If you’re going to take on a classic car restoration with unknown provenance or history, it’s hard to go wrong with a vintage Mercedes-Benz. They are known for their durability as much as they are celebrated for their style and luxury, and not terribly complicated to keep on the road. However, no matter what marque you invest in for your next project, taking one out of mothballs and feathering away the dust covering its fenders will require an expert amount of due diligence to ensure any refurbishment is done correctly. That’s what is needed on this 1960 Mercedes-Benz 190B, found in dusty isolation in a British basement. If you’re game, submit a bid via the eBay.co.uk listing here.
Throughout my life, Mercedes-Benzes have been a fairly consistent presence. My dad would buy them off of a friend who sold off-lease cars in our hometown in upstate New York. Not being a car guy, my father used these cars primarily to shuttle clients inspecting homes in the local real estate market from one open house to the next. S-Classes and E-Classes reigned supreme, and most were often traded in for another as soon as maintenance got costly (which it inevitably did, usually in the form of oil leaks growing in surface area). My dad still loved the cars, though, and became hooked on V8 power when he brought home a 1995 E420, my favorite one of the bunch.
Much like the 190B Poton, Mercedes vehicles seem to look dignified in even the most unfortunate of circumstances. Like the 1990 190E 2.3 that sat neglected under a pair of pine trees for months before it became mine. I still have photos of it in pre-purchase condition, and it just looked sad. But after plenty of hours spent with a polishing cloth and a variety of waxes, the car’s paint came back and it looked as stately as it did when new. I believe this 190B in the UK has the potential to devour highway miles once again, especially with resources like the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine available to supply new parts. But it will need a committed owner to bring it back from the brink of long-forgotten storage.
We’ve talked a lot about shipping vehicles this week, but I’ve never considered shipping a car over here from another country. It’s already expensive enough to do it domestically; I can’t imagine the freight costs associated with shipping from the U.K. to the U.S. Hopefully, one of our Barn Finds brethren on the other side of the pond finds a way to rescue this car since it appears fairly straight with much of its original equipment, like the steering wheel, hood ornament and hubcaps, still attached. Glass also appears quite good, and I don’t see a ton of rust on the panel surfaces, all signs that the car was stored with a modicum of care. So, what would it take for you to get into this classic Mercedes? Bidding is low, so now’s the time to jump in if you’re considering it.
That has been one damp basement.Look at the crud build-up around the radio,dash,shift lever and even the steering wheel.I had to look three times to see if that was a firewall rust-out hole and told myself yes when I saw the continuation electrolosis above it.Also trunk same in lower left.I do like the British floormats.Haven’t seen one of those for 40 years but it would leave you half of a mint floorboard(if you didn’t move it but would be a great checker board pattern.)Fairly nice ones can be had for 10-12k.Owner says lucky to find a right hand drive one…..lucky,lucky him.Last but not least.I see why it doesn’t run anymore.Someone left the parklights on.(Engine torn down………”We’ll find out why it didn’t turn over”.
I had one exactly like this, aside from the steering wheel being in front of the passenger (must be hard to drive like that, reaching over and leaning on the passenger… ;-)). Same color and everything.
Drove it every day for a couple of years and absolutely loved it. I finally had to sell it around 1985 when the rust became intolerable.
Fantastic car, plenty of power, handled like a sports car, rode smoothly, felt solid as a rock, very small outside, but huge inside, with a cavernous trunk, and got great gas mileage.
I agree, it was too damp where it was stored, and I’d bet that the engine will need enough work as to make replacement the best option, but that rust all looks superficial to me.
It’s a shame the seller didn’t include any pictures of any of the underside area that ALWAYS rust out.
..”bidding is still low..”
Unless you’re looking at another auction, than I am: bidding is starting at 2400 British pounds ( x 1.5 for US $) which is roughly $ 4000.
Given that the dust is covering the amount of rust, which needs to be visible to determine the value of this ‘car’, I would say this seller can consider himself lucky to sell this car cleaned up and driving for that amount.
Just because it’s a right hand drive 190b only makes it minimally more desirable in a very limited market.
And Britain is the only RHD market for a few hundred if not thousands of miles around.In other words: shipping will be expensive to get it anywhere where it would be useful to have RHD.
Starting bids at that price pretty much is a reserve, a high reserve at that.
BTW: Why would you try to get parts at Mercedes dealership in California, when you have the factory classic center in Germany ?
Just thinking whimsically that our US readers might give this one a look! Of course, you’re absolutely right – for overseas buyers, the center in Germany is the logical choice. I wish all manufacturers were as generous as Mercedes when it came to setting up full-fledged restoration centers.
another car that would be more interesting if it was a diesel. nice find
Now that scientists have mapped the human genome, why don’t they eliminate the gene that makes people ruin nice cars? Or at least, identify the gene that makes people disassemble them and then suddenly stop what they’re doing…
Ive had a lot of these vintage Mercedes and I like the 190’s better than the 220’s,lighter up front ,so they handle better.My first car was a diesel 170 ds,then I had a 180 ,next was a 190. then some 190sl’s,and some 220s’s.all nice cars.kinda got the bug outa my system