Mercedes-Benz W201 190E Custom Steering Wheel

Custom steering wheels for the Mercedes-Benz 190 (W201)

The W201 was the first compact Mercedes-Benz saloon, sold from 1982 to 1993 as the 190, 190E and 190D, all the way up to the 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 Evolution models. On a 190 the steering wheel is usually the most worn part of the cabin: the rim goes shiny, the leather cracks and the stitching opens up. We rebuild original 190 wheels to your specification, or source one for you.

Which wheel does your 190 have?

The builder above sorts the wheels by production year.

Cars built up to early 1992 have the first-generation four-spoke wheel without an airbag, in a standard and a smaller-diameter version.

Cars built from late 1992 have a 400 mm wheel with an airbag. These late cars can also take the SL-style wheels in the builder, which give a sporty look close to a Sport Line wheel for less money.

Sport Line: early and late cars were both offered with a rare 390 mm Sport Line wheel with a sportier rim, and we build those too.

The one 190 wheel we do not cover is the large airbag wheel fitted to some earlier cars. Not sure which you have? Compare your wheel with the pictures in the builder, or send us a photo and we will tell you.

Wood and colour on the 190

Most 190s have zebrano trim or no wood at all, and burl walnut is very rare on this car. If yours has zebrano, a zebrano top and bottom on the wheel ties it to the dashboard and console. If it has none, the wheel is a subtle place to add some wood, or you can keep it all leather.

Almost every 190 wheel left the factory in black. Only the late 400 mm airbag wheels came in colours such as beige, dark green, dark red and brown, and a coloured wheel on an earlier car is very rare. If your interior is coloured, we can match the leather to it.

Popular 190 builds

Wood top and bottom: zebrano or burl on the top and bottom sections with black leather grips. Simple, and it looks as if it came from the factory.

Sport shape: the thicker sport grip with perforated leather sides, for a firmer hold and a look that suits the 2.3-16 and 2.5-16.

All Alcantara: it sounds like a modern idea, but a full Alcantara wheel suits the 190 surprisingly well.

Before you order

Every wheel starts from a used original Mercedes-Benz core, so it bolts straight onto your 190. We rebuild everything you see and touch. Parts inside the wheel can show some corrosion from age, which is out of our hands, but when we source a wheel for you we pick the best core we can find.

Sport Line wheels are hard to find, so for those we build on the wheel you send us.

If your car has an airbag, remove the unit before sending your wheel and keep it at home; we never ship airbag units, and it should be refitted by a qualified mechanic. On most 190s the airbag cover is riveted to the airbag unit and is hard to take off, so if you order a leather-wrapped airbag cover, be ready for the rivet work needed to fit it, or have your mechanic do it.

190 steering wheel questions

Can I fit an SL-style wheel to my 190?
On cars built from late 1992, yes, and the builder offers two SL-style wheels for them. For earlier cars, choose one of the first-generation wheels listed for your year.

My wheel has no airbag. Can I still order?
Yes. Early 190 wheels have a horn pad in the centre instead of an airbag, and the builder shows the right options for them automatically.

How long does it take?
Most builds take one to two weeks in our workshop. We email you photos of the finished wheel to approve, then it ships to you anywhere in the world.

Restoring more of the interior? See all our W201 190 parts, read about W124 and W201 instrument cluster faults, or see every Mercedes we build wheels for.