This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL is said to have been purchased new in Los Angeles, California, and the second owner bought it in Palo Alto in 1963 and kept the car in that city until selling it in 1980 to a neighbor, who is the current owner. The car has been refinished in white over a black leather interior, and power is supplied by a replacement 1.9-liter inline-four paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Equipment includes twin Solex…
This 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL is said to have been purchased new in Los Angeles, California, and the second owner bought it in Palo Alto in 1963 and kept the car in that city until selling it in 1980 to a neighbor, who is the current owner. The car has been refinished in white over a black leather interior, and power is supplied by a replacement 1.9-liter inline-four paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Equipment includes twin Solex carburetors, a black convertible top, a top boot cover, and steel wheels with hubcaps. A tune-up was preformed and the oil was changed in 2020.
The car was original finished in White (DB50G) and reportedly was repainted in 1994.
White-painted 13″ steel wheels wear Mercedes-logo hubcaps and chrome beauty rings and are mounted with 175/70 Michelin Harmony tires showing 2011 date codes. A jack and a spare are situated in the trunk. Braking is handled by four-wheel drums.
The seats are upholstered in black leather with matching door panels, while tan square-weave carpeting covers the floors and the cargo shelf. A Blaupunkt AM/FM radio is mounted in the center of the dashboard, with a locking glovebox to the right.
A two-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a white dashboard with a black top pad and a rearview mirror. VDO instrumentation includes a 7k-rpm tachometer, a 140-mph speedometer, and smaller oil-pressure, coolant-temperature, and fuel-level gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 29k miles and is said to have rolled over once.
A replacement 1.9-liter M121 inline-four paired with twin Solex carburetors was installed in 1993, about 11k miles ago. The cylinder head received machining and porting as well as an uprated camshaft. The car was given a tune-up and had its fluids changed in 2020.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a synchronized four-speed manual gearbox.
Manufacturer’s literature and decades of service records are included in the sale along with a factory service manual. A November 1993 letter from Mercedes-Benz of North America details the car’s serial, engine, body, paint, and interior numbers as equipped from the factory.