People shouldn’t compromise when it comes to pristine beauty. This gorgeous, solid 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL shows why: it leads to pure perfection. That’s exactly how Mercedes meant it when they introduced their “Sport Light” street legal sports car back in 1954. The classic on your screen has a hardtop and a lot of history. No time to read though, when this beauty is in your garage... For us at Prins Classics it’s a pleasant reunion since we were allowed to sell the Mercedes 190 SL once before, 2 years ago, to its former owner. The SL is welcome anytime, however, everything points to a new shelter sometime soon…
History
Switzerland turned out to be the perfect place to get a clear start in 61 years of automobile history. The iconic German was able to show off with no interference. In the year 2000 she was discovered by the Netherlands. Very Superior Old Cars (VSOC, the name says it all) imported the 190 SL to Sassenheim and fortunately left the unspoiled Benz unspoiled. 20 years later, the Mercedes promoted to a true “Prins Classic”. And in 2022 it still is. What makes the Mercedes SL an icon? To begin with, she derives from the legendary ”Gullwing”. But instead of having doors going upwards, the roof can come down. Guess what’s more fun to drive... We give you a hint: all successors (6 up to now, excluding the facelift versions) were convertibles. However, as far as we’re concerned, nothing beats the original!
Exterior
Right up to the front windshield, the 190 SL is almost identical to the Gullwing. Both the coupe and the cabriolet can be recognized by a timeless design with round headlights, chrome bumper parts and a large grille. The Mercedes star has a prominent place in the grille. Characteristic are also the wheel arches: all four have a straight horizontal line, finished with chrome. The vertical chrome part halfway the windshield – splitting the screen visually in two, is something we know from the 1950s. The sleek Slate Grey lacquer suits the 190 SL wonderfully and is a perfect fit to the red leather interior. Moreover, the dark gray bodywork contrasts beautifully to the shiny chrome parts. In addition to the bumpers and wheel arches, the side skirts, window frames, left mirror on the front screen and even the frames around the headlights have a chrome finish. This Mercedes SL shines bright like a real star!
Interior
Lowering the black roof increases the view on the red cockpit. And that’s exactly what you want. As an unadulterated attraction, the typical 1950s dashboard including double round instruments, 2-spoke steering wheel in white/chrome, chrome ashtray and original Becker Monte-Carlo radio enchants enthusiasts like no other. Once taking a seat, you will immediately notice the splendid condition of the SL interior. Meantime, the analog timepiece is mounted in the dashboard; where do we see such details nowadays? The rear-view mirror is right in the middle of the dashboard, at the point where the windshield is “split”. The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is the kind of car you always want to sit in, even when you’re not driving.
Technique & performance
Anyway, we recommend you take the classic Benz for a spin every now and then. The W121 has a 1.9 liter 4-cylinder engine producing 105 hp. This may seem modest for a sports car, but the Mercedes 190 SL still is a ”Sport Leicht” model, so why go crazy with horsepower? Nevertheless, the engine character and independent suspension are typical Mercedes: very comfortable. And that’s exactly what you need while driving a true treasure on wheels. Especially when it’s fast…
