Debuted at the 1954 New York Auto Show, the Mercedes-Benz 190SL was offered as a more accessible alternative to the exotic 300SL sports car, sharing similar styling and a fully independent suspension with double wishbones in front and swing axles at the rear. This 1960 example is finished in Light Red over a black leather interior and is equipped with a 4-speed manual transaxle paired with a 1.9-liter inline-four engine. It was acquired by the seller in 2022 and has since been refinished, reupholstered, and refurbished with a rebuilt cylinder head, a gearbox reseal, and overhauled drum brakes. This iconic Mercedes-Benz is now being offered for auction out of South Carolina accompanied by service records and a copy of its original data card.
The 190SL is defined by its smooth, rounded bodywork with sweeping wheel arch flares, a long sculpted bonnet, chrome bumpers, round headlamps, and a single chrome bar front grille. This example was stripped and refinished in Light Red in 2023 along with refinishing the matching removable hardtop and re-plating the chrome trim. The front upper frame rails, floors, door lock cylinders, and window seals were replaced as well. The car is equipped with a retractable black convertible roof and 13” steel wheels with body-colored hubcaps, chrome trim rings, and 175/80 Milestar Touring SLE tires. The seller indicates some pitting on the windshield, detailed images are provided in the gallery.
The cabin has been redone with new charcoal carpeting and black leather upholstery covering the bucket seats, upper dashboard, and door panels. Accessories include a white two-spoke steering wheel with a chrome horn ring, a white gear shift knob, wood door toppers, a body-colored dash fascia, a dashboard-mounted rearview mirror, an analog clock, analog VDO instrumentation, Coco floor mats, and a pushbutton AM radio. The seller indicates the speaker sound is distorted, and the temperature gauge is nonfunctional.
Equipped with dual Solex carburetors, the 1.9-liter M121 inline-four engine delivers up to 104 HP and 105 lb.-ft of torque to the rear wheels through a fully synchronized 4-speed manual gearbox. Refurbishment in 2023 included overhauling the cylinder head, replacing the engine oil and coolant, resealing the transmission, and overhauling the four-wheel drum brake system with new lines, shoes, cylinders, and fluid. The exhaust pipes, mufflers, hangers, and gaskets were also replaced in 2024.
This sale will include a copy of the original data card, service records, and a clean title.
Comments (30)
KnowWhatIGot-ism seems to still have no cure, no matter how many weak-market signals are sent to sellers.
Bid in the amount of $83,000
Bid in the amount of $81,000
Bid in the amount of $79,000
Bid in the amount of $76,500
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Bid in the amount of $72,000
Folks I have $65,000 just in receipts over the last 2 years. And those parts were all wholesale pricing. It would take more than double the current bid to duplicate this one! Good luck in the final minutes!!
Bid in the amount of $70,000
Bid in the amount of $46,250
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Bid in the amount of $44,000
Bid in the amount of $40,000
Bid in the amount of $38,500
Bid in the amount of $35,000
Welcome to the last day of my auction on this Mercedes Benz 190 SL..... Here are a few things to consider as you prepare what will be your final bids.
***ALL NUMBERS ON THE DATA CARD MATCH WITH THE NUMBERS ON THE CAR
***OVER $65,000 IN WHOLESALE RECIEPTS
***THIS MERCEDES WAS TAKEN APART FOR A PROPER PAINT JOB
***THE BEST PARTS SOURCED FROM MERCEDES, AUTHENTIC CLASSICS AND K&K MANUFACTURING
***AN ORIGINAL HARDTOP CAR ONLY BUT DOES COME WITH BOTH TOPS
***THE BEST LEATHER AND CARPETS FROM GAHH
***AND UNDERCARRIAGE AND ENGINE BAY THAT YOU WILL BE PROUD TO SHOW
***EVERY SINGLE FLUID IN THE CAR CHANGED AND FLUSHED (OIL, BRAKES, REAR DIFF, COOLANT, TRANSMISSION)
***NEW EXHAUST FROM THE MANIFOLD BACK USING A FACTORY MERCEDES MUFFLER AND TAILPIPE
***RUNS AND DRIVES AMAZING
I do hope everyone had a chance to watch each video. It explains the 2 year process that my son and I, Christian (a licensing Aviation Technician) went through over the last 2 years to bring you the nicest 190 SL we were capable of presenting to you! Lots of blood, sweat and tears in this one ladies and gentleman!! Good luck to all in these final hours!
Bid in the amount of $32,450
Good morning folks! Looks like Pcarmarket now has my videos linked the proper way. Please take the time to view each video as they are packed with lots of valuable information and extremely transparent. I speak of the 2 year process that we went through in order to restore this one. Please feel free to ask any questions here publicly on this thread. And the best of luck to all!
Again, my apologies for these videos having to be shared this way. DEF worth the watch!! So much information and very transparent!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHoulpZ7Mi4&t=443s
You MUST check out the undercarriage on this Mercedes!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D64iViaskqg
More exterior footage....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sfhlTndrrE&t=199s
This is a highly detailed video of the exterior paint!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xm3QIVE0A4&t=38s
Good afternoon folks! I apologize for having the share these videos in this format but for some reason Pcarmarket has not added them the traditional way. Here is a great driving video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrznK52quss&t=13s
Bid in the amount of $30,000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swxq_aV7P4s
@Panamera4S18 hey thanks for the interest. So a couple of things..... there are 5-6 more very detailed videos that should have been posted by now that go into great detail about how we restored this car. @Pcarmarket could we please get those additional videos posted as soon as possible?
As to the foldable roof, this is a very unique example as this particular car DID NOT come from the factory with a soft top. It was optioned as a hardtop only. One of my videos go into detail based on the vin number to confirm it is what I claim it is. At some point over the last 60 years or so one of the previous owners decided source a soft top. We had it freshened up at my local upholstery shop. Consider it a bonus that it even has one.
The alignment of the doors, I suppose I am not seeing what you are seeing. We studied many of these cars during the time that we restored it to assure we got this one as right as we possibly could. Being that we are not in the business of restoring 190 SL's, I think we did a nice job. This is in no way a concours car, but it is restored better than most. If you are looking for perfection this may not be the car for you. I will say though, if your only concern is the alignment of the doors, maybe this is the car for you! Either way, I wish you the best of luck and please stay tuned for further videos. These videos are extremely transparent as well as packed full of lots of information that you can use to determine what the right bid is for you.
Thanks, Bill
At first glance: very nice! BUT, where is the foldable roof? When the car was "refinished" in 2023 (by whom?), why were the doors not properly aligned?
Bid in the amount of $250
Good morning everyone and welcome to the auction of my 1960 Mercedes Benz 190SL! We will be adding many new videos that are very transparent and informative. Please feel free to ask any questions or add any commentary! Thank you, Bill