Mercedes-Benz 190 Fintail

THIS CAR HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN DUE TO A FUEL PUMP FAILURE

Popularly known as the ‘Fintail’ (or Heckflosse in Germany), the W110 Series ran from 1961 to 1968 and formed the backbone of the Mercedes saloon range throughout the decade. Just oozing Cold War cool, the Fintail reeks of shady doings in snowy East German forests as Smiley’s people bundle a defector into the boot while Alsatians bark in the distance.

All were beautifully engineered in the finest Mercedes tradition and featured four-cylinder engines in either 1.9, 2.0 or 2.3-litre capacities although, for the first time, diesel variants were also available, a technology that was pioneered by Mercedes and championed despite widespread derision in the motoring press. You only need to look around you today to see how wrong the critics turned out to be.

This particular car is a first series 190 model that is powered by a slightly detuned version of the 110bhp 1,897cc engine that was also found in the contemporary 190SL Roadster (a model which also appears later in this catalogue). This overhead-cam straight-four soon earned a reputation for bulletproof reliability and could keep the big saloon crusing along at 90mph all day.

First registered in March 1964, the car has an interesting history being first owned by an embassy in London which only kept it for six months. It was then purchased by a gentleman who was to keep the car right up until his death in 2010 when the current vendor acquired it. He relates the story as follows:

“The owner from whom I acquired the car used it very sparingly, mainly for annual holidays from London to Devon. When the car was not in use it was kept locked up and under covers. As he grew older the car was used less and less, and some years it was not used at all. I have 36 old MOTs confirming that the current mileage of 78k is correct.

“I purchased the car in May 2011 from the old man’s daughter who burst into tears when I arrived to pick it up. His grandson was also there and he claimed that his grandfather would never allow him to even sit in the car.

“I initially purchased the car with the intention of doing the Peking to Paris Rally in it. But my plans changed and I only used it for a tour of South Africa from Dar-es-Salaam to Cape Town, a distance of over 5,000 miles. The car performed perfectly throughout with no problems whatsoever.

“I then decided that the car was too good to use for rallying and have now purchased a more suitable Fintail. I have had the cylinder head rebuilt with new valves and guides and converted for unleaded use. The only rally items remaining on the car are the sump guard and petrol tank guard, both of which are very easy to remove if required. I drove the car to the Goodwood Revival last summer and again it behaved impeccably.”

The owner considers the car to be in exceptionally well-preserved condition throughout, with a lovely original interior in blue-green MB Tex. Currently taxed and due to have a fresh MOT before the sale, this charismatic Sixties saloon undoubtedly has many more decades of useful life ahead of it.