1957 Mercedes 190SL Convertible As New Frame Off Resto

Mercedes-Benz 190 SL
Overview
Manufacturer	Daimler-Benz
Production	1955–1963 25,881 built[1]
Assembly	West Germany: Stuttgart Untertürkheim
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car / Grand tourer
Body style	roadster
Layout	FR layout
Platform	Mercedes-Benz W121
Related	Mercedes-Benz W198 (300 SL) Mercedes-Benz W120/121
Powertrain
Engine	1,897 cc M121 SOHC I4
Transmission	4-speed manual, fully synchronized
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,400 mm (94.5 in)
Length	4,390 mm (172.8 in)
Width	1,740 mm (68.5 in)
Height	1,320 mm (52.0 in)
Curb weight	2,552 lb (1,158 kg)
Chronology
Successor	Mercedes-Benz W113 (230SL)

See Mercedes-Benz SL-Class for a complete overview of all SL-Class models.

The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W121) is a two-door luxury roadster produced by Mercedes-Benz between May 1955 and February 1963. Internally referred to as W121 (BII or B2), it was first shown in prototype at the 1954 New York Auto Show, and was available with an optional removable hardtop.

The 190 SL presented an attractive, more affordable alternative to the exclusive Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, sharing its basic styling, engineering, detailing, and fully independent suspension. Both cars had double wishbones in front and swing axles at the rear. Instead of the 300 SL’s expensive purpose-built W198 tubular spaceframe, the 190 SL’s R121 structure used a shortened unitary floorpan modified from the W121 base saloon.^[2]

The 190 SL was powered by a new, slightly oversquare 105 PS (77 kW; 104 hp) Type M121 BII 1.9 L straight-four SOHC engine. Based on the 300 SL’s straight six,^[3] it had an unchanged 85 mm bore and 4.3 mm reduced 83.6 mm stroke, was fitted with twin-choke dual Solex carburetors, and produced gross 120 hp (89 kW; 122 PS).^[3] In detuned form, it was later used in the W120 180 and W121 190 models.

The car was available either as a soft-top convertible (initially priced at DM 16,500/US$3,998^[4]) or with removable hardtop (DM 17,650/$4,295). A small third-passenger transverse seat was optional. During its first years the 190 SL was available as a sports-racing model with small perspex windscreen and spartan one-piece leather covered bucket seats and aluminium doors. In 1959, the hardtop’s rear window was enlarged.