Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster, 1955
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL R121
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL R121•
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Chassis No.: 1210425500559
Auction: Monterey 2022
Auction date: August 20, 2022
Lot No.: F91.1
$106,700 | Sold
- Exterior: Black
- Interior: Parchment
- Body: Roadster
- 1.9L/120 HP OHC inline 4-cylinder engine
- 4-speed transmission
- Dual Weber carburetors
- Vintage Becker Europa radio
- Factory Medium Red car that was refinished in Jet Black with Parchment leather interior
- Wide Whitewall tires
- Original style fuel pump
- Rebuilt gauges
- New bezels installed in 2014
A first-year production example that came in Medium Red from the factory, this gorgeous 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster was refinished in a Code DB40 Jet Black exterior and is tastefully appointed in its rich Parchment leather interior. It is equipped with an original-style fuel pump, a vintage Becker Europa radio and wide whitewall radial tires. The engine bay has been detailed, with its 1.9L/120 HP OHC inline 4-cylinder engine featuring dual Weber carburetors, while the interior dashboard features rebuilt gauges with new bezels and presents period-correct and fresh.
During the foreign sports car invasion into America during the mid-1950s, Mercedes-Benz differentiated itself from the competition by offering personal two-seater cars that emphasized grand touring and Teutonic build quality as opposed to the offerings from Great Britain. The rear suspension was a semi-independent swing axle design, a radical improvement over the solid rear-axle arrangement of its British and Italian competitors. The engine featured an overhead camshaft, a far more sophisticated way to control valve timing versus that of conventional pushrod design.
The 4-speed manual transmission was fully synchromesh as opposed to the non-synchro crash first-gear transmissions of the competition. The build quality of the body was simply first rate, and the doors shut with an authoritative “thunk” sound. The cabin featured wind-up side windows that were far superior to the removable side curtains the majority of the other sports cars came with. A premium sound system was a commonly purchased option, simply because the cabin was quiet enough to enjoy audio sound. Likewise, a removable hardtop was available as an extra-cost option, enabling the 190SL to be both weather tight as well as acoustically quiet.
Mercedes-Benz also adhered to the mantra of understated elegance, and this 190SL is a pinnacle example of that ethos.
https://www.mecum.com/lots/534680/1955-mercedes-benz-190sl-roadster/
