The last Mercedes Benz 190 SL we featured was back in October of 2015. That one was a ’58 and today’s in a ’62 sitting on a trailer in Atco, New Jersey. You can find this car listed here on craigslist with the price of $75K. There appears to be a lot more of the car here then many of the 356s we have seen, if you know what I’m saying.
Andy the seller states the condition of the car is “good” and that the title is missing.
It appears that maybe a jack and/or a forklift was misplaced/misused on this 190 SL?
There is not an engine in the car but some parts are in the trunk. There are two engine blocks included in the $75K price though.
Are there any good bones left in this 190 SL? Are the parts worth the $75K? Time will tell. This is a big project and it appears will require some deep pockets to try to save this ’62 190 SL. Is this one for you?
Motor-on,
Robert
Given that I saw a 1961 today for about $12k more, in decent shape with title, this is going to rust for a while longer.
A few good parts but I could never dream of spending that kind of money on a car in this condition. I’d rather buy a new MB for 75K and drive it every day.
Easily a $70’000 restoration on a Pig of a Mercedes that even when ”right” is no fun to drive. The rust issues with these make them hard work, factor in the cost of restoring one is the same as a 300SL. I’ve had 30 of these, and only a 11’000 mile one was worth owning.
If its a pig of a Mercedes and no fun to drive why have you had 30 ?
I had 30 over time. I didn’t keep one – for good reason. They are pigs to drive, and no rear seat. Rust makes it worst. From what I see in this one, it will take a special person. But, hey, I don’t know much, I drive the 190SL ”sedan version”. ( photo of my 190 ( basically a 4 door 190SL) , all original interior, of course it’s in driver condition, worth more in this condition) So I won’t do any work to ”improve it”.
You had 30 of these, eh? Are you sure it wasn’t 31? Maybe you counted wrong.
Maybe the underside is solid and there are lots of good parts and there are heads that go with the engine blocks and a transmission in the car and something left of the interior, and even if perfect 190SLs have hit a quarter million, looking at this badly presented, half-apart, very rusty New Jersey car…..I don’t think so.
Greetings All,
Trust me the underside is not solid, especially considering the external rust. these cars had absolutely no rustproofing and the sound deadening only accelerated and added to the problem.
I know someone similar to the gentleman that owned a brace of them. He always considered them a German MG. No big issues with the engines, but they aren’t speedy and they are rather heavy. Ride is better than the MG but not really worth the extra bucks.
These are the Pontoon-based body construction, sort of a more complex, early version of unibody. Pity they didn’t use undercoating. Jute mats, an inch thick, might as well be sponges once they get wet. Cardboard heater plenum boxes were also popular then.
Put a later 219 six with a dual intake off of a 220 in one of these after some inner panel mods to accommodate a 4 speed automatic.
Still have two Ponton-based cars, a pair of 220SE’s one sedan, one cabrio. Cabrio has a bigger engine from later year with a dry sump.
To me, this is a parts car, at best, and I don’t honestly see $12K here.
Been wrong before, ask the wife and I own Jaguars.
No way it is worth 75k in this condition. I think about 25k max. The parts in the trunk don’t seem to be for the 190sl.
If you can afford 75k for a car in this condition this may not be the place for you
I love cars but if the economy tanks this car will be 12k max again.
Without the original engine it will never be worth top dollar.
It will never be more than a driver
Barrett Jackson is not the place to find a value for your car
How many chevelles have you seen sell for one million exactly one
Had a chance for one back when I got married. Running and inspected for $1500.00.
New wife said no get the 220SE for $500.. That should have told me that marriage wasn’t going to last.
Laughing – great post. Divorced as well, but grew up with a ’59 220SE cabriolet my dad purchased for nothing in the late ’60s. I really wish he still had it as I’d love to take my kids for ice cream as we’d done in the ’70s.
Cheer up, Al–we passed on a Gullwing in the mid ’70s–perfectly good car, but it was about $8,000. We already had 3 cars, including the 356 that we still have. (That was the only cheery part of this story.)
http://www.sportscardigest.com/wp-content/uploads/244_Mercedes-Benz_1962_190SL_Roadster-2-dr_121.040.10.024330__900.jpg
$225K for a really nice but totally underpowered boulevard cruiser.
$75K for rusty junk.
Thee bubble, it is begging to be burst.
My uncle had one that he bought in 1965, parked in 1974 and pulled out in 2007…went to a restoration shop and was lost in a fire in 2015…uninsured ;-( lots of good memories with that car!!!
My love of old cars started with one of these. My Uncle bought one of these when he was in college in the 60’s. By the time I was 8, he started taking it to local car shows, and I was fortunate enough to go. Over the years, I got to drive it a few times, and it is a fun car. Not fast, just fun. Long story short, he still owns it 50 years later. It has been repainted a few times over the years, and had a few worn parts replaced, but the engine has never been apart, and the body never off the frame. It remains a local and regional show winner. Realistically, it is worth 125-135K. This one, IMHO, is barely worth 20K. I agree with Patrol, many of the parts in the trunk are not for this car.
Greetings All,
The engines are bulletproof!
The only frame is a sub-frame/cradle for the front end, which………..much to my dismay, rusts just as bad as the rest of the body, and that’s considering it is usually bathed in oil on most of these.
This guy has been smoking something to ask this kinda $$$. It would be worth it, if it was a real gullwing!
mine was prone to under steer. at a racing class my instructor told me to stop holding the wheel at 4 and 6 and it made a huge difference
I bought one like this on eBay in the US and in better condition, without title. I wanted to bring it to Canada but without a title impossible. Sold it back on eBay for 4000$. But that was 14 years ago.
It seems drivable 190SL’s have more than doubled in price in the past year. The derelict example you have here was under $20K this time last year. My guess is Investors are betting on antique cars instead of the Stock Market.
Can you imagine the look on the face of the guy who gets stuck restoring this pile? Owner pulls up and says here she is just like I told you, priceless!
Hey as an investment would this be a junk bond or a bad mortgage
I think art is a better investment
Don’t need a garage, can fill your house, don’t need help to transport more than one.
Before you buy this one for 75K, buy my 57 for 130K.
Does it include the windshield and hood? Even then it’s ridiculously overpriced.
D. King
Problem is I have a habit of being offered deals but am always broke. Too much time in the military.LOL 275 GTB for 5K, E-type $800, B-17 $600, LOL oh the humanity!
Greetings All,
Al, you were offered a B-17?
Hard for me to have passed that up though the disassembly/transportation probably would have killed me.
Saying that as I doubt it was still airworthy to fly even a conditional.
Thanks for your service.
Ross W. Lovell the offer was back when I was 12 dam thats over 50yrs ago. It was an ex fire bomber and needed everything. Would have made one hell of a fort in the back yard! Back then they were still recycling the old planes prices weren’t up where they are now. Think about the same time there was a P-61 Black widow crash land then was parted out and scrapped.
Greetings All,
Thanks for the “rest of the story” as Paul Harvey would say.
Fun to think about that sitting in a backyard😊.
Years ago I sold a triple wide portable office building to the airport at Tulare California. It had been used by Kelly Johnson when he was working at the wind tunnel in Moffitt field. They were going to make a terminal out of it. The owners of the B-17 parked at the field tried to sell it to me………it was too far disassembled to put back together and I didn’t want to cut it, it looks good on the outside but the hydraulics and wiring harnesses have been stripped out of it. We did scrap some KC97’s after that……..
Agreed! I finally am at a place in life where I have the garage space, albeit not enough for a B-17, but Hubby doesn’t have the energy he once had. He maintains our other 4 cars, including a ’64 356SC. I’m saving a (little) spot for a classic Mini, though… I guess I’ll have to learn to maintain it myself (I used to do the work on my Saab Sonett). Where I live there are plenty of people who can help, too.
As pretty as these can be and I do love a Mercedes………I have never cared for them. I had a buddy in Germany that started collecting them in the late 70’s. They could never compare to my 220s coupes and cabriolets……and that was before they got expensive.
That car is wasted. Another case of someone dragging they’re junk out from under the tree in they’re backyard that’s sat there for decades and then looking online seeing what top dollar is for the car and then trying to justify the asking price.
I wouldn’t pay anything for that pos pile of rust. He can pay me to tow it away because it would most likely break in two when you try to hook it.
Worthless
The first barn find I ever bought was a 57 190SL from a family friend, got it running and driving and was terribly bored. They drive like pregnant yaks. I sold it and bought a Speedster.
Hi guys!
I bought a 1956 190SL from south California about 10 years ago. No rust ever, all matching number car!!! New paint underside,brake tune up, original untouched engine with oil changed,some rubber parts replaced.
Ignition adjusted well and it is a very well running car!!! Not boring,not a pig,not slow! Correct maintenance makes it a good,reliable car!
All the best for you!
Zsolt from Budapest,Hungary