It’s always amazing to see a long-parked barn find come back to life, regardless of make or model. Knowing an engine that been sitting dormant for decades and can still fire up with some coaxing is a testament to how much engineering goes into your standard drivetrain. This 1958 Mercedes-Benz 190SL was found after sitting for years in a shop in Arkansas, and is now listed here on eBay with bids to $35,000 and no reserve.
While it’s impossible to tell just how sound the body is under what is most likely a respray, the pictures are encouraging. No amount of red paint can hide major holes in the rockers and sills, and while fiberglass can create the illusion of being rust-free, my inclination is to believe this 190SL isn’t rotten. Arkansas is generally kind of vintage cars, and while this 190SL was off the road for many years, the storage arrangements shown above aren’t the worst we’ve seen. Those wheels, however, are definitely not factory.
The interior of the 190SL is a hoot, with a custom carpeting job that walks the line between being a vintage coco-style design and something truly psychedelic. Carpeting aside, the interior is complete and the seats are in good shape, and the dash is surprisingly nice save for a missing radio. Other photos in the gallery show the 190SL from underneath and it looks very solid, and when you put all these details together, it’s not surprising to see bidding where it is.
This top is another example of how a barn find stored properly can emerge in respectable condition. The top is wrinkled and dirty but looks intact. With the last tag receipt showing a 1981 timestamp, this 190SL has been waiting to be rescued for some time, and given how much money restored examples are bringing, there’s a potential opportunity here to own a solid driver while stopping short of a total restoration. Would you drive this one as-is or bring it closer to showroom spec?
Purchase Price + Restoration Cost >>>>> Final value.
Don’t get Blaupunkt into buying this car.
Wow, that’s amazing!
I’d get it running and stopping properly and then enjoy it as a driving restoration.I’d put the orginal wheels back on and that carpet would have to go..and then cruise in style!
Run. Enough restored 190SLs exist that you can have your choice of colors, restoration level, etc. These are not good sports cars: heavy, underpowered, bad carbs, etc. These are poser cars. Find a decent 356, XK-E, Triumph, or Alfa instead.
Agreed. If you have to have a 190SL find a nicer one. The expense here far exceeds the end result.
You think this is a sports car looking at it but it is not. Slow and heavy. Just like that German breakfast you wish you hadn’t eaten…
BS. These are roadsters that can go down the road. These are hwy cars. Meant to run long distances at high speeds.
Bad carbs indeed. At least they make reasonably priced (less than a grand) Weber conversions for them that work really well.
This example has the rare trailer wheel option!
I am getting sick of red. I’d respray this to a mid pale blue with just a hint of metallic and restore the rest to original. Give it back some Grace Kelly class.
But it has those nice Wal-Mart wheels/tires……..
190’s have become stupidly overpriced. Find a nice 230-280SL, twice the car for less $$