Chassis No.
121.042.5500458
| Monterey, California
1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
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- Two-time Best of Show winner at the International 190 SL Convention
- Desirable first-model-year example with unique features
- Expertly performed nut-and-bolt restoration completed in 2004; retains numbers-matching engine
- Finished in factory-delivered colors of Graphite Grey with a Red leather interior and a Light Grey soft-top
- Accompanied by a set of fitted luggage, owner’s books, and tool kit
Much like its 300 SL bigger brother, the 190 SL was the brainchild of Mercedes-Benz American importer Max Hoffman. Hoffman believed that a smaller, less costly roadster bearing a family resemblance to the more exotic 300 SL would prove to be just as successful. Given the car’s popularity upon debuting at the 1954 New York Auto Show and subsequent success throughout its nine-year production run, Hoffman was right.
Its heart was a 1.9-liter inline four-cylinder engine with dual Solex carburetors rated to produce 120 horsepower and good for a reported top speed of over 105 mph. The 190 SL was an effortless cruiser, and its trunk could easily accommodate a weekend’s worth of luggage for two. Priced at $3,840 when new, it cost nearly half as much as a 300 SL Roadster.
This 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is a wonderfully restored example finished in its factory special-order colors, Graphite Grey with a Red leather interior and a Light Grey soft-top. Delivered to New York on 6 September 1955, the roadster features a number of details only seen on early production models including bucket seats, steering wheel-mounted turn signals, metal vent levers, and factory glass reflectors at the rear.
After being shipped to the United States, the car remained under the care of its first owner for a short time before being sold to a second enthusiast in 1961. It was later purchased in original condition by its third owner in 1996. Just a handful of years later, the Mercedes-Benz became the subject of a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration that commenced in 2004. Expertly performed, the car was faithfully reassembled to how the roadster would have appeared when leaving the factory floor nearly half a century earlier. Notably, it retains its numbers-matching engine.
Soon after completion, the car was awarded Best of Show at the 2004 International 190 SL Convention in Sonoma, California. Confirming the immense quality of the restoration, a second Best of Show award was bestowed upon the car at the same event, this time held in South Carolina in 2023—two decades after the completion of the work. The 190 SL is accompanied by a set of fitted luggage, owner’s books, a tool kit, a 190 SL brochure, a 190 SL leaflet, correspondence, and a collection of restoration invoices.
Now a little over 20 years removed from its masterful restoration, the 190 SL on offer continues to present with a jewelry-like quality that still easily holds its own against more recently completed contenders.
