Better Bones: 1959 Mercedes 190SL

'59 190SL

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The last Mercedes Benz 190SL we featured was 1958 project you can review here. This 1959 190SL is a running car that can be driven now. Listed here on eBay and parked in Las Vegas, Nevada is this Mercedes Benz 190SL being offered at no reserve with the high bid at the time of writing of $70,100.

'59 190SL right side

This car is being sold by a friend of the owner. The owner hasn’t driven the car more then 25 miles in the last 15 years. The owner doesn’t get to drive his car because of his age. There has been over $10k spent to keep her running in the last several years. The engine and carburetors have been completely gone over.

'59 190SL under

In November of 2015 maintenance on the car included: new brake lines, flush/bleed, fuel tank flushed, adjustment of the throttle linkage. New parts installed included: a new coolant bypass hose, fuel sender, fuel filter and battery. There are two short videos with the ad for you to review of the engine running and the car being driven.

'59 190SL full dash

This car spent many years in Georgia. The current has a story about some of the history of the car. If you are interested in the hearsay about this car please check out their ad. The dash appears to be complete and the leather does present nicely!

'59 190SL int.

There is a new black soft top from GAHH that was installed in August of 2012 in case you get caught without the hard top and the clouds open up.

'59 190SL rear right

We don’t know if this is an under 100k mile car?  There are more images of it, including more of the under side for your review with the ad. The auction may end early, as per the listing agent, because the car is up for sale locally as well. Will this 190SL be sold for $100K? What do you think a 1959 Mercedes Benz 190SL that runs and can be driven now is worth?

Motor-on,
Robert

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. Horse Radish

    Without a REVERSE going forward in’t such a bad thing.
    Especially when some people call the “slow turds’ so, any forward movement is a plus.

    I wonder, though, if they have a RESERVE on this fine classic auction.

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    • Horse Radish

      Spelling bee 101

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    • Charlie H

      I signed in to say the same thing. Not to pick on the spelling as I’m a terrible speller but “no reverse” is such a Freudian slip in a car ad!

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  2. T. P. LeCompte

    My father sold his near-mint ’56, bought new, in the mid-’70s for $4500.

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  3. grant

    I seriously just found one of these in the parking garage at work. What a gorgeous car.

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  4. randy

    No reverse means you cannot retract a bid on this one. ;>)

    Some folks think these will sell for 145K. Let’s watch and see.
    I got up close and personal with these, and I cannot stand them. Do I wish I’d bought one cheap in the eighties? DARN STRAIGHT.

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  5. grant

    Am I the only one who notices the holes in the rockers?

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    • TVC15

      That’s where you inset the jack

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  6. Steve

    The real bargains in SL’s now are the R129’s, $90k new can be had for $5-6k now. They can be driven daily and at some point the collectability will bring back the value. Just watch out for expensive electrical gremlins.

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  7. Chris

    They’d be almost pretty, if DB had ditched those hideous fender flares/slashes/bulges/etc. And the bulbous painted dogdish hubcaps too.
    What was wrong with a decent set of wheel trims?

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  8. Paul B

    I’ll never understand why these are commanding stratospheric prices. Anyone who was around when they were new will recall them as solid, overpriced, rather ugly underperformers, not really respected in either the sports car or GT worlds. They are very well made but boring and kind of trucklike to drive. Are they worth something? Definitely. They are classic Mercedes. But these prices? No. As Car & Driver said of the 230S in the late ’60s, if the three-pointed star floats your boat, fine. Otherwise, forget the whole thing.

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  9. Peter R

    These are merely following the upward pricing trends of the 300SL’s – a few of which have even hit the $2 million+ range. Really fully restored versions of these can be $150K but this one is quite a ways from there. I’ll be surprised if this exceeds $100K unless it has unusually low mileage
    BTW I agree with the comments made by Paul B – these are not fun cars

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  10. Chris A.

    MB version of a Ford Thunderbird, a country club sports car wannabe. No thanks. Back in the 60’s a George Morris from the NY Finger Lakes Region SCCA tried to prep and race his 190SL at Watkins Glen. Starting at the back of the pack on the old track, he was being lapped by lap 5. Embarassing and painful to watch it was so slow. But if it had been the 24 Hours of Nelson Ledges, I’d have bet money it would have finished running. I’d rather have Doug’s 220S Ponton carport find from 2012, a better car.

    Like 0
  11. Dougm

    Been a looooong year eh Robert? Keep up the Great work!

    Like 0

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