Description
Offered for sale is our absolutely gorgeous, all numbers-matching (documented by original Data Card/Build Sheet), entirely rust free and correct 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL with its original Solex carbs, factory hardtop, soft top and striking, Fire Engine Red (DB 534) finish over a parchment leather interior. We purchased the vehicle from a meticulous and knowledgeable German Master Mechanic who has owned the car for over 20 years. Mechanically sorted and with freshly tuned original Solex carburetors, this car runs as beautifully as its elegant, swooping lines present, needing nothing to be enjoyed aside from an appreciative new owner. And speaking of appreciation, there is perhaps no single classic car (with the exception of the V12 Ferraris) that has seen such an explosive rise in valuation over the last five years, with fine examples such as this joining the ranks of true investment grade cars. This is an exceptionally well presented and correct example that deserves the serious consideration of anyone in the market.
Meticulously cared for and well preserved under the longtime ownership of a true Mercedes purist and enthusiast, the car was used solely as a garaged and well-taken-care-of weekend driver and event participant. Accordingly, the car remains in exceptionally correct and original condition, its Fire Engine Red finish deep, lustrous and consistent, marred only by the most insignificant of imperfections, none of which appear in any of the pictures. The car has undergone only one known, extremely high quality professional repaint during the previous owners 20+ years of ownership. The car was repainted only due to the age and patina of its previous original finish. The car’s body is entirely straight and free of any evidence of accidents or body-work, with exceptionally even and correct panel fits and gaps throughout. The glass and rubber is all in great shape, as is the chrome, which is free of any dings or blistering and has been refinished to a very high level of quality. The car’s undercarriage is entirely solid and correct, always kept out of the elements, with absolutely no rust whatsoever and the car sits on its original color matched, hub-capped steel wheels, which are wrapped in complimentary white wall tires. This is a very pure and incredibly strong 190SL example.
The car’s interior is equally as clean, the parchment leather seats and interior panels showing only the most negligible of wear, the complimentary tan carpets impeccable and the leather wrapped dash free of any wear or sun damage. The car retains its flawless, un-cracked ivory steering wheel, as well as its clock and rare Becker Mexico radio. 190SLs were sold with either a soft top or a desirable removable hard top, but the earlier cars were not sold with both because the hard-top’s design prevented both from being on the car at the same time. This car retains its original hardtop (also in gorgeous condition), and the cars original early R121 soft top frame (a photograph is included) and a brand new correct German canvas soft-top which will be included with the car.
The car is mechanically superb, its original numbers-matching engine (documented by its original Data Card/Build Sheet) starting right up without any smoke, idling consistently, maintaining excellent, even compression across all cylinders and pulling strongly under acceleration, thanks in part to its accurately tuned original Solex carburetors and decades of detailed care and gentle use. The car’s original gearbox is smooth and correct, with effortless up and down shifts across all gears, and the car’s brakes and suspension all function as they should, rounding out a visceral, vintage and grin-inducing ride quality.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an appreciating classic that ticks all the right boxes: unbelievably original, numbers-matching, rust-free, cosmetically gorgeous in its original livery, mechanically sound and with its original and desirable factory hard top. Show quality examples have been selling routinely above $200,000, and as high as $269,500 at auction, prompting incredible market demand. We can assure you that this fine example will be sold at a much more reasonable price, representing an excellent value for an investment grade classic that can also be driven and enjoyed.
