1958 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

This 1958 Mercedes SL190 was imported new to the USA by franchised Mercedes dealers Studebaker-Packard of South Bend, Indiana. 

They then sold it to the car’s first owner, a man who lived in sunny Los Angeles.

There’s nothing to tell us what it was up to for the next few years but it eventually found itself living in the luxurious environs of Katonah, a small village in Westchester County, New York, and home to luminaries such as Martha Stewart, Stanley Tucci, Bruce Willis, Ryan Reynolds and Ralph Lauren. 

We think it must have fitted in rather well there.

This car was brought into the UK in 2004 where it underwent a full nut and bolt restoration and was finally finished in 2017. 

It was purchased by a man who had spent many years working at Lotus Cars in the paint shop, assembly line, development, rectification and components departments. He also utilised his skills and expertise with countless racing teams, from Van Dieman and Peter Denty Racing to Formula 3000, Formula Ford and Pacific Racing – among many others.

Needless to say, he was just the sort of chap you’d want overseeing and carrying out much of the restoration work on such a rare and valuable car.

There are numerous receipts, bills and invoices attesting to work carried out over the years, plus plenty of photographs taken during the restoration.

In 2014 the engine was rebuilt to lead-free specifications by Damico, who specialised in classic and performance engines. Dyno-testing at this time gave a test-bed power output of 105hp.  

The gearbox was rebuilt by acknowledged expert Graham Bolton.

The original Solex carburettors were replaced by Weber 40DCOE items because the latter are far easier to set-up and tune than the former and stay tuned and properly set up for longer.

The chrome, inside and out, was refurbished by Wyatt Polishing of Thetford.

The brakes, clutch, exhaust system, kingpins, master cylinder, fuel pump and rubbers were replaced, with most of the parts sourced from Mercedes-Benz specialists in Germany.

The red leather upholstery and door cards were retrimmed to a very high standard by All-Trims of Norfolk, new ‘Wessex Red’ carpets were sourced and fitted, and a new black mohair hood and tonneau finished off the look. 

The odometer today reads 96,000 miles. This is the total mileage for the vehicle – it has covered very few miles since having the engine rebuilt in 2014 and completing its ground-up restoration in 2017.

The vendor has had the car recommissioned by Platinum Classics, who are selling it on his behalf. 

They have tidied up some of the beading on the roof, attended to one or two other cosmetic items and had the carbs stripped, cleaned and re-installed “properly this time”. 

They certainly felt “proper” to us when we drove this achingly beautiful car.

It starts on the button and rewards you with a driving experience that leaves you wondering if it’s possible that this car was actually built in 1958.

It feels capable and assured in a thoroughly modern way, and stops, corners and presses on with levels of enthusiasm and precision that must have been pretty much unmatched back in the day. 

In short, this is without doubt one of the best examples we’ve seen of a model that is rightly prized and coveted by serious classic car enthusiasts everywhere.

It is superb.

The bodywork is untroubled by any dinks or dents of significance anywhere that we can see and the paintwork has retained plenty of shine and lustre, accentuating the car’s inch-perfect proportions and lines to optimum effect.

The shut lines and gaps are impressively crisp, consistent and Teutonic. 

The wheels are fine, save for a little missing paint on the o/s/f hubcap.

The chrome work is similarly impressive, as are the badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings.

The hood fits sweetly and is in excellent condition.

There are one or two small spots of nascent bubbling in the sill beneath the front edge of the passenger door, and a small split in the paint at the base of the driver’s door and on the sill immediately below it.

There is a small crack in the paint on the bonnet and a couple of others on the bodywork just forward of it.

There’s also a thin crack to the paint below the chrome strip on the n/s/r wing, and a small indentation above the chrome strip further rearwards.

The red interior is in exquisite condition and is a very classy and period-evocative place to spend some quality time. 

The red leather upholstery on the seats has barely earned any creases yet, and certainly doesn’t have any patina as such.

The door cards are fine.

So too are the carpets and the hood lining.

The steering wheel, handbrake and gear lever are all beyond reproach.

There are one or two cracks to the silver paint on the dashboard and a few tiny spots of what looks like bubbling in a couple of places.

We didn’t flick every switch, press every button or twiddle every knob, but those we did flick, press and twiddle responded faithfully to our instructions. 

We’re not sure if the fuel gauge is working. 

The boot, which contains a spare wheel, is as immaculate as the rest of it.

The engine and engine bay look very clean and dry. Everything appears to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car look to have plenty of structural integrity.

This wonderful car comes with lots of history and plenty of bills, receipts and invoices and photographs covering work done to it over the years.

It has benefitted hugely from a restoration undertaken and overseen by an owner who was fully qualified to do so.

It has been worked on by marque specialists, supplied with high-quality parts, and fettled, trimmed, tweaked and prepared by highly respected professionals in their chosen fields.

The car comes with a current V5 and a clear HPI check.

In our humble opinion, this era of Mercedes-Benz SL is the most stylish, eye-catching, classy and pure – in form, function and intent.

And this stunning example is just about the best we’ve seen, driven and, it has to said, coveted.

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £100,000 - £125,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.