Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this very original 1960 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL. This car is an incredible time capsule.

The Wagenkarte (data card) and Lieferschein (delivery order) on file confirm that this car was ordered new in the UK late 1959 and left the factory on the 27th May 1960. It was then sent to Mercedes-Benz Great Britain in Brentford, Middlesex. This is a factory right hand drive example and the chassis, engine and gearbox numbers all match the data card.

The car was ordered in blue grey (paint code DB166) with a blue interior, a colour combination the car still carries today. The data card also confirms this is a model 121.042 which means the car left the factory as a soft top convertible.

It is understood the car was delivered to R.W Sloley from Bramshaw and was first registered in the UK on 23rd June 1960. A note in the workshop manual accompanying the car suggests the car was initially registered as 326 PPJ and that was then changed on 1st June 1961 to AWH 40.

Incredibly, Sloley owned this 190 SL for more than forty years! He sold the car to Neal Bromley from Pangbourne which is near Reading in the UK, in October 2002.

The car retained the UK registration AWH 40 until it was acquired by its current Brisbane based owner in October 2005.

It is understood Bromley started restoring the car. A significant amount of mechanical work, including an engine rebuild, as well electricals had been done when he sold the car to the current owner. The body work and the interior were still original. There is an invoice on file from Roger Edwards (Motors) dated 5th September 2003 for specialist work to the cylinder head. At that time the odometer read 74,834 miles.

After acquiring the car, the current owner imported it into Australia in 2006. There is an import approval on file dated 9th November 2005. On the 8th May 2006 a Queensland compliance inspection was done on the car.

On 19th of May 2006 Three Point Classic at Mount Gravatt serviced the car and performed a roadworthy inspection. At that time the odometer read 75,740 miles. The car was subsequently registered.

In August 2006 Three Point Classic replaced the clutch and fitted a new thermostat. In September 2006 the brake shoes were replaced.

In August 2008 Three Point Classic discovered the car had coolant in the oil and rectified that problem. Unfortunately, the cylinder head had been damaged and it was not viable to have it repaired. A replacement cylinder head was sourced and installed. At that time the odometer read 78,028 miles.

From 2014 onwards the car has been regularly serviced and maintained by BenzKraft in Rocklea. They fitted electronic ignition in 2015, replaced the flex disc in 2016, replaced gearbox and differential seals in 2016, serviced the brakes in 2021, replaced the right hand tie rod in 2022, repaired the starter motor and replaced the clutch in 2023. The starter motor was replaced in March 2024.

Today the odometer reads 82,715 miles.

The current owner loved the originality and patina of his 190 SL and he wanted to use and enjoy the car exactly as it was. He wanted to preserve that originality and had no interest in restoring the car. As a result this car can be best described as an incredible time capsule.

The paint may well be original and ii is still in a reasonably good condition. From a meter away the car presents really well. Upon closer inspection there are some stone chips and other small defects present consistent with a car that has been used and enjoyed as its makers intended. The car is after all 64 years young!

The bright work on the car is in similar condition. All the lights and lenses are in good condition.

The body is straight and all the panel gaps are good. Despite having lived in the UK for most of its life this car is solid underneath with no evidence of any significant corrosion. The condition of the underside of the car is totally consistent with an original car that has been very well cared for. There is only very light surface corrosion evident here and there. The car presents more consistently with it having lived in Broken Hill all of its life!

The wheels are shod with Marshall Steel Radial KR11 tyres, size 175/80 R13 which are date stamped 3501 (week 35, 2001). Whilst the tyres are still in a good condition they should be replaced based on age. The car retains all four hub caps which are in good condition.

The soft top on the car is most likely original and due for replacement. A new soft top will be supplied with the car.

The interior is also most likely original. The seats are still comfortable and the vinyl is in a good condition except for a tear in the base of the drivers seat as can be seen in the photos. The door cards and the dash are all in very good condition. The carpet in both foot wells is missing and replaced by rubber mats. The rest of the carpet is most likely original and worn. The steering wheel shows some discolouration. On our test drive all the instruments were working with the exception of the temperature gauge.

The car drives exactly as you would expect from a well maintained early 1960s Mercedes-Benz. It just goes about its business in that typical Germanic way. The engine pulls strongly and the gearbox is smooth both up and down the box. The brakes pull the car up quickly and in a straight line if required.

A Mercedes-Benz 190 SL can be best described as a very stylish, sophisticated and comfortable cruiser and despite being almost 65 years old this car easily keeps up with modern traffic.

Accompanying the car is a hard top, a spare wheel, a tool kit, a good history file, a workshop manual, an owners manual and a parts catalogue. There is also a new soft top.

As they say, a car can only be original once and it would be nice to think that the new owner of this majestic old Benz may well continue to preserve its originality. Alternatively, this car is a perfect candidate for its next owner to embark on a concous standard nut and bolt restoration. The choice is yours!

Highlights:

Honest, mostly original example of an iconic German sports car.
Fabulous original colour.
Matching numbers.
Good history file.
Use and enjoy as is or restore.

Price: $189,950


Background:

Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Europes car industry was decimated. In Germany both Daimler and Benz went back to producing cars post-war, however, times were tough. A merger between Daimler and Benz would ensure that both companies survived and following a technical co-operation agreement in 1924, the companies formally merged on the 1st July 1926. Mercedes-Benz was born!

Subsequently, Mercedes-Benz went on to build some of the greatest cars of all time. The cars from Stuttgart bearing the three-pointed star all had one thing in common . . . they were renowned for their technical innovation, build quality, luxury and performance.

In the 1950s Mercedes Benz produced one of the greatest cars of all time the iconic 300SL Gullwing and 300SL Coupe. Whilst fabulous cars, they were very expensive and generally sold to the rich and famous. Mercedes wanted to build a sporting luxury car that still looked classical in the mould of the 300SL, but it had to be affordable and the plan was to build such a car in far greater numbers than the exclusive 300SLs. Enter the Type W121 or 190SL as it became known in the mid 1950s. This model was an outstanding success and circa 25,000 cars were built over the next 8 years of production. The formula worked and Mercedes Benz carried it on with great success in the 1960s with the Type W113 230SL/250SL/280SL models. This evolved into the Type R107/C107 280SL(C)/350SL(C)/380SL(C)/450SL(C) models built throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Mercedes-Benz marketed the 190SL as . . . as sports car for all seasons.

To quote their website:

. . . Sporting elegance, safety and comfort - with these qualities the 190 SL conquered a whole new circle of enthusiastic fans of dynamic driving. Mercedes-Benz unveiled the prototype of the 190 SL (W 121) at the International Motor Sports Show in New York in February 1954, alongside the production version of the 300 SL Gullwing. Although the two-seater roadster with folding soft top stirred passions, it was to undergo a further thorough revision by the Mercedes-Benz designers - known at the time as stylists.

In March 1955, a full year after the New York premiere, the production version went on display at the Geneva Motor Show. Like its elder brother, the spectacular 300 SL Gullwing, the 190 SL rapidly became one of the most coveted dream cars of its day. Although less powerful than the 300 SL, it generated no less excitement and opened up the SL legend to a wider circle of customers. By 1963 sales had totalled 25,881 units.

And even long distance drives were enjoyable thanks to the comfortable suspension. The handsome sports car for all occasions was particularly popular among female drivers, who appreciated not only the sporting elegance of its design, but also the open-air feeling that came as standard. With its easy to operate soft top and optionally available coupé hardtop, the 190 SL was the first SL to combine the possibility of open top driving with absolute all weather capability.