Appearing in Barrett-Jackson: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

if you walk Walk into a typical full-line automaker dealership and you’ll see a wide variety of models designed to serve a variety of different customers. For those who want to have fun and bring friends, there’s a sports sedan. Those who want more storage space while still saving money on gas can buy a small crossover. For buyers who make a living hauling heavy materials and pulling trailers full of equipment, the dealer will be happy to provide them with a truck.

However, there will always be some gaps left. What about those who want a station wagon? Or an old car? That’s what makes the Barrett-Jackson Auction so exciting. It’s no exaggeration to say that it has something for everyone, whether it’s an upcoming first-production model, a modern classic, a heavily modified pickup truck, an old muscle car, or an old-school European sports car like this 1955 Mercedes Mercedes-Benz 190 SL.

First unveiled as a prototype at the 1954 New York International Motor Sports Show, Mercedes-Benz stylists redesigned the 190 SL into a production car. According to the automaker, the finished product shown at the 1955 Geneva Motor Show no longer had a hood and instead featured revised bumpers, changed indicators, and “lancets” above the rear wheels. Mercedes offers it as a roadster with a soft top and a coupe with a removable hardtop (with or without a soft top).

As the 190 name suggests, the 190 SL is powered by a 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine. Output is 105 hp, helping the W121 SL reach a top speed of 105 mph (170 km/h).

Performance is only a secondary focus, though. As Mercedes puts it, “The 190 SL was not designed as a true sports car, but as an elegant and sporty two-seater GT car.” Its target audience was women, “who not only appreciated its design The sporty elegance but also appreciates the open-air feel of the standard. ”

The 190 SL I saw was a rotisserie restoration that seemed to be the perfect embodiment of these priorities. There is a relaxed and casual feel. It’s not concerned with wowing passers-by with its trick doors, nor wowing audiences with its speed. Its ivory exterior paired with a saddle-tan interior looks like the perfect combination for a relaxing sunset cruise along the California coast. I can totally picture my wife driving this car wearing a pair of oversized sunglasses, her long curly hair blowing like gold threads in the wind. Of course, I could also picture myself behind the wheel of this elegant, classic car, nonchalantly shifting gears while my wife admired the sparkling waves of the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

If you own a 190 SL or have ever owned one, let me know what you think of it in the comments below.