1991 | Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II

• #037 of just 500 ever built
• Full service history
• Just two Belgian owners from new

What you’re looking at is one of the rarest and most exciting cars to ever come out of Mercedes-Benz’s motorsport department. The 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II wasn’t built to be pretty or polite. It was built to win. And it did exactly that. Born for DTM homologation, the Evo II took everything Mercedes had learned from touring car racing and poured it into a four-door sedan with the soul of a fighter jet and the silhouette of a German engineer’s fever dream. From its widened arches to that outrageous rear wing, the Evo II makes no apologies. Let’s be honest, even if you never went near a racetrack, this thing looks like it’s overtaking traffic while standing still. There’s just nothing else like it. That boxy roofline, those straight-cut sills, the stance that says move or be moved. It’s not just a homologation special, it’s a street-legal DTM weapon that never forgot how to play rough.

This particular car, number 037 of just 500 examples ever built, is the real deal. Delivered new in Belgium on January 14th 1991, it has had only two owners since new. Although most EVO’s have been tracked and/or modified, that’s is not the case with this beauty. Even the signature wide arches are still razor-sharp and rust-free. The body is straight, the shut lines are tight and the gloss still deep. Inside, the story continues. The Anthracite leather is soft, original and free from major wear. The dashboard, center console and door cards are clean and intact. Even the sunroof, a rare and desirable option, works perfectly.

Under the bonnet lives a Cosworth-engineered 2.5-litre 16-valve engine of the correct type and period. It fires up immediately, runs smooth and revs with intent. Paired with the Getrag dogleg five-speed gearbox, the whole drivetrain feels tight, honest and alive. The clutch is light and precise, the steering is razor-sharp, and the suspension strikes that perfect balance between road compliance and racetrack readiness. With just over 130,000 kilometers on the odometer, this car is exactly where you want it to be. Not over-preserved to the point of fragility, not worn down to a restoration project. Just right. The kind of condition that’s hard to fake and even harder to find. It comes complete with its original books, stamped service history, factory data card, two spare keys, toolkit and Belgian registration papers. Everything’s there, exactly as it should be.

This isn’t just an Evo II. It’s the kind collectors wait years to find. Two careful owners, full documentation and a history that reads as clean as the car looks. Unrestored, unspoiled and exactly as it left the factory. The kind of example you don’t come across twice, ready to be enjoyed exactly as Mercedes and Cosworth intended.

For collectors who know what this is, nothing more needs to be said. For everyone else: don’t wait too long. Cars like this don’t come around twice. Now available at RNR Classics.

Option list:

• 221 Left front seat, electrically adjustable

• 240 outside temperature indicator

• 259 Becker radio grand prix cassette, stereo, electronic, LW/MW/USW

• 412 Electric sliding roof with tilting device

• 430 Headrest in the rear, left and right

• 442 Airbag in steering wheel

• 543 Sun visor with vanity mirror, illuminated, left and right

• 572 Front seat, right, with seat height adjustment; L.H.D.

• 593 Heat-insulating glass, all-around, heated rear window pane, band-filter

• 620 Vehicles with catalyst technique

• 630 ECE-warning triangle

• 876 Rear door contacts and lamp above rear window