• 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-d...