Introduced in 1954 as a roadster only, the Mercedes-Benz 190SL filled a niche one step down from the luxury 300SL series. This new car shared styling cues from its big brother, with fender eyebrows and a general roundness, but it was a very different car. Balanced on a sedan platform, the 190 gave its owners a four-cylinder carburetted car with sedate handling, versus the extravagant lines of the 300 with its partial aluminum bodywork and race-bred six-cylinder fuel-injected powerplant. Still, the 190’s affordability led to sales of nearly 26,000 examples through the end of production in 1963. Here on Hemmings is a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL, complete with dust and priced at $60,000 – somewhat daunting since this example needs virtually everything. The car is located in Linden, New Jersey, and its story includes a thirty-four-year stint in storage.
The car is described as “excellent” by the seller, a puzzlement to me. It does not run and is missing its bumpers front and back (though some portion of one seems to be in the cabin), and there is something odd about the perspective from the front, with the driver’s side fender set differently when compared to its mate. I have the same sense of optical confusion when I look at it from the rear: the driver’s side fender seems to bulge outward. No undercarriage photos are provided.
The motor is a 1.9-liter SOHC in-line four-cylinder making about 120 hp when equipped with its original twin Solex carburetors. The washer fluid container is missing, and either this car was not furnished with a brake booster or it is missing. No word on whether the engine turns, but the buyer needs to plan for major reconstruction in here. Parts are very expensive, too.
The interior appears complete, and peeking out from the passenger’s footwell is that bumper. Mercedes was not stingy about dressing up the driver’s “salon” – the 190sl comes with a full gauge set, clock, radio, typically confusing German heating/ventilation system, color-keyed switches and steering wheel, and leather seating. This car also has its hard top, though it is not pictured. The original convertible top should be canvas. I’ll give this car bonus points for having both tops; that would be on my wish list if I were going to buy one of these. Speaking of buying, we’d better talk about price. I balk at $60k only because the value of these cars has surged, tagging along with values of 300SLs, and I remember them so much cheaper. But concours 190s are going for $250k these days, though you can still find a driver for less than $100k. Not helping matters is the fact that in 2015, the model became acceptable as a Mille Miglia entry: someone figured out that the “Mercedes” entered by a French driving team in 1956 was actually a 190SL, a fact previously lost to history. My guess is that this seller will need to grant a small discount to move this one along; what do you think?
Not to be picky, but two quick corrections to your article. First, the 190SL does have partial aluminum bodywork like the 300SL does. Hood, trunk lid, and I believe the doors are also made of aluminum. Second, the brake booster is in place and can be seen just behind and to the drivers side from the air cleaner.
These cars are notorious for rust in the rear suspension mounting areas. This car needs to be inspected for this prior to paying this inflated price. VERY nice find, though. I’m sure someone will restore this car. Hopefully it looks as good underneath. Hard to find one like this almost complete and still restoreable. Great find!
Thanks for the corrections!
is the sl still available?
Craig there is also the door jambs as they were cast aluminum because Mercedes found it to expensive to make the stamping for so few cars. I have worked on the body on a couple of these and underneath there are so many rust pockets I can easily see the next owner spending more than the asking price to get it back into good condition. That is not counting those terrible whiskers over each fender. They are leaded in to the main sheet metal of the fender and both items had no rust protection. Just moisture condensing from the air within can rust those things out and the fender as well.
I love the looks of these but I would never own one as they are so much more show than go. I would much rather have the more crude BJ8 Austin Healey 3000 MK III as it is far more powerful, just not as good a set of seats. But while that car has it’s problems they are all much easier to cure.
All in the art of negotiations IMHO. Offer him 6 $5000 Yugoslav and a $10,000 Saturn Vue SUV.
Other than that, I too think he’s basing his price on a receding market for older sports cars but then as as been said time and again h, there’s a tush for every drivers seat.
That’s 6 Yugo CARS.
Dogggone spellcheck anyway
Too much for too little.
I restored one of these for a guy back in the early 70’s when they were pretty much the red headed step child of classics. A German friend told that that in Germany they were called “queer” cars. I remember we had to replace both floors and all the fender “eyebrows” were rusted as well. They have picked up value recently as the 300’s have gone far beyond the wallet of regular collectors.
You guys should do an article on a 64 corvair that was in the walk the line movie.
Hey, submit it as a tip! You can go to https://barnfinds.com/tips/ to give us tips….
There is a 64 corvair that is on Hemmings that was in walk the line.
One of the worst cars that Daimler-Benz ever pushed out of Stuttgart-Unterturkheim. Three main-bearing engine. Heavy. Rustbucket. Expensive to restore. Strictly a poser’s car. Buy it as-is for $20,000, make it run, and drive it like a rat-rod. The world doesn’t need any more restored 190SLs.
I smell someone trying to cut a fat hog here.
Michelle, I always love the way your writing cuts to the chase: “…typically confusing German heating/ventilation system…”
So evocative and so much information in so few words – brilliant!
I’ve always loved these ever since I saw one with a Lexus V8 and upgrades throughout, it was a beautiful restomod. I used to want to do the same, but stick with a lighter 4 cylinder turbo, but the prices these are fetching these day prevent that from being a viable reality.
These type 190 SLs have been very sought after for decades now, but I think he’s asking too much for this one in non running and driver condition. Parts for these restorations are terribly expensive and there’s no telling what problems you’ll run into after the $60,000 entry fee. Still a great find
It’s a good thing that no one took any chances on rust or corrosion by washing it.
I owned a 57 at one time and it was a running example. I had to replace almost everything from the radiator back to the differential at one time or another. Rebuilt engine, trans, driveshaft and rear end. It was a real PITA car. The Solex carbs are a nightmare to tune. It appears there is no clock in the glove compartment door. I hope he has the bumpers. I Can’t imagine what they would cost today.
For maybe $25K more than he is asking you could probably pick one up at an auction with a lot less issues to address.
Just my opinion😊
$ 60K for a car that is missing parts, rag top (literally).Motor doesn’t run, and prone to serious rust issues. I guess if he throws a high enough price tag at it some fool will buy it. A super big pass on this one. $60K will buy a nice late model car that needs nothing.
I’ve coveted one of these since I was a little boy. My uncle bought one in the late 60’s. He chose between a ’57 190SL and a new MGB, each costing $2K. As his career progressed, he got a position with a company car. He had the 190 repainted in it’s original black, retaining it’s original red leather interior. He began showing it in local shows, and he included me. I was 8 years old. As the years marched on, there was one show we went to together every year. I was included in the judging from the time I was 14. Even after he moved away, I continued to attend this show, and be part of a judging team. He is in his late 70’s now, and still owns that car. He does all the work himself, putting a clutch in it a few years ago. It’s not the fastest nor the most luxurious MB ever made, but it’s still the one I’d love to have.
Car looks frighteningly familiar, friends of mine owned one this exact color combo, same paint and it was purchased from a place called Zardoya Motors in NY, soon as I seen the car back then in 1975, I seen the paint was awful, thick blue, with a lot of fisheye and dust, probably enamel, and the back of the car was as crooked as a dogs back leg, so buyer beware, gonna cost you 100,000 to make it rite