I use that title lightly, because this isn’t really a 190, but a 200. And although there was a 190 W110, it wasn’t really the W201 190’s predecessor. The W210 190 had no predecessor or precedent, as Mercedes charted new territory with it, at least in more recent times. There’s a few of these Flossen four cylinder cars still about:
Here’s a 200D in front of our library. In fact, all three of these cars are 200Ds, thanks to the Bio-diesel wave that brought so many to town. It’s double cool to drive an old Mercedes (bio)diesel…
This one must have come from salt country, as it shows signs of cancer, including a drooping floor.
The interior still looks good. Imagine how slow this is when that air conditioner is turned on.
That punch in the nose didn’t help either.
Love these. This is an old Mercedes that could easily seduce me, so long as it is a stick shift.
These are indelibly associated with Betty Blue for me thanks to the gorgeous yellow W110 that co-stars briefly in the film:
This is the first Mercedes I remember seeing at the time it was new, walking by one going to and from grade school. Certainly a classic!
Is that the normal position of the shift lever and boot in the interior shot? Was the owner there with you, or do they often leave their keys in the ignition?
The shift lever and boot are not in the normal position. And I never noticed the keys until you pointed them out. Maybe someone had been working on the shifter, and was taking a break inside, googling to find more information??
I suspect more car thieves couldn’t get it going quickly even with the keys. Most folks need a quick lesson on the pull to start knob.
Interesting a lot of the interior bits look identical to my ’70 220D – steering wheel, radio, heater vents, etc.
I KNOW this is heresy, but I really am not thrilled when people convert their cars to burn grease. I mean, how else can I react when someone gets a historical car and drills holes in it, and then gets food-infused grease all over their trunk floor? Biodiesel I’m cool with, but grease car conversions often seem to have abusive undertones.
The fact that such people tend to select their old diesels as some sort of a political statement, rather than out of any real appreciation for what the cars were conceived to be, also irks me.
Buy your old diesel Benz because you’re a fan of the brand and restore it, don’t turn the things into a horrible cliche and jack up residuals and ruin it for everyone!
I doubt any of these have been. We have a local bio-diesel “refinery” and a local chain of fueling stations that sells it. There are some grease-burners in town, but typically they’re trucks or SUVs, since they need two tanks and such.
Well thank heavens!
A classic profile that still looks good. I’m guessing this is ’68 or newer based on the side markers. The dash still has that high quality look that faded out of domestic cars after about 1965. So classic and conservative that it really isn’t pretentious, but many of the original owners were definitely sending a message that probably varied quite a bit.
When I started university in 1969, I occasionally got to ride in one of these. One of the girls I knew from grade school, and who now attended the same university, would get a lift with her mom and they would sometimes offer me a ride when they drove past, as I usually walked the 2.5 miles (4 km) to uni.
I was deeply impressed by that car, and it started my life-long ambition (never fulfilled) to own a Mercedes Benz. It was white with a black MB-Tex interior, and oozed quality and bank-vault strength. It was not a diesel, and although the 4-cylinder engine was not particularly quiet, it sounded very mechanical, in a good way.
One day, her mom was fiddling with the radio, complaining about the less than perfect reception. Minutes later, she realized she was actually tuned in to a station 120 miles (200 km) away. That was my introduction to Blaupunkt radios, which at that time were truly outstanding.
As much as I have long dreamed of owning a Benz, I’m not too sure I would buy one today, given the quality lapses and high maintenance costs. Maybe I should consider leasing one?
Don’t lease a new one. Buy an old one.
A school friends parents had a 190D Benz, Our parents would take turns driving us the 150 miles to school after weekend leaves. Heading north in NZ in a 190 D merc is a very slow affair as the country is very hilly and Merc diesels are slow as. Calling them Gutless is being kind. They are probably ok in town as a taxi cab but as a highway vehicle nar too slow,
What a beauty that white 200d. Sign me up for one of those. I could very well live with that cockpit and I don’t mind the glacial acceleration since I already drive a 200d, mine a w124.
When I had my Rover 2000 I would try to get drivers of these to race me, then simply drive away from them when I got to any slight upgrade.
It’s freaky that all three of these are 1968 models, the last year for this bodystyle. What are the odds of that? I can tell from the side marker lamps and wheelcovers with the slots.
I’m really weird in that I like side marker lamps on old Mercedes and BMWs, American cars too. An imported car without them looks like a plainer, earlier version or a gray market car. I even like those vertical rear license plate lights for the US spec Mercedes sedans. I think 1973 was the best year ever for car bumpers. Please don’t ban me from the site.
1973. Best ever year for bumpers. That’s going to be stuck in my head like a Justin Bieber song.
My school friends parents car had indicator lights mounted high on the front mudguards but I dont recall what year it was they traded a worn XP Falcon wagon on it
We had one of those 190D’s
For a few months back then.
Dove grey with a deep blue Pullman interior and a factory sunroof.
My kid sister got carsick the moment dad turned the key, so to speak
On holiday in the South of France, driving in the rain you were overtaken by beaten up Peugeot 203’s and Simca’s
It went, it went very fast, and dad started on his first of a long line of 404 Pugs .
And those Pugs, they were simply the better car.
Almost each one fitted with a Blaupunkt radio.