1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

It was in 1957 that this Mercedes-Benz emerged from the Stuttgart factory and, like so many of its siblings, promptly headed over the Atlantic to America. Thanks to a very extensive history that

stretches back as far as the 1970s, we know that it spent a lot of time around Maryland on the central east coast of the USA, before moving to Florida.

The present vendor, David, acquired it from Los Angeles, California, in 2015 and brought it over to West Yorkshire. “It was the colour that particularly attracted me to it,” says David. “It looked very smart in dark grey with its red interior; much more distinctive than the whites, silvers and reds these cars are often finished in.” He bought the car because he wanted to do a full nut-and-bolt restoration but then wisely realised that it was “too good for that.” So he bought another one, this time a complete wreck, that he could completely rebuild from the ground up.

That resulted in this car going into storage for five years. Now, though, David feels that it would be best for it to go to a new owner who can get it back on the road and use it properly. “All it needs is to be fettled and loved,” he says. “And it deserves to keep its original patina.”

The current mileage is 87,526 which, browsing through the history - a lot of which you can see in our pictures - appears to be genuine. The Notification of Vehicles Arrival (NOVA) has been carried out, a fresh MoT has been put on, and the vehicle is in the process of being re-registered for British use; all the paperwork is with the DVLA, but the ongoing COVID-19 situation is causing somewhat of a delay with processing. However, it’s not something any new owner will have to sort out. The vehicle is with us at The Market’s Abingdon offices, so viewing can be arranged within current guidelines.

Leafing through the history file, it’s unclear whether this 190SL has ever received a full restoration. David’s opinion is that it’s been treated to “gradual and slow” improvement throughout the years, as and when required. We’d concur with that view, having examined it closely.

That means that the Slate Grey paintwork is excellent overall but does show some signs of age and wear. Although generally sound, there’s some light cracking in places (such as on the front wings behind the wheel arches) and other spots where the paint has worn a little thin (such as on panel edges). In other areas, you’ll find some stonechips. “It’s not perfect, but it has a delightful patina to it,” is David’s own assessment. However, the overall appearance is exceedingly presentable, aided by the fact that the much of the chrome is like new. This has obviously either been redone or replaced at some point and although it’s not clear when, it is very shiny and near spotless, including the hubcaps. That there’s a bit of a kink in the right-hand side sill trim is about the biggest flaw with the brightwork.

All four road tyres are Sigma Tempest 175/80 R13 items, which appear to have plenty of life left, as there’s still a substantial amount of tread and no cracking or any other sidewall damage. We always consider a set of matching tyres to be a sign of conscientious ownership.

A grey hood is fitted and is also surviving well, with but a few wear marks, although there is some cloudiness to the rear plastic window. It’s a snug fit, and there’s no indication of it letting in water - although we don’t think this car has ever seen a lot of rain, at least not recently. Maybe in Maryland, probably much less so in Florida and California. And having been indoor-stored since it arrived in the UK, the British climate hasn’t had a chance to affect it over the last five years either.

Mercedes-Benz has always excelled at classy cabins, and in the 190SL, you’re truly pampered, with the company’s trademark stacked gauge arrangement behind the chic cream steering wheel, complemented by bright red carpeting and expansive and comfortable leather upholstery.

Such is the quality of the seats, door cards and carpets that we don’t think they’re the originals; they simply look too good to have lasted 63 years. There’s hardly any creasing on the seats, and a ‘handkerchief test’ suggests they’ve not been recolonised. If dabbing a handkerchief with water and then rubbing the seats results in quite a lot of colour ending up on the handkerchief, then it points to this process having been carried out. Here, there was very little transfer, so we believe this is a high quality re-trim rather than a cheaper makeover job.

The carpets, we’d imagine, were probably done at the same time as the seats, as their ‘nearly new’ appearance matches the leather. Lifting the carpets reveals a floorpan that displays cosmetic rust, so could probably do with some additional protection when the car finds its new owner. Nothing critical.

The rest of the interior has the appearance of dating from when the car was new, although that’s not something that can be categorically stated for sure. There’s a very welcoming, homely, used appearance to the dashboard, with instruments that have aged nicely but still function as they should. Open the glovebox and you’ll find a sticker giving instructions for ‘adjusting the compass’. There’s no sign of any compass now, so we think it might have been an optional extra installed where the glovebox lid clock now is; presumably a previous owner decided that knowing the time was more important than knowing what direction he was heading in.

A period Clarion radio is fitted, with FM reception, but it’s branded ‘Datsun’, which feels a little inappropriate in something like this. A suitably historic Becker or Blaupunkt unit would only improve things further, we feel. David does report that modern speakers were installed at some point, but have since been removed and the space where they were plated over.

Some of the soft trim under the dash has worn and discoloured somewhat, and the rubber weatherstrips down the side of the windscreen are quite perished. The steering wheel, being pale-coloured, is also a little grimy from over 60 years of use, but it’s free from any damage. Once upon a time, gloves were almost de rigueur when piloting something like one of these Mercs. What a pity the trend fell out of fashion.

The overall impression is of a tidy cockpit that is very attractive, can be mainly left alone, but could be improved; it’s nicely aged in some places but in other spots, such as the seats, carpets and door cards, there’s simply very few blemishes to be found.

Turning to the boot, the carpeting and trim has been removed, leaving just black painted metal. It’s all solid and sound, with only light smatterings of surface rust in some of the nooks and crannies. There’s a Michelin spare tyre, which may well be the original, but it’s split right across the tread so is completely unusable now.

The engine bay is tidy without being zealously over-detailed, and looks for the most part stock and original. It’s a working environment, so some grime, patches of cosmetic rust, metal mottling and other marks are inevitable. With so much crammed into a constrained space, it is difficult to keep an area like this scrupulously clean. However, there’s evidence of recent work such as a new distributor cap, spark plug leads, sections of petrol pipe and battery. An ATE T50 brake booster is installed - always reassuring to see (and even more reassuring to use), given that there are drum brakes all around,

At present, the engine does need some tuning. When David bought the car in the USA, it was running beautifully. However, these are engines that benefit from regular usage, and long-term storage over the past five years has resulted in this one going out of tune. Efforts have been made to sort it out - evidenced by the new distributor cap, leads and petrol piping - but the complex twin-choke dual Solex carburettors do benefit from expert knowledge to set them up properly and get them balanced. There’s also a slight tap from the top end of the engine when cold, but it soon disappears once the temperature has warmed up. The brakes, gears and steering all proved to be good during our brief test drive in the car. We can’t help but feel that a lot more use would benefit this car no end.

Our galley section contains lots of photographs of the underneath of the car, so you can see for yourself how comprehensively it has been undersealed. Everything looks solid and, of course, there’s the reassurance of it having recently been examined for, and passed, an MoT test.

You could spend hours just enjoying the wealth of paperwork that comes the car. It stretches back to the 1970s, and chronicles a car that has criss-crossed the USA, from the Maryland region, to Florida, then California, before finally sailing over the Atlantic to equally exotic Yorkshire - it’s a fascinating tale of much of the life of this SL. It all testifies to a car that has seen a lot of attention over the years, and had a great deal spent on it over its life. Also included in the history file is a 1959 Mercedes-Benz catalogue of parts; it’s an engrossing lesson in how everything on this car fits together. The good news about these SLs as classics is that, thanks to a strong network of specialists (including Mercedes-Benz itself), you can still find most bits and pieces you might need just as easily as you could in 1959.

An impressive file.

These 190SLs are just as desirable now as they were when they were current models, and are among the most stylish of all European classics - not just of the 1950s, but of any era. But so many examples have been restored to within an inch of their life that it’s refreshing to see one like this that still retains such originality and signs of over six decades of use. It has a great deal of charm and charisma as a result. What a story this car could tell - in addition to all the chapters told in the history file paperwork.

There will be some work for any new owner to do before this car can be suitably enjoyed, not least sorting out the carburettors to get it running as it should. And there’s some cosmetic improvements that can be carried out, without destroying the existing, valuable character. As David noted - and wisely steered clear of doing - to restore it fully would be to spoil it and lose much of what makes it so endearing. But some sympathetic work over the winter would pay great dividends and result in a rewarding and wonderful car for next summer - an open-top 1950s’ Mercedes like this will always turn heads, whether on the street or at shows.

We’ve put an estimate of £57,500 to £67,500 on this car - and as anybody who knows the market for these cars will testify, they usually go for far in excess of such prices when sold. Something like this has as much potential to be an investment as it is a very cool classic to spend long, hot summers cruising around in.

Viewing is always encouraged and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to to ask any questions or make observations on the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.