1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL was a less expensive, more practical, and smaller version of the 300SL. The race-bred 190 SL was produced from 1955 through 1963 with nearly 26,000 examples built. The engineering of the 190SL (Sport Leichtbau) was led by Fritz Nallinger using proven mechanical components from the 'Ponton' line.

The prototype of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Roadster was showcased alongside the 300 SL Gullwing Coupe at the New York International Auto Show in February 1954. It had a unit-body of steel construction with a subframe that supports the engine and front suspension. Aluminum was used extensively throughout to help reduce weight, including the doors, hood, trunk, dash and other parts. Power was from a 4-cylinder engine that displaced 1897cc and utilized an overhead camshaft with twin side-draft Solex carburetors. The suspension setup was independent all around with A-arms and coil springs in the front and a low-pivot swing axle with coil springs at the rear. The engine was backed by a 4-speed floor-mounted transmission and braking was by Alfin drums with a vacuum booster.

Zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in 13 seconds and top speed was achieved near 110 mph.

The body was designed by Walter Hacker and his team under the direction of Mercedes-Benz design head Karl Wilfert. Among the designers was a young Paul Bracq, who was later Mercedes' head of design responsible for the 230/250/280 SL lines and 600 models. Mr. Bracq's resume also included work for BMW, Citroën, Peugeot, and France's TGV high-speed trains.

The production-ready 190SL was internally designated W121. Following its 1955 Geneva Show debut, customer deliveries soon followed. It earned design awards in Holland, Switzerland, and at France's Grand Prix d'Elegance. Although it was a grand tourer designed for the road, its racing pretensions included a victory by Doug Stearne at the Macao Grand Prix. At Casablanca that year, Mercedes distributor Joseph F. Weckerlé took the under 2.0-litre class win with his 190SL.

The 190SL would outsell the 300SL by a factor of eight to one. A total of 25,881 190SLs were produced, with owners that included Grace Kelly, Gina Lollobrigida, Ingrid Bergman, and Yul Brynner. More recent celebrity owners of the 190SL include former Beatle Ringo Starr and Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2019