A 4 cylinder "E class"?...: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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June 23, 2011 7:44 a.m. integraguy Dork

This morning, while scanning CL, I came across an ad for a '88 Mercedes 260 E. The ad was posted by a used car dealership and the description noted that this car was equipped with a 4 cylinder engine (the pictures of the interior showed an automatic transmission shifter on the console). For a car nearly 25 years old, it looked both very original and yet in very good condition. I figured M-B never sold a 4 cylinder "E" in the U.S. but being Florida I suppose this car could be some kind of grey market orphan. BTW, unlike many Mercedes of this vintage, there was no provision for headlight washer jets and/or scrubbby brushes in the front bumper. 4 or 6 cylinder, this appeared to be the bottom rung of the '88 E class ladder.

So, LONG story, long, can folks fill me in on this car?
June 23, 2011 7:55 a.m. Woody SuperDork

integraguy wrote:

this appeared to be the bottom rung of the '88 E class ladder.

So, LONG story, long, can folks fill me in on this car?

That's about it, though I don't remember it being a four. I believe it was introduced here a couple of years after the 300E, right around the time that the dollar fell in relation to the D-Mark.

I spent a fair amount of time in one in Germany back then, including quite a few autobahn miles, so I was already familiar with them when they showed up in the States. Oddly enough, the one that we used in Germany had manual windows and no A/C. I doubt that you could get one so-equipped in the US.

My impression was that it was a slightly upscale, utilitarian sedan for German upper middle class families.

Over here, it was the cheapest way to get a mid sized Benz to impress your yuppie friends.
June 23, 2011 8:15 a.m. Otto Maddox Dork

It is an I6.
June 23, 2011 8:55 a.m. JeffHarbert Reader

Like Otto said, it's a straight six, not a four-cylinder. I think it's the same one that was available in the 190E 2.6 back in the day.
June 23, 2011 9:38 a.m. Chas_H New Reader

It's the M103 inline 6, also came as a 3 liter engine.
June 23, 2011 3:46 p.m. integraguy Dork

I did notice the same dealership had a 300E, a 1987, so that was another reason why I figured it could possibly be a 4. I mean, why would a company offer a 3 liter six in 1987 and then a 2.6 liter six a year later....or even at the same time? U.S. car companies sometimes do that engine "downsizing" bit, I just didn't figure M-B for doing it.

I'm going to check on the ad again to see if it has any power accessories.
June 23, 2011 3:57 p.m. m4ff3w SuperDork

My wife's 190E has the 2.6. It actually moves the car surprisingly well.