1956 Mercedes SL190

[EssexExport]

Really quite a gem of a roadster.

[EssexExport]

Had quite a fair amount of bling.

[skyway]

I'm always reminded what a swell dashboard layout those have with the two big round faces; the larger SE (4 seater sedan/coupe/convert) cars with wood too!

[JBOYLE]

Great car....the 190s have been on a string upward value swing...being carried along by their 300SL big brothers.

I've never driven one, but would like to. I've driven other, later, SLs...but not the 190 or "Pagoda top" cars, more cars to have on my "must drive" list.

[j.byrd]

These little cars are so pretty ! I got to see a few of them as well as a couple of 300 SL's for sale and in the shop years ago as well at a Studebaker/ Mercedes/and Others, Dealer in Knoxville, Tn. that Dad worked at. While working in Scottsboro, Al. several years later, one of the Engineers at work said he had a 190 that he would sell for $1500.00 ! Well, this was right down my alley, so I followed him home that afternoon. When I first saw it, I thought it may be a bit TOO rusty, but when he jacked it up in front to show me "a little problem" it had, the entire front end stayed on the ground ! The only other car I had seen this bad was a Renault Caravelle (was NOT trying to buy it !), so I politely declined the 190. He quickly reduced it to $1200.00, but I showed a restraint well past my "forming enthusiast" years, and still declined, Ha ! Still would like one of these. (or a 300 - - of course !)

[spokejr]

I had the good fortune to have a dad who was going through a bit of a mid-life crisis shortly before I got my driver's license in the mid 70's.

The car in question was a `59 with about 140k miles. A bit tatty but fairly descent. The carbs were a disaster and numerous electrical problems due to a poorly done repair of a rear-end collision before we got the car.

A lovely boulevarder but not too fast. It sounded a bit like a sewing machine at modest throttle, then got rather nice sounding as the secondaries opened up until about 4500 RPM, at that point it was just a lot of thrashing noise. It would turn up to a 6,000 redline but why bother? That said, still more fun than a barrel of monkeys!