The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Convertibles are highly sought after due to their limited production and being the first year of this body style. Records show that they have been sold overseas for prices ranging from $68,000 to more than $93,000 in recent results.
The beautiful 1955 Mercedes 190SL presented here is a fresh example of this very desirable early production convertible. Just out of restoration, the photographs illustrate the quality of the work completed to this rare and desireable vehicle.
Finished in DB 534 Fire Engine Red with Black Leather interior, Black carpeting along with its correct original white Bakelite steering wheel. The body has been correctly refinished in its original color code and the new Black canvas top and leather tonneau cover are also in show quality condition. The chrome has been refinished and this vehicle is ready for shows or those long drives in the Spring and Summer months ahead.
Mechanicals have been properly serviced including brakes, suspension, carburetor, and tuning of the engine.
Close inspection has been done to the vehicle to authenticate the vehicle had its original components including the engine, drivetrain and body panel stampings which do match the VIN plate on the firewall. Also the color code matches the vehicle (see photos of plate),the original paint on the vehicle was refinished due to age and fading.
Show quality paint and chrome along with a beautiful leather interior and new top make this vehicle a great investment quality Mercedes.
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Due to its limited import numbers and low production, the NADA Price Guide states that the 1955 Mercedes 190SL 2 Door Roadster is the MOST VALUABLE of all the 190SL production years!
1955 Price Guide: $ 67,300
Years 1956-1960 Price Guide: $ 48,600
The 190SL may not be the fastest car in its class, but it’s comfortable, convenient, and practical. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Available from May 1955, the 190SL convertible shared styling cues with its grander brother, the 300SL. It was a sports tourer, robustly built and designed for customers who preferred refinement over performance. Well-designed and sturdy these still make nice daily drivers.
As with many immediate post-WWII European luxury automobiles sold in the U.S., Max Hoffman’s DNA runs through the 190SL. Hoffman was an Austrian-born car dealer and racer who emigrated to America in 1941. He opened his New York City Park Avenue showroom in 1946 with a French Delahaye and quickly became the key contact for recovering European car manufacturers targeting the American market.
The U.S. was booming and the wealthy were looking for new ways to distinguish themselves. Hoffman understood that European cars could do the trick, but only if manufacturers would build luxury convertibles he could sell to his customers rather than Spartan sedans aimed at the hard-up Europeans.
Hoffman was in Stuttgart in September 1953, meeting with Mercedes-Benz board members, and promised he could sell 200 luxury convertibles every month, if only they could be built. Consequently, Karl Wilfert, Mercedes’s chief stylist, was asked to assemble the 190SL program team with design chief Walter Häcker. A parallel team was responsible for the 300SL program, as both cars were to be launched simultaneously.
Both cars would be successful, though the simple and relatively inexpensive 190SL far outsold its big brother. Close to 26,000 190SLs were produced in the eight-year run from 1955 to 1962, which worked out to 270 cars a month. The U.S. took 70% of the production and the 190SL outsold its close competitor, the Jaguar XK 140/150, by 8,000 units between 1955 and 1960.
At its introduction, the 190SL Convertible was modern and well-built, with a practicality rarely found in the era. Its low stance and horizontal grille were emphasized by its wide track and the fender eyebrows.
The strong frame-floor construction integrated a front sub-frame for the engine, isolated with rubber bushings for a vibration-free ride, with steel panels welded on the structure. Light alloy openings helped to reduce the gross weight to a manageable 2,600 lb.
Suspension was independent all around. The 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine was mated with an all-synchro 4-speed manual gearbox with a floor shifter. The interior was plush, with thickly padded seats and two large gauges in front of the driver. As a final touch, the 190SL boasted the same solid, door-closing thump characteristic of more expensive models, and Road & Track called it “well worth the money.”
