Mercedes-Benz
190 SL 1955 - 1963
When the customer version of the 300 SL
coupe was introduced at the New York auto show in 1954 it was accompanied by a
prototype version of the 190 SL roadster. Where the 300 SL was an expensive supercar, the
190 SL was the much more sensible and affordable alternative. It had styling reminiscent
of the great 300 SLR racing cars, but was based on mass-production technology and really
meant to cash in on the status and desirability that had been acquired by the exotic 300
SL(R) racing cars. And from the moment the production version became available in May 1955
it sold considerably well.
Still it remained in the shadow of its supercar brother, and when production ceased in
February 1963 it wasn't an instant classic. Many car collectors and enthusiasts considered
the 190 SL as the plain skinny sister of the 300 SL and treated it as such. It took till
the 1990s before interest in this car picked up, and now it's getting more and more
merited on it own virtues rather than on those of the 300 SL. This RitzSite tour shows you
around the 190 SL, a beauty in its own right.
If you have comments or original picture material you want me to publish you can send me an E-mail:
Well, let's start the tour by clicking the arrows pointing right: