Mercedes-Benz enjoyed a brief history at Mount Panorama during the Group A era of the mid-1980s, but one of the 190Es to contest the 1000 has made its return to Australian shores nearly 30 years later.
Dressed up in Martin Filters colours for the 1986 James-Hardie 1000, the smart Mercedes-Benz 190Es were entered into the race by the year’s Grand Marshall Bob Jane after emerging from the RSM Marko squad in Germany.
Not only was Jane Grand Marshall for the race he won four times, but he was also the local distributor for Mercedes-Benz performance brand AMG leading to the association enabling the motorsport legend to negotiate the importation of two 190Es from the DTM. And yes, that Helmut Marko ran the team.
Both Martins Filter 190Es definitely led the way in the presentation stakes as the driver line-up consisted of Germans Franz Klammer and Jorge van Omen joining previous World Drivers’ Championship winner Denny Hulme, with open-wheel ace Andrew Miedecke making one of his earliest touring car starts.
Just as there was to come the next year, the European and Australian interpretations of the regulations were different as the 190Es found out leaving the crew scrambling to make changes prior to on-track action.
The Hulme/Klammer entry finished ninth outright and finished second in Class B to the Peter Jackson Nissan DR30 Skyline of polesitter Gary Scott teaming with the experienced Terry Shiel.
As for the Miedecke/van Omen 190E, it had a rather short race meeting the fence at Murray’s Corner on the opening lap and not returning to the track.
After the race, both Mercedes-Benz 190Es were sold to Phil Ward and Lyndon Reithmuller after a deal to purchase the ex-Volvo Dealer Team 240 Turbos fell over.
Ward enjoyed a spectacular history with the 190Es including a roll over in the gravel trap at McPhillamy Park, but when the Class II regulations for 2.0-litre models came to Australia, this gave new life to the 190Es.
Darryl Eastlake loved the Mercs, but it proved only a short stint as a large crash at Oran Park proved one of his last starts as he went V8 racing soon after.
This wasn’t the end for the Mercedes as Ward sold the one of the Bathurst 190Es and a newer ex-DTM specification version to the US where Ecurie Atlanta entered the opening round of the North American Touring Car Championship at Lime Rock Park.
After an opening race crash, the team was never entered again and a dealer in Florida took ownership before an Australian purchased the pair 12 years ago.
This is not the end of the story as it goes full circle. Miedecke ended up purchasing the 190E he raced and retired after one lap in 1986 and now is preparing to return it to the track for the first time at Phillip Island in a couple of weeks.