1954 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

This 1954 Mercedes-Benz 190SL is said to have started its life in the summer of 1954 as a pre-production experimental vehicle with chassis number 8467121081/1 and was later converted to right-hand drive and registered in the UK. The car is said to have remained in the UK until 1985, when it was sold by the first owner’s son to an Australian owner. It later underwent a multiyear refurbishment by SL Classics in Germany, which was still underway at the time of the current owner’s purchase in the US in 2015. Following completion of the project, the car was shipped back to Germany, where an inspection and X-raying of the serial number markings was commissioned in 2022. Power is provided by an unnumbered 1.9-liter SOHC inline-four that breathes through twin carburetors and is mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Additional features include hydraulic drum brakes, independent suspension, a blue convertible top, a body-color removable hardtop, fixed-back bucket seats, and a Becker Europa radio. This W121 is now offered by the seller on behalf of the current owner in Rancho Santa Fe, California, with documentation from its refurbishment and inspection and a clean Montana title in the name of the owner’s LLC. The 190SL debuted in prototype form at the International Sports Motor Show in February 1954 alongside the 300SL Gullwing, with which it shared several styling cues while becoming the company’s first roadster to utilize unit-body construction. Development of the 190SL continued via prototypes through 1954 before production began in January 1955, after which the final design was presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show. During the decade-long refurbishment completed by SL Classics in Düren, Germany, this example’s body was stripped to bare metal and received sheetmetal repairs before a repaint in Silbergrau (180), which is listed as the original color on the car’s production build sheet. Images from the project showing partial body number 001 stamped on the doors and windshield posts can be viewed in the photo gallery below. Features include dual side mirrors, a fender-mounted red-tip antenna, and a blue convertible top. A body-color hardtop with a small rear window is included in the sale and is said to require repairs after damage during shipping. Body-color steel wheels wear matching covers with bright beauty rings and are wrapped in 6.40/7.00R13 Michelin ZX wide-whitewall tires. September 1955 date codes are shown stamped on the wheels in the gallery below. Stopping is handled by finned drum brakes at each corner. The right-hand-drive cabin was re-trimmed during the refurbishment and features blue leather over a pair of Gullwing-style fixed-back bucket seats on tilt-forward sliders, while matching upholstery covers the door panels and dash. Additional features include blue-gray square-weave carpeting, roll-up windows, an ivory-color shift knob, and a Becker Europa push-button radio. The ivory-color steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and sits ahead of VDO instrumentation including a 140-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, and gauges monitoring fuel level, coolant temperature, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows approximately 140 miles and is said to reflect the distance covered since the refurbishment. Total mileage is unknown. The replacement 1.9-liter SOHC inline-four was installed under previous ownership and breathes through twin Solex PHH carburetors. Neither a stamp nor an identification tag is present on the engine block. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a fully synchronized four-speed manual transmission. Suspension incorporates a double-wishbone front setup and a single-pivot swing axle at the rear, while coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers are utilized all around. Chassis number 8467121081/1 is shown stamped inside the engine bay adjacent to a tag stamped with the same number. The car was reportedly previously registered in the UK using chassis number 8467121081/1, which can also be seen stamped on a since-removed cowl tag that is pictured in the gallery below but is no longer present. A body tag affixed to the driver-side door jamb is stamped with body number RA121042-5500001. The car was fitted with a reproduction chassis tag stamped with chassis number 121042-5500001, which is listed as its serial number on the Montana title.