A beautiful 190e
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6328&item=4544355405&rd=1

How rare are these sportlines?

Wow, that really is a nice 190!

2.6 5-speed with the Sportline seats, suspension, etc.

Nice!

In my search for 5 speed 190E 2.6's I've seen just one. If it were closer I'd consider it :)

The Sportlines were limited production. They had a lower suspension and better seats. Basically like a 16V without the engine. They also had a quicker steering ratio as well.

i guess that one is not a sportline model.

A 5-speed 2.6 would be a great alternative to a 2.3-16 with more useable power for daily driving. The Sportline and the 2.3-16 shared the same front suspension, ride height, steering box and sport seating, but the M103 engine is the same smooth I-6.

The seats are great, actually look like leather...and the rear headrests caught my eye :D

The car looks real good with a nice color combination. It's a rarity and if a W201 is what I wanted than it would definitely be a consideration. On the other hand, I will never ever own a W201 again. A W124 can be had for the same price and maintence is the same, has more space, is more popular, and the build quality of the W124 is superior.

Here's somthing to read:

http://www.mbclubcanada.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11

http://scion.edmunds.com/reviews/generations/articles/100320/article.html

My $0.02

That first article is great! Thanks for posting :)
From what I have seen, the w201's run about $3,000-$4500 while the w124 will cost about $7,000-$10,000. But I do agree a w124 is better in pretty much every way to the 190's.

I'm glad you enjoyed the article :). Don't get me wrong, I had my fun with my W201 and after moving up to the W124, I realize more than ever what a great move it was for me.

The W201s in rough shape can dip pretty low in price and a real clean W124 can hit the top so I understand where you're coming from in the difference in the price range of the 2 cars. The demand for a W124 is higher. If you are in the market and really want to buy one, take your time and you will see that the more time you spend looking at these cars you will see that the price gap is much smaller than you think.

I agree with MTI and believe a 190E-2.6 Sportline with manual transmission would be very nice and possibly the pick for a W201 daily driver. Unfortunately, we did not get them in Australia. The 190E-2.6 automatics I have driven have impressed me with their power and smoothness (I am a fan of the M103) but I do enjoy the sportly feel of my manual 2.3 Sportline, even if the M102 is not as powerful or smooth (it is torquey though). My 2.3 Sportline is believed to be the only manual 2.3 that was delivered in Oz and I believe there may be one or two 2 litre Sportlines. There have been a few 2.6 Sportlines advertised here recently (I suspect a few are grey imports from Japan) but all have been automatics. Even in non Sportline I believe all our 2.6 were automatics. I would not swap my 2.3 manual Sportline for a 2.6 automatic, and even a 2.6 Sportline automatic would probably not tempt me (one with a 3 litre M103 conversion on the other hand would be tempting).

I have noticed that the Sportlines in North America did not get Sportline badges like ours. Ours also got the same 7" x 15" ET44 15-hole wheels as the 2.3-16 whereas in North America they got 8-hole wheels (6.5" possibly from the late W124 I believe).

Only today I learned of a manual 2.6 at a damaged car auction in Australia. Unfortunately, it is about 1000km away from where I live. Also, as much as a manual 2.6 Sportline would be nice, that damaged 2.6 manual together with my 2.3 manual Sportline still would not be the right ingredients to end up with a 2.6 manual Sportline. If my car was a 2.6 automatic Sportline then that damaged car would be a good donor for a manual conversion. Pics of the car at the auction house (probably won't be after the auction) are at http://www.pickles.com.au/servlet/Auction/VehicleDetail?item_id=452000171 and checking the VIN (WDB2010292F643756) at http://www.mbclub.ru/mb/vin/index.html?lng=eng confirms it as a 2.6 manual. Strangely, it also confirms it as "625 version for Australia" but also states that it was delivered in Great Britain.

The manual Sprotline is very rare.

The '93 2.6 Limited Edition cars (700 made) are automatic but have the full factory Sportline, as well as carbon fiber dash and console, special red and black four-place seating, memory front seats, etc.: http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container.jsp?/overview/overview_engine.jsp?spec=3&subNav=overview&yearModelCode=88_190E26LE&class=88_190&rnav=024568&menu=2 _0

The Sportline seats are very narrow -- not for wide-bodies! In good repair and with summer Z-rated tires, the Sportline handles like a MG. Main shortcoming with automatic is lack of power coming out of the curves.

While my experience with the 124 is limited, I've always looked at it just the opposite: That the 201 is actually a better value because it's equal in quality of build (in fact they share a remarkable number of parts) but available at a cheaper price.

When I bought my 201, I drove a couple of 124s first. I thought the 201 fealt much more capable and nimble -- the 124 fealt kinda "boaty" in comparison.

Another selling feature for me is the manual climate control -- simple, effective, durable.

Just my 2 cents... arguably worth that.

Jeff Pierce

Dependilng on your perspective the 124 is either a 1 1/8 scale verison of the 201 or the 201 is a 7/8 scale version of the 124. I prefer the former analogy, since the 201 preceded the 124.

Both models use many of the same parts and systems, and I don't think there was a signficant difference in design or build quality. Most of the US model 124s have more base equipment, and they were also signficantly more expensive, which probably translated to higher profit margin.

In my own case I prefer the smaller size of the 201. Both the 201 and 124 have about the same SAE front seat room, but the 124 has a larger back seat and truck, neither of which were important to me. Both also have similar driving qualities, which are very much like the S-class. It always amazed me that the 201 fells like a big Mercedes cruising down the interstate, but has the nimbleness and responsiveness that one would expect from a smaller car when the going gets twisty.

My former '84 190E 2.3 actually handled better than the 2.6 because the 2.3 is better balanced - in fact, once I installed decent tires the 2.3 probaby had the best ride/handling tradeoff of any car I've ever owned - but the additional power and silky smooth operation of the inline six is worth the trade. I only wish they had installed the 3.0 in the 190 with closer spaced gearing, but that car would have blown the 16V into the weeds, which would not have been a good marketing plan.

This appears to be a very nice car. I noticed that the firewall insulation is disintegrating. I replaced mine several years ago, and the replacement was a woven fiber material that should last longer. The photos didn't show the hood pad, but it's probably coming apart to if it's original. I replaced mine back circa 1997 about a year or two before I replaced the firewall insulation.

I'll be interested to see if this car makes the reserve and actually sells.

Duke

What tires were those?

Tires do make a difference on a W201 2.3. I bought many tire sets for my car and every time I tried a different kind. The best by far were the Michelin Pilot. Even though the owner's manual says top speed is 197km/h, I had the car buried past the 220km/h mark with one passenger and full tank of gas.

*Edit - Forgot to mention the tires were 205 55 VR15 as opposed to the 185 65 HR15 stock.

The original 175/70SR-14 Michelin MXLs definitely limited the '84 2.3s maximum grip. At about 10-15K miles or so (mid-'85) I replaced them with a set of 195/60HR-14 Phoenix Stahlflex 3011s, which were probably the best street tire you could buy back then. They were commonly used in showroom stock racing and autocross, and I also ran them in size 205/60H(and V)R-13 on my Cosworth Vega. I had one set that was worn that I used for track events and another set mounted on another set of OE wheels for street driving. Once I worn out the track set I'd use the "broken in" set for track events and buy a new set for the street.

The Phoenix dramatically improved the 2.3's maximum grip. Its limits were about the same as the CV, but without the bone jarring ride. The Phoenix were just about worn out when I sold the car at about 50K miles in 1988, so I installed a new set of 195/65HR-14 Continential CH51s just before I sold it. The 195/60s were a little short and increased speedo error, but the 195/65 size had about the same revs per mile spec as the 175/70s.

I still have a set of Phoenix for the CV that never saw the track, but usually just keep the Toyo Proxes RA-1 DOT legal racing tires installed that I finally switched to in the mid-nineties when my supply of Phoenix dried up, and at that point the DOT legal racing tires had pushed grip well beyond what the Phoenix could supply, but their steel reinforced sidewalls make the CV ride like it has wooden wheels on anything less than fairly smooth pavement. That's the price you pay to have roller skate handling on a car with much less torsional stiffness and a much less sophisticated suspension.

Duke

Sold!
 

It sold for $6600 - looks like the reserve was about $6000

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6328&item=4544355405&rd=1

Duke

I think that's a decent price if the car is in advertised condition.....

I always get suspect, however, when the winning bidder has 0 or 1 feedback.... could be anyone...even a friend of the seller if you know what I mean

You guys get to buy your used cars cheaply. $6000 here in Australia will only get you into an early 190E, and probably only a 2 litre at that. The 2.3 is rare here so they sell at similar money to the 2.6 at around $9k upwards. A late (update) 2.6 or Sportline is usually around $12k or more here. Even our basic 180E (190E-1.8) which are all '91 or newer still sell at around $8k-11k. The damaged (big hit in rear) 2.6 manual I posted the link to in my earlier post sold at auction yesterday for $1250. Admittedly our dollar is only around US$0.78, but it gives an intersting comparison.

I was going to mention the fact that the Aussie buck is actually worth something, nowadays, relative to the Yankee Greenback. Then I saw your last sentence.

The USA is drowning in cars. The prevailing mentality is to drive the hell out of them with minimum maintenance and trade at the first sign of trouble. As a result, we have a glut of both new and used cars, so prices are fairly cheap.

To most Americans cars have become throwaway appliances.

Duke

I was looking for this pic for a long time and finally found it! Here is the Sportline/Limited Edition interior from a 1993 190e 2.6:

http://img185.echo.cx/img185/5735/93...edition5ig.jpg

Actually, we're probably in second place, to the Japanese, but for different reasons. The Japanese have very strict maintenance requirements, including bodywork, so there are virtually no "beaters" there . . . and as a result, Japan's junkyards overflow with cars that their owners can't afford to cosmetically repair or maintain. Those cut in half cars make their way thru the supply chain and end up around Asia, where Nissan and Toyota turbocharged engines are ending up in some interesting cars, like Mercedes and front engined Porsches.