As the baby-Benz of those days the Mercedes-Benz 190E (model W201) was a favourite tuning-object of many tuning companies. The car was relatively cheap and with all kinds of gadgets on it, it still would cost about the same as a top of the range Mercedes-Benz 500SEL.
Zender was one of the companies who tried to make the 190E, at that time Mercedes’ smallest car, the ultimate luxury car. On the outside the car received wide body fenders together with new front and rear bumpers and side skirts. The wide body gives the car a much thougher look with out going too extreme with Koenig-Specials like Testarossa fins. The side skirts have funny grooves that go the full lenght of the car. A large wing on the boot, the new Zender Turbo Wheels and the golden paintjob are finishing touches to the exterior of this luxury 190.
On the inside of the car we find a lavish interior with:
Full two-tone camel/brown leather upholstery
Fully electrically operated Recaro C-seats in the front
Special seats in the back which are heated
Zender steering wheel
Blaupunkt "Bamberg" Stereo in the dash
Blaupunkt "Heidelberg" Stereo for the rear passengers
Sennheiser headphones for the rear passengers
Exterior Modifications
Zender body kit including wheels and tires 20.000 DM
Special SEC-style front grille including modified hood 3.500 DM
Wing mirrors painted in exterior color 120 DM
Interior Modifications
Zender Steering Wheel 318 DM
Recaro C-seats, each cost 1.500 DM
Heating for the seats 215 DM
Special head rests 60 DM
Zender bucket seats (to be installed in the rear) 4.350 DM
Leather upholstery for the complete Steering Wheel 425 DM
Leather upholstery for the dash 2.000 DM
Leather upholstery for the centre console 750 DM
Leather upholstery for the door panels and arm rests 2.950 DM
Leather upholstery for the seats 1.690 DM
Leather upholstery for the cealing, pilars and sun visors 3.045 DM
Re-model the rear parcel shelf and fit six high-end speakers 2.400 DM
All in all the total for this car (some prices are left out) is about 100.000 DM. Just for comparison one should know a regular 190E 2.0 costed 29.000 DM and an 500SEL about 75.000 DM. This car has really been working himself up the food chain...
The Zender Mercedes-Benz 190E Widebody. Typical features besides the widebody conversion are the grille with large Mercedes-star and the Zender rims.
A view of thecar's rear end. The Zender bootspoiler is one that was available for many cars.
A nice view of the nose with the large star.
Whether this was before or after, I don't know, but this time the car is fitted with a standard 190E grille which has been painted in the car's color.
A camera crew rolling in such an expensive car? I guess not!!!
The interior was high-end stuff. Recaro CSE in the front covered in two tones of leather.
The Zender steering wheel.
The back seats from Recaro with the console for the stereo in between them....
...and Sennheiser headphones!
Text: copyright Bram Corts 2013