Mercedes-Benz 190 C
Car-ID: XT0068
Vehicle Description
Every now and then, a true collector’s item finds it way back into the market, and the astounded public rub their eyes in disbelief: Can this really be true? Here’s an unrestored “little tail fin” Mercedes-Benz 190 C with a warranted mileage of only 62,500 km. The proprietor of a Rüdesheim restaurant bought the car new in 1964 – the original sales brochure, invoice, cardboard registration document, data card as well as the service booklet still exist. It then remained in the same family until 2007. The original owner’s nephew, who in 1981 had taken over the car, had it decommissioned in 1983 and parked it in a dry and heated garage where it was to stay for 24 years! In 2007, the third and current owner bought the car with a mileage of 47,702 km, had it recomissioned as a historic vehicle and took part in numerous classic car events.
The Mercedes still wears most of its original paint and the body has not been welded, apart from the repaired damage of a misplaced jack. The interior gives evidence to high-quality workmanship and appreciating, careful use. The chrome is equally nice, adding to the car’s exceptionally good general impression. Options as listed on the invoice include a steel sunroof, foldable centre armrest and fog lights.
The Mercedes has valid technical approval until 08/2017. It starts up without fail and runs very smooth. Just before entering the car into the auction, the current owner – due to a career change and temporary lack of company car – briefly used this amazing vehicle as a daily driver!
The vehicles colloquially referred to as “little tail fin” of the W 110 series were produced from 1961 to 1968. They belonged to the upper middle class of Mercedes and replaced the ponton series W120 / 121. Body, interior and luggage room sizes are substantially identical to the W111 series (“large tail fin”), which had entered the market in 1959.
All models have an unusual instrument panel with vertical roller speedometer (“clinical thermometer speedo”), where the display varies depending on the speed from yellow through red / yellow to red. All models also have the filler neck located behind the rear license plate, which folds down to allow access
The body was characterized by a hitherto unknown passive safety: It had for the first time a stable passenger cell and effective deformable zones. Mercedes conducted extensive crash tests, in which a vehicle was pushed over a ramp at 80 km/h in order to make it roll over.
