Many of us have likely owned a project car at some point that deserves restoration but isn’t in the cards for as long it’s in our care. This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL is a largely undisturbed California yellow plate car that the seller claims is the “…perfect car to restore,” and he may be right. The paint isn’t original but the rest of the car looks mostly correct. Find it here on craigslist in Orange County for $64,500. Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find.
The 190SL has popped up fairly consistently, often showing up in condition similar to this: project-worthy, not terribly rusty, but far from complete. It seems to me that owners of these cars aren’t completely confident that the juice is worth the squeeze in terms of restoring one back to mint condition. And truthfully, I don’t blame them for pumping the brakes, as there is a definite ceiling to these cars as it relates to what you can get out of them when it comes time to sell. On a side note, having a factory hardtop is a nice bonus.
The interior is in complete condition, while still needing some restoration. But it’s great to see the cockpit largely preserved, with a factory radio and steering wheel still in place. The sheepskin seat covers are certainly period-correct, but it’d be helpful to know how complete the upholstery is underneath. More importantly, the color scheme is desirable, with the seller noting it the 190SL was originally silver over red. Silver may not be the most exotic color, but it suits the 190SL well.
The seller confirms this is a numbers-matching car with the correct Solex carburetor still in place. The asking price isn’t out of line for a car that is in this sort of condition, but I still think it leaves too little room for someone to properly restore this car and get out of it alive. The market is soft right now for cars that aren’t guaranteed money-makers, so the seller may have to offer a discount to find the 190SL its next forever home. Regardless, this looks like a great foundation for rebuilding one of these “baby 300SLs” if you’ve been hunting for one.
Oy,,,well, it IS a 190SL. That center medallion is surely in some guys man cave. Without question, the hottest MB on the market, with examples easily in the 6 figure range. I’d have to think a full restoration is the only way to go here, and that could be a bit unsettling. When eventually done, most assuredly under water by then, you will have the coolest roadster of the 50s.
the hottest Mercedes on the market? I respectfully disagree. a bit unrefined and this one will cost a beggars fortune to reignite. pass on the most collectible MB around.
Brutal Truth coming up. The 190SL is the most over-rated collector car around. It looks good, but it is gutless, heavy, and expensive to restore correctly. Mechanics hate those Solexes, so most have been converted to Webers, but the econo-car engine still has just three main bearings. If not for the 300SL, the 190SL would have fallen off the radar decades ago, so they often wind up with novice collectors who quickly get in way over their heads. If you just have to have a 190SL, find one of the many that have already been restored. Their owners will probably welcome you with open arms.
Ouch Frank, that’s harsh. I haven’t decided if you are an owner or just talking out of your butt although I love your passion regardless. Yup Solex carbs suck. Fuel injection is now available and early results look good. The 190SL is under powered and is an example of de-tuned German engineering, never a good idea. This car is way way over valued when you can find a well sorted example at $80-90k today.
I see so many cars on BF that make me want them, but thankfully occasionally one like this one comes along that totally disinterests me. I see nothing but a money pit here. It’s a money pit that I have always thought to be the least attractive MB of any of the two seater “S” series, but I realize that appearance is subjective and this might be someone’s dream car. I don’t know what the average price on these is but the ask on this one seems to be high for it’s condition.
Firstly, I would bring it back to the original silver; that’s the quintessential MB color. Second, I would bring the seller back to reality by reminding him that it’s not a 300SL and it needs a bit of work, starting with getting that engine running and seeing what’s under those seat covers.
#00001 1954 MB 190 SL for sale on bring a trailer — amazing story !
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1954-mercedes-benz-1st-prototype-1st-production-190sl-no-1/