A Mercedes-Benz 190 SL convertible has been put up for auction (38 photos)

The junior SL looks just as irresistible as the legendary "gull wing", and costs an order of magnitude less. This SL has spent almost its entire life in the same hands. The current owner bought the roadster in 1974, but how much it has wound up is unknown. The five-digit odometer shows 25 thousand miles, but this is not the first lap of the device.





Launched in 1955, the junior model of the SL line was considered as a democratic alternative to the elite 300 SL, which was remembered as the Gullwing due to the doors that opened upward. The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL was designed in the same style, although it was only offered as a roadster.

There were more technical differences between the two. Instead of the expensive, specially made tubular space frame of the 300 SL made of chrome-molybdenum steel, the 190 SL was based on the structure of a mass-produced sedan. However, for the sake of exemplary handling, double wishbone suspension at the front and swinging half-axles at the rear were relied upon by both SL variations.

The 190 SL engine was also a level lower: a 1.9 inline four with dual Solex or Weber carburetors produced 120 hp, while under the hood of the 300 SL was a 240-hp 3.0 inline six with a Bosch mechanical injection system.

Pleasant to drive, with a comfortable interior, the 190th was a favorite of movie and pop stars, among its owners were Gina Lollobrigida, Romy Schneider, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Alfred Hitchcock and others.

The affordability of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, as intended by the manufacturer, has not lost its relevance even today. If the average price tag of the "gull wing" is measured at auctions by a six- or even seven-figure sum, then a much wider circle of car enthusiasts can afford to buy a vintage 190th.

And when the condition of the rarity is far from ideal, the cost can even drop to the threshold of budget cars, like the Californian example of 1956, which is traded on Bring a Trailer. At the time of publication, bids had only reached $22,000. Signs of wear are visible everywhere, but the car is running, in its original configuration and has retained its former chic.



















[thumb]https://cn22.nevsedoma.com.ua/p/28/2857/129_files/merced es-benz-10.webp[/thumb]

























[thumb]https://cn22.nevsedoma.com.ua/p/28/2857/129_files/mercedes-benz-27. webp[/thumb]









[thumb]https://cn22.nevsedoma.com.ua/p/28/2857/129_files/me rcedes-benz-32.webp[/thumb]









[th umb]129_files/mercedes-benz-37.webp[/thumb]