Garage-stored year-round and only driven in fine weather
Maintenance invoices from 2002 onwards, we are told
Registered in France
The Appeal
The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is one of the most coveted open-top sports cars of the late 1950s. Sharing its graceful silhouette with the legendary 300 SL, the 190 SL delivered a more accessible yet thoroughly refined driving experience, and today it commands serious attention from collectors and enthusiasts alike.
This 1959 example stands out immediately thanks to its cream and red colour scheme. Purchased in Switzerland in 1989 by its current owner, who shipped it to their home in the Dordogne region of France, this 190 SL has been in the same devoted hands for 37 years. During that time, it has been garage-stored year-round and driven only in fine weather on open country roads for a few weeks each summer, a life of careful preservation rather than hard use.
The car has benefited from cosmetic and mechanical attention over the years, and the vendor describes it as driving just as a 190 SL should: capable, comfortable, and enjoyable.
Now aged 86, the owner is passing this cherished roadster on to a new custodian. With its long-term ownership, appealing specification, and decades of attentive stewardship, this is a fine opportunity to acquire a well-kept example of one of Stuttgart's most elegant sporting machines.
Cream paintwork with chrome trim and a black soft-top roof
13-inch wheels with chrome and body-coloured hubcaps; spare wheel supplied
Red leather interior with a body-coloured dashboard and steering wheel
Blaupunkt radio, analogue clock, and VDO dials
Body and interior refurbished in 1997, we are told
Correct gear knob sourced from a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing under restoration in Australia
The vendor states the exterior presents well with no major marks or scrapes
Underside reported to be in overall good condition
Interior described as in good condition with all instruments and switchgear functioning
Garage-stored undercover year-round and only driven in ideal weather conditions
This SL is presented in elegant cream paintwork with chrome trim, a black soft-top roof, and 13-inch wheels featuring chrome and body-coloured hubcaps, with a matching spare wheel included. The red leather interior is complemented by a body-coloured dashboard and steering wheel, along with a Blaupunkt radio, analogue clock, and VDO instrumentation. Both the body and interior were reportedly refurbished in 1997, and the car benefits from a correct gear knob sourced from a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing undergoing restoration in Australia. According to the vendor, the exterior is in excellent cosmetic condition with no significant marks or scrapes, the underside remains in good overall condition, and the interior is well preserved with all instruments and switchgear functioning correctly. The vehicle has been garage-stored undercover throughout the year and driven only in favourable weather conditions.
1.9-litre (1,897cc) M121 SOHC inline-four engine producing 105 hp
Four-speed manual transmission
Recent work includes front and rear brakes, water pump, oil change and filters, and right-hand side heating radiator, we are told
The vendor states the engine starts and runs correctly with no known faults
Power comes from a 1.9-litre (1,897cc) M121 SOHC inline-four engine producing 105 hp, paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Recent maintenance reportedly includes servicing the front and rear brakes, replacing the water pump, completing an oil and filter change, and fitting a new right-hand heating radiator. The vendor reports that the engine starts readily, runs smoothly, and has no known mechanical faults.image.png1.44 MB
BEFORE YOU BUY
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