190E Daily Driver - Classic?
Discussion
Every cloud has a silver lining an all that....
Before Xmas my old Camaro went to to the body shop for "a couple of weeks". Due to unforseen problems trying to match paint, (Not their fault, turns out car had been resprayed in the past with an unknown shade that was close to but not quite the colour on the VIN tag - oh and they found quite a bit more rust than 1st thought!) is yet to return.
Then I the gearbox on my little Rover went kaput - recon £1300 on a car worth about 50p... off to the scrapper!
Then wrote off my brother's car which he'd lent me.....
So what I needed was something cheap, reliable, auto & pas (due to hefty motorbike crash in the dim & distant past)and able to handle 40 odd motorway miles a day.
Went on Autorader, resigned to probably ending up with a Mondeo/Vectra and bingo! 1991 Merc 190e 1.8, 82k miles, FSH, full mot and immaculate.
Ok, it's not the fastest thing in the world and the radio seems to only pick up Classic FM, but is without doubt the best built car I've ever owned and gives off the aura that I'm driving it through choice and not because I'm a pauper.
Yes. I am dead chuffed.
Before Xmas my old Camaro went to to the body shop for "a couple of weeks". Due to unforseen problems trying to match paint, (Not their fault, turns out car had been resprayed in the past with an unknown shade that was close to but not quite the colour on the VIN tag - oh and they found quite a bit more rust than 1st thought!) is yet to return.
Then I the gearbox on my little Rover went kaput - recon £1300 on a car worth about 50p... off to the scrapper!
Then wrote off my brother's car which he'd lent me.....
So what I needed was something cheap, reliable, auto & pas (due to hefty motorbike crash in the dim & distant past)and able to handle 40 odd motorway miles a day.
Went on Autorader, resigned to probably ending up with a Mondeo/Vectra and bingo! 1991 Merc 190e 1.8, 82k miles, FSH, full mot and immaculate.
Ok, it's not the fastest thing in the world and the radio seems to only pick up Classic FM, but is without doubt the best built car I've ever owned and gives off the aura that I'm driving it through choice and not because I'm a pauper.
Yes. I am dead chuffed.
I think they are a classic, from the era of over engineered Mercs, I read somewhere that they designed al the curves on a 190 to match the maximum curve radius achievable on a much heavier gauge steel thus giving the car a subliminal look of solidity.
I agree with your comment on understated classiness as well, once they start disappearing from the roads in time I'm sure their value will rise.
I agree with your comment on understated classiness as well, once they start disappearing from the roads in time I'm sure their value will rise.
71RS said:
Ok, it's not the fastest thing in the world and the radio seems to only pick up Classic FM, but is without doubt the best built car I've ever owned and gives off the aura that I'm driving it through choice and not because I'm a pauper.
Yes. I am dead chuffed.
Oddly enough my old C250 kept on sticking on Classic FM as well, but did suit the aura of it as well.
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