. These cars had been conceived with motor sport in mind and were quipped with 16-valve twin-cam cylinder heads developed in Britain by Cosworth Engineering, which based the design on that of its immensely successful DFV Formula 1 engine. In non-catalyst form the 2.5-16 engine produced 204PS (201bhp), dropping to 195PS (192 horsepower) with the catalysts installed. Top speed was 140mph (225km/h), with the 0-100km/h (0-62mph) dash accomplished in 7.7 seconds.
Produced to meet the homologation requirements of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) touring car race series, limited edition Evolution and Evolution 2 versions had arrived by the decade's end. The last 190 E left the factory in May 1993.
This left-hand drive 190 E 2.5-16 was sold new in Germany and first registered in the UK on 1st March 1998 ('B18 EVO' is the vendor's personalised plate and is included in the sale). The car has belonged to the current vendor in Northern Ireland since March 1999 and was converted to UK specification (lights, speedometer, etc) by the Mercedes-Benz main agent in Belfast. The original speedometer unit (showing 59,112 kilometres) has been retained, while the current odometer reading is 48,300 miles, making the distance covered from new circa 85,000 miles (135,000 kilometres).
This pampered car has been expertly maintained by the local Mercedes-Benz dealer over the last 24 years as evidenced by the endorsement letter from them ('meticulously maintained, no expense spared') and the significant invoices and dealer maintenance history.
In 2021 'B18 EVO' was professionally restored to concours condition by Heaney Motor Company (Mercedes restoration specialists) at a cost of around £30,000 including OEM parts from Mercedes Belfast (bills available). These works included substantial refurbishment of the entire rear suspension; subframe sandblasted and powder coated; coil springs front and rear replaced; front seats re-upholstered; engine valve cover powder coated; exhaust manifold media blasted; exterior completely stripped, prepared and repainted; and the main catalytic converter replaced with the last factory OEM part in Europe,
A veritable 'garage queen', the Mercedes has been used sparingly and, for the last 10 years, never driven in the rain. In 2022 it ventured out on only a handful of occasions, including to a local classic car show.
Worthy of the closest inspection, this rare and collectible modern Mercedes-Benz comes with a huge file containing its original service book; various instruction manuals (in English and German); a quantity of expired MoTs; original/current V5/V5C documents; and all bills accumulated over the last 24 years.
Also included in the sale is the original speedometer; original Becker Grand Prix radio cassette (serviced and converted to Bluetooth connectivity); original headlamps; set of original alloy wheels (x4); original spare tyre; original tool kit; keys and alarm fob (original and spares); and a Tamiya Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 EVO radio controlled model car.
