Mercedes-Benz 190 SL for sale

Instead of the purpose-built tubular spaceframe of the 300 SL, the 190 SL uses a shortened steel unitary floorpan taken from the W121 saloon, with double wishbones at the front, swing axles at the rear, coil springs all round, recirculating ball steering and power-assisted 230 mm drum brakes. Dry weight is 1,160 kg, 20 kg more with the hardtop. The car was sold with a folding top or with a removable hardtop, and a small transverse third seat was on the options list. In the first years a sports-racing version was offered with a low perspex screen, one-piece leather-covered bucket seats and aluminium doors, and from 1959 the rear window of the hardtop was enlarged.

The 190 SL was the affordable answer to the 300 SL, sharing its styling and its fully independent suspension for a fraction of the price. Mercedes-Benz built 25,881 of them at Stuttgart and Untertürkheim between 1955 and 1963, when the 230 SL replaced both cars; the design is credited to Karl Wilfert and Walter Häcker.