The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL is a two-door luxury roadster produced between May 1955 and February 1963. Internally known as the W121 BII, it was first shown as a prototype at the 1954 New York Auto Show and could be ordered with a removable hardtop.
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL at a glance
| Production | May 1955 – February 1963 |
|---|---|
| Chassis code | W121 BII |
| First shown | 1954 New York Auto Show, as a prototype |
| Engine | 1.9-litre straight-four SOHC, M121 BII |
| Power | 105 PS (77 kW) |
| Bore and stroke | 85 mm × 83.6 mm |
| Carburettors | twin-choke Solex |
| Top speed | about 170 km/h |
| 0–100 km/h | about 14 seconds |
| Price | DM 16,500 or US$3,998 as a soft-top |
| Hardtop price | DM 17,650 or US$4,295 |
| Replaced by | 230 SL of 1963 |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL.
History of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
The 190 SL was presented as a more affordable alternative to the 300 SL, with which it shared its basic styling, detailing and fully independent suspension. Both cars had double wishbones at the front and swing axles at the rear, but the 190 SL used a shortened unitary floorpan derived from the W121 saloon instead of the 300 SL’s tubular spaceframe. That made it much cheaper to build. The engine was a new 1.9-litre four-cylinder with an overhead camshaft, based on the six of the 300 SL and fitted with twin-choke Solex carburettors.
The car was sold as a soft-top convertible or with a removable hardtop, and a small third seat across the car was optional. In its first years a sports-racing version was offered with a small perspex windscreen, one-piece leather-covered bucket seats and aluminium doors. In 1959 the hardtop received a larger rear window. Performance was modest for the price: the top speed was about 170 km/h and acceleration to 100 km/h took roughly fourteen seconds, so a Porsche 356 1600S with 30 hp less could keep up and cost DM 3,000 less.
Rudolf Uhlenhaut therefore wanted a six-cylinder engine for the car. In 1956 a few prototypes were built, and two cars with fuel-injected 220 SE engines, known as the W127 or 220 SL, lapped the Nürburgring 25 seconds faster than a standard 190 SL. In April 1957 the board decided to build the W127 alongside the 190 SL, but production problems delayed it until it was overtaken by the 230 SL Pagoda. Both the 190 SL and the 300 SL were replaced by the 230 SL in 1963.
Design and features
- 300 SL styling: the shape of the bigger sports car at a much lower price.
- Four-cylinder engine: 105 PS from 1.9 litres with twin Solex carburettors.
- Removable hardtop: a closed car in winter and an open roadster in summer.
- Racing derivative: perspex screen, aluminium doors and fixed bucket seats in the early years.
Mercedes-Benz 190 SL versions
- Soft-top convertible: the standard open car.
- Hardtop version: with a removable roof, from 1955.
- Sports-racing model: lightened car of the first years.
- W127 / 220 SL prototypes: six-cylinder experiments of 1956–57.
The 190 SL was the smaller brother of the 300 SL and was replaced by the 230 SL in 1963. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Mercedes Benz 190SL classic review
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, English Wikipedia: design, engine, prices, prototypes
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