Someone Paid $280K for This 190E Evolution II and It’s Worth It
Crazy $280,000 hammer price for this 190E Evolution II didn’t surprise us, it just made us sad that we’ll never get one.
The Mercedes-Benz 190E Evolution II has one of those iconic silhouettes that you could damn near recognize with a blindfold on. If you don’t consider it the most iconic high-performance Mercedes-Benz model, you really should. Sure, there are newer and more potent high-performance variants of sedans from the Benz roster that could probably put a good whooping on this classic on track or in a straight line. That’s not what we mean when referring to it as “iconic,” though. Even the most devout Mercedes haters make an exception for the 190E Evolution and Evolution II. It’s just that good.
This particular example just crossed the auction block at RM Sotheby’s Miami auction event. The final and winning bid came in at a cool $280,000. That’s honestly a decent deal, especially considering it only has 34,000 miles on it (read as 54,770 kilometers, of course).
We can see how you might find it hard to consider paying the cost of a nice house in Ohio for a 34-year-old Mercedes a “good deal,” but only if you don’t understand what this car is. Allow us to elaborate.
Truly a Race Car for the Road
The term “race car for the road” gets thrown around routinely. However, it’s use a little loosely in a lot of cases. In the case of this classic Mercedes, though, it’s pretty appropriate. The “Evo II” as some refer to it is, in full form, known as the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II. It was a bit of collab between AMG, Mercedes, and Cosworth. It’s a homologation car, which can also be said about a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. What you can’t say about that Evolution, though, is that it won not one, but two DTM championships. Sorry JDM fans, this Evo is cooler.
This example is only one of 502 built for the 1990 and 1991 model years. With a potent 235 horsepower 2.5-liter engine (hence the 2.5-16 in the name, referring to its 16 valves) and a manual transmission driving the rear wheels, it’s certainly a party.
Yes, we could talk about its self-leveling suspension and ferocious handling capabilities but, let’s be honest, there’s one thing we all want to talk about. It’s that body kit. The wide fender flares, the huge wing, and especially those bumpers. Somehow it all just looks so out of place on an E-class body yet, at the same time, it’s a shining star of perfection. It’s truly a work of art.
A Pipe Dream for Most
While most of us will only ever dream of having a chance to get behind the wheel of one of these icons, we’ll always take a chance to stop and appreciate them when they come up for sale. With a steadily increasing price now leading to the point where $280,000 seems like a good deal, it’s safely out of range for most of us. Still, we can dream. Most of all, though, we can appreciate.
Photos: RM Sotheby’s