Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale January 14th – 18th, 2015 at Russo and Steele’s 15th Annual Scottsdale Arizona Auction. Please contact us for more information.

The Mercedes Benz 190SL was introduced at the 1954 New York Motor Show as a less expensive, more practical, and smaller version of the 300SL. However, it is certainly not lacking in any of its big brother’s technical refinements and offered plenty of capability and race-bred technology. From its production in 1955 through its replacement with the 230SL in 1963, nearly 26,000 were produced with only a fraction remaining today. The 190SL was also the start of the “options list” for Mercedes-Benz, with a multitude of available items. These nimble little two seat roadsters with their iconic, forward styling were the first Mercedes-Benz convertibles to hit home with the U.S. market and started a full-fledged frenzy, and one that has yet to end over 58 years later.

This example, Chassis # 12104010025509 is presented today as a fantastically well-restored 190SL. Its factory options are listed below:

401 single seats
413 hardtop
441 bumper guards
491 USA version
515 Becker radio
641 white wall tires
720 soft-top fabric, black
320 side view mirror, left
330 mode of packing VE IV
318 wheel trim rings

This very late-production 190SL is said to have been sold in California with long term ownership from new before moving to VA in the 1980s with it’s one and only owner, as we are told. By 1990, the car was placed into dry storage and it was only rediscovered in the past few years. At this time, the choice was made to totally restore it, with the work completed by a marque specialist to exacting standards of correctness and detail. Throughout the car are signs of both a good original car that was restored as well as master craftsmanship. Panel fitment is superb and the car is straight with consistent and excellent paintwork and bright work. All rubber components are excellent and nothing was skipped during the restoration. The top is the correct German canvas type, complete with boot cover. The interior is completed to the highest standard possible with the correct pleats in the seats and proper tight but supple leather fitment. The dash is nicely finished with rebuilt gauges and period correct radio.

The engine bay is nicely finished and properly detailed and clean with correct finishes. The smallest items were properly tended to, including many cadmium plated pieces of hardware in all of the right places, the correct clamps throughout and even down to the correct valve cover that the very late 190SL’s received. This car is incredibly accurate and completed to factory standards or better.

The trunk area and undercarriage are no different in their quality of presentation and completion. The underside is nearly identical to the engine bay in its finishes and again, many items are cadmium plated where they should be, even where you can’t see. The trunk is tidy and appears to be all original metal, a testament to this car’s early West Coast days. The 190SL will long prove to be an important part of Mercedes-Benz history and they are always welcome at any event. This example, with its superb original metal restored to perfection will provide the basis for a very strong investment and quite possibly one of the best opportunities for any collector searching for the right 190SL.