Featuring the 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

This is the 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL which was first shown as a prototype in 1954 and referred internally, as the W121. Production of the 190 SL ran between May of 1955 and February of 1963. The 190 SL was sold as a two-door luxury roadster and an attractive and affordable alternative to more expensive Mercedes 300 SL. However, the 190 SL shared many attributes of the 300 SL including, basic styling, detailing and, of course, its engineering. The 190 SL also shared a fully independent suspension along with a double wishbone in front and swing axles in the rear. It was available as either a soft-top convertible or, as shown in this example; a removable hard-top.

OWNERS: Rick and Patti Siefert of Chesterfield, MO.
BUILT: Stuttgart, Germany on December 9, 1957
BASE PRICE: 1957 (approximate) $5020
VIN: 1210427502755
TOTAL PRODUCTION (1957): Non-USA (1526), USA (1806)
MILEAGE: 54,000
PAINT: Feuer Rot (Fire Red) DB534
INTERIOR: Crème, MB-Tex

GENERAL: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive roaster (convertible coupe) 2-passenger, 2-dorr steel chassis with aluminum hood, doors, trunk lid, and dash.

CHASSIS:
Suspension: Independent front and single joint swing axle rear, with coil springs.
Steering: Recirculating-ball steering
Brakes: Drums (front and rear)
Tires: 640/700R13 Vredestein Classic

A BIT OF TRIVA: For the longest time it was unclear the intention of Mercedes-Benz when they assigned the “SL” letter combination and, it was not until 2017 that a chance finding in the Mercedes-Benz corporate archive, that clarified the abbreviation of SL, or at least, in the case of the 300 SL, to stand for Super-Leicht (Light).

Thanks to Rick and Patti Siefert for participating in this shoot. Motorsportraits™…”turning obsession into art”