Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.0 Carat Duchatelet

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Dubbed ‘the Baby Benz’, the W201-based 190 was launched in 1982 and was the most affordable model in the marque's history.

Some £600 million was spent researching and developing this car with Mercedes acutely aware that a failure of such an entry level model could easily bring down the rest of the range and the entire company’s reputation. Indeed so concerned were they to get it just right that they later admitted that the 190 was 'massively over-engineered'.

Amongst the items that were a first for Mercedes was the 190's patented five-link suspension at the rear, used in subsequent E- and C- class models, and developments used today in Mercedes road cars. It had front and rear anti-roll bars and anti-dive, anti-squat geometry and a range of engines from a 1.8-litre four-cylinder unit to a 2.6-litre straight-six. The 190 was available with airbags, ABS brakes, seatbelt tensioners and other advanced safety features and is now regarded as one of the best Mercedes-Benz cars ever made. It was finally replaced by the much less impressive C-Class in 1993.

For those who felt the specifications on offer from the Mercedes factory a trifle staid, help was at hand from the Belgian firm Carat Duchatelet. Better know today for their armour plated limousines, during the mid ‘90s they offered a range of aftermarket upgrades for the Mercedes’ range. More popular on the top-of-the-range models due to their not inconsiderable cost, they nonetheless found success selling upgrades for the 190E. Wood trim dashboards, body kits and alloy wheels were the order-of-the-day, the cars also gaining subtle Carat Duchatelet badging on the boot.

This 190E 2.0-litre automatic was originally sold by Lancasters of London to a Romford resident. There is no evidence to confirm when the conversion was carried out, although it is believed by the vendor that it was fitted from new. The service book has 19 stamps, the last being carried out at 110,799 miles in 2011, with various bills and invoices for further work in evidence.

Fitted with an immobiliser and with eight old MOTs on file, it has had five previous keepers and shows an indicated 135,000 miles since delivery.

This interesting Mercedes-Benz 190E Carat Duchatelet offers superior luxury to most and will be driven some 100 miles to the sale.