For Sale: 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL in Santa Barbara, California

1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

vin #: 12104010025330 -Two Santa Barbara owners from new
-Last owner from 1972-2020
-Full history from new
-Hard top
-107,283 miles

About The Car

This car was bought new by Santa Barbara resident Rena Castagnola in October, 1962, and then owned by William Brace of Santa Barbara from 1972-2020. The car was fully restored in 1999 (see restoration receipts) and was serviced in 2010, 2016, 2019.
The car's total milage is 107,280. This fabulous car is ready to enjoy.

History of the 1955-1963 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL was technically brilliant in nearly every way, from its pioneering use of fuel injection to its tubular space frame. However, it wasn't initially offered in an open body style and all of its technical innovation didn't come cheaply. Mercedes desperately needed a sporting model that could sell at a lower price point. The 190SL utilized some of the features of the 300SL like its independent rear suspension but rather than being built on a light space frame, the 190 was built on a shortened sedan platform. In place of the fuel injected six-cylinder was a carbureted four-banger breathing through twin Solex carburetors. The car driving characteristics were more of a boulevardier than a sports car, though it did look quite sporting as it shared a number of styling cues with the 300SL. It also shared that car's peerless build quality. For this reason, 190SLs are nearly as difficult and expensive to restore as the more valuable 300SL. Values of late have made it less of a labor-of-love proposition to restore one, but still the best practice is to buy a done car as the costs of even the most minor upgrades and refurbishing can escalate quickly!

Note on market MB 190SL market conditions

Now that prices of the Mercedes's iconic 300SL Roadsters are securely in the stratosphere, interest has shifted to that radical car's less complicated younger brother: the four-cylinder, 190SL. "Though it had half the power of the Gullwing," GOODING AUCTION CO. credits its up-and-comer status to the fact that it is "viewed as a great starter classic from a great brand, with excellent reliability and access to parts and technical support." 300SLs routinely sell in the $1,00,000 + range, but Gooding recently sold the debonair '57 190SL for the bargain price of $198,000. "Though it had half the power of the Gullwing," Gooding says, "it looks nearly just as good."