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2026 Subaru Crosstrek ReviewCool Car Find: 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
This exceptional Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is a bargain over its big brother the 300 SL and about as good as collectors’ cars get.
190 SL: Well-Dressed Little Brother
1961 Mercedes-Benz 190-Class – carsforsale.com | Shop Mercedes-Benz 190 on Carsforsale.com
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is considered one of the most beautiful cars ever built. It was also one of the most revolutionary cars of the 20th century. Its gullwing doors and direct fuel-injection were significant and influential firsts. Its racing pedigree and title of (then) fastest production car in the world meant it was one of the world’s greatest sports cars in the 1950s. Naturally, the superlative 300 SL gained a following among the rich and famous, from Paul Newman and Sofia Loren to Pablo Picasso, and has achieved iconic status.
And within this automotive giant’s historical shadow resides its better-selling little brother, the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, today’s Cool Car Find. While the 300 SL gets all the historical shine, the 190 SL was a stunningly beautiful car, even without gullwing doors, and a fine driving car, even if it was nowhere near the performer the 300 SL was.
From Racecar to Touring Car
The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL debuted alongside the 300 SL at the New York Motor Show in 1954. And like the 300 SL, the 190 SL was the brainchild of importer extraordinaire Max Hoffman. Hoffman had pressed Mercedes to develop their W194 race car into a road car, the 300 SL. At the same time, shrewd businessman that he was, Hoffman knew that a premium vehicle like the 300 SL would still have a limited market, especially given its $7,463 price tag. His solution was a more affordable look-alike four-cylinder roadster, the 190 SL which started at a much more reasonable, but still expensive, $3,998.
The 190 SL might look a lot like the 300 SL, but rather than sharing the 300 SL’s tubular space frame, the 190 SL was based on the Mercedes-Benz 180 sedan, chopped by some 10-inches in length and given the 300 SL’s body. And like the 300 SL, the 190 SL could be had as a convertible or a coupe. Uniquely, the 190 SL’s coupe was a removeable hardtop, so every 190 SL could be driven top down.
Under the hood of the 190 SL was an 1897cc (1.9L) inline four-cylinder, which was literally a chopped down version of the 300 SL’s six-cylinder. With two two-barrel carbs (no fuel-injection here), the 190 SL made 104 horsepower and 105 lb.-ft. of torque. The 190 SL featured a four-speed manual, drum brakes all around, with a double wishbone front and swing axle rear suspension set up. Though the 190 SL might not have been the racecar for the streets that the 300 SL was, it made for a more than respectable grand touring car.
Our Cool Car Find
1961 Mercedes-Benz 190-Class – carsforsale.com | Shop Mercedes-Benz 190 on Carsforsale.com
Today’s Cool Car Find is a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL. This car is not only an excellent example of this specific Mercedes, but it is also one of the finest and most thorough refurbishments you are likely to see. The car is done is Tunis Beige with a black leather interior. Note details like the color matching wheel covers, the small bit of chrome fender skirting on the front of the rear fender, and the pair of lights on the bumper guards for illuminating the license plate. This car also comes with the additional removable hardtop and a matching leather suitcase.
The restoration, done by German Marque Specialists, is impeccably executed, from the cloth convertible top and dazzling interior to the numbers matching engine. The asking price of $325,000 might seem a bit high, but this Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is about as nice as you will ever see, and it is still a fraction of the price of a 300 SL.
