The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL is perhaps one of the most well recognized and respected automobiles for its timeless design and outstanding racing performance; excelling on the race track as well as the road. Its success and historical significance for Mercedes-Benz has resulted to their consistent appreciation in the market, currently exceeding the million-dollar mark in value. The 300 SL has certainly made its statement in the history books as well as the auction block but its soul mate, the 190 SL, is also an investment grade classic. Technically the 190 SL offers plenty of the capabilities and racing inspired technologies that were utilized is the 300 SL including double wishbone suspension system in the front and swing axles in the rear. The 190 SL smaller 4-cylinder engine makes for an excellent touring Mercedes.
The 190 SL is powered by a 1.9L straight-4 SOHC engine that produces roughly 104bhp, based off of the 300 SL's straight-6 engine. The engine is one example of the many alterations made to the 190 SL, for even though the 190 SL and 300 SL appear quite similar, the 190SL was much more cost effective, for the 300SL was priced at $8900 by its last year of production while the 190SL was priced at less than half of that at $4,000 depending on the equipped options. Options were a feature that were an extremely young concept in the automotive industry with Mercedes-Benz introducing what is known as an options list. This made the 190SL that much more attractive to the public for it could be custom tailored to the individual enthusiast to suit their unique taste and cater to a larger audience. The available options ranged from various color schemes, soft and hard tops, accessories, seats, and an extremely rare sports-racing (Rennsport) option. This touring two-seat roadster with its iconic, forward styling was the first Mercedes-Benz convertible to truly resonate with the U.S. market and began a SL market that still thrives to this day. All of these elements are what contribute to the 190 SL's significance in the automotive world as well as their value.
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Starting Price: 330,000 USD