Lot Ended
Description
Parked up in a Herefordshire barn in 2010 and unused since; lots of
service history; original purchase invoice; few owners; great winter project for
someone
One of the
most celebrated homologation specials of the 1980s, the Mercedes-Benz 190E
2.3-16 was built to compete against the BMW M3 in DTM touring car racing. Mercedes teamed up with Cosworth who
developed a twin-cam, 16-valve cylinder head for the 2.3 four-cylinder engine.
The result was a high-revving unit producing 185bhp and 235Nm driving through a
dogleg 5-speed manual gearbox which made it good for 0-60 in 7.5 seconds with a
top speed of 143mph.
Built on the rigid W201
chassis, the 2.3-16 featured sophisticated five-link rear suspension,
self-levelling rear shocks, limited slip diff and subtle aerodynamic body
cladding. The Cosworth Merc shot to fame in 1984 at the new Nürburgring Grand
Prix track when a young and virtually unknown Ayrton Senna famously beat a whole
pack of former F1 champions all driving identical cars.
This particular 2.3-16 was supplied new by Drayton Continental Ltd of
Stoke-on-Trent as a company car to Onions & Rowley Ltd of Shrewsbury in
April 1986. The original purchase invoice shows that it cost £22,636 including
Smoke Silver paintwork, black cloth interior and electric windows, with optional
outside temperature gauge and electric sunroof. Another £373 was spent on a
Blaupunkt radio cassette with twin speakers and Autoflex
aerial.
In October 1990 it was transferred into
the name of the company MD, Mr AJ Onions, who was to keep the car until June
2003 by which time it had covered 139k miles. It briefly had two further owners
before our vendor acquired the car in October 2006, now with 141,500 miles on
the clock. He used it regularly until 2010, adding 17k miles to the odometer
before he became unwell and the car was parked up in a barn where it has
remained ever since.
Although there is no
service book, there are dozens of invoices and a spreadsheet to show regular
upkeep and at least 16 services, many by M-B main agents, the last recorded
service being at 139,740 miles in March 2004, equating to an average service
interval of 8,700 miles (see photos).
There
are 14 old MOTs, the last issued in October 2009 at 154,385 miles which was a
clean pass with no advisories, the odometer currently showing 158,463 miles. The
original owner’s handbook and a period sales brochure are also present, along
with other technical literature and press cuttings relating to the model plus
the original first aid kit in the compartment on the rear parcel
shelf.
As you can see in the photos, the car has
deteriorated somewhat during 16 years of storage, with rust emerging around the
rear wheelarches and on the front wings. The rear self-levelling suspension has
also dropped. On the plus side, the paintwork and the interior look pretty good
and the car still rolls freely. The engine is not seized and given the good
service history it should respond well to a thorough service and
recommissioning, with any luck.
On offer
here at no reserve, this iconic Eighties sports saloon will make a
rewarding winter project for someone.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – [email protected]