Lot '18: Mercedes-Benz 190E Sportline

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.

First registered in September 1990, this particular car is a rare Sportline model with tuned sports suspension, quicker steering and wider wheels and tyres. It is powered by a 125bhp 2-litre fuel-injected engine driving through an automatic gearbox that is good for 125mph. Said to be totally reliable with no known faults, it has covered just 89,000 miles with 16 service stamps to date (the last in April this year), most at Mercedes main agents, giving an average service interval of only 5,500 miles. Looking very crisp in newly fashionable Arctic White with a full black leather interior and polished alloy wheels, it is currently taxed and has an MOT until January 2011.

Your cataloguer has racked up thousands of miles in a couple of these wonderful cars and can confirm that they are outstanding value for money with excellent road manners, superb reliability and beautifully restrained styling that only improves with age. Find a good one and it could well last you for life. Depreciation-free motoring doesn't come any better than this.