1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.3L 16v W201

1-Owner, Gray Market Cosworth

This Mercedes 190E has Sold

1985 Mercedes Benz 190E Cosworth for Sale

Take a Look at This Nice Original 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e for Sale

1985 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.3L 16v W201 for sale. I acquired this 1-Owner, Gray Market W201 from an estate. It was purchased new in Germany by its only lady owner in 1985 and used as her primary driver until around 2008.

It has 251,970 original miles, is original, unmolested and unrestored and includes the original packet with owners manual, warranty book, operation manual, and service directory booklet, all printed in German along with a small cache of service records. It has a clear California title branded as "Non-USA" and a BAR assigned number used specifically for California smog checks. The car just passed the strict California smog inspection.

This W201 starts and runs well. Since purchasing in early 2020 I have logged a couple of hundred miles. The shifting feels good and the car moves up and down through all of the gears. I brought it to our local German specialty shop and had it inspected. They noted the following:

Tires - Like New
Heating & Cooling Hoses - Old (Original)
Brakes - 75%
Catalytic Converter - After Market
Front Shocks - Leaking/Bad
Needs Lower Ball Joints - Play
Needs Rear Flex Disc - Cracks
Valve Cover Gasket - Leaking
Transmission Front Seal - Seeping

They also noted that the A/C was not working so I decided to fix this. The main A/C hose was bad so after 5 hours of labor and nearly $400 in fabrication costs it has been replaced and installed and now the air conditioning system is blowing ice-cold at around 48 degrees! Compression check results were (1-4) 180, 175, 180, 130. We dropped a tad of oil in on number 4, rechecked it. It went up to 180 psi indicating worn rings, no surprise given the mileage.

Inside is all original. All systems on the interior of the car are in working order with exception of the sunroof which does not open or close. The drivers' window goes up and down yet makes a clunking noise upon closing. The left rear door cannot be opened from the outside and there seems to be a leak somewhere in the power door lock system.

The body is totally rust-free as is the undercarriage. The clear coat is thinning on the drivers' side outer roof rail otherwise the original paint still has a shine to it and is presentable as-is. The body factory kit is in good shape. The car still wears its original factory Mercedes-Benz wheels wrapped in a nearly new set of Yokahama 205/55R15's all around.

This is a rare, gray-market version of the W201 worthy of restoring, especially given its long, 1-owner status as a California car and rust-free, unmolested underpinnings.