It was purchased in the United States of America about 35 years ago with money he earned from part-times after classes at Hayward University, CA. He explains that they were very cheap at the time, around $10,000. After acquiring it and bringing it to Portugal, he restored it without having to change the engine, because it was good. The Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W121) is a two-door luxury roadster produced by Mercedes-Benz between May 1955 and February 1963. Internally known as the W121 (BII or B2), it was first shown in prototype form in 1954 in New York, at an Auto Show. It was available with an optional removable hard top. The 190 SL presented an attractive and more affordable alternative to the exclusive Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, sharing its basic styling, engineering, details, and fully independent suspension. Both had double wishbones at the front and swing axles at the rear. Instead of the 300 SL's expensive specially constructed W198 tubular frame, the 190 SL's R121 frame used a modified, shortened unit floor from the base W12 sedan. The 190 SL was powered by a new Type M121 BII 1.9 L SOHC inline four-cylinder engine, slightly exaggerated 105 hp. Based on the 300 SL's straight six cylinders, it had an unchanged 85mm bore and a shortened 83.6mm stroke from 4.3mm, was fitted with twin Solex twin-choke carburettors and produced 120 gross hp. The car was available as a convertible with a soft top or with a removable hard top. A small crossover seat for a third passenger was optional. During its early years, the 190 SL was available as a sports racing model with a small Perspex windscreen and spartan one-piece leather-covered seats and aluminium doors. In 1959, the hardtop's rear window was enlarged. In 1956, some six-cylinder prototypes were built for testing. A single-engine 190SL using the 300SL block, squeezed into the engine bay with a unique mix of Benz-bin parts, was entered in the 1956 Alpine Rally, but production costs would be prohibitive. Two other prototypes, equipped with fuel injected M180 220SE engines, were named W127/220SL. In June 1956, Rudi Uhlenhaut and Karl Kling drove the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, in both W127s, 25 seconds faster than a normal 190SL. On 12 April 1957, the MB board decided to build the W127, six-cylinder 220SL, alongside the 190SL, but production challenges delayed its manufacture until it was surpassed by the Mercedes-Benz 230SL 'Pagode'. Both the 190 SL and 300 SL were replaced by the 230SL in 1963.
Datasheet Year: 1955 Brand: Mercedez-Benz Model: 190 SL Country: Germany Number plate: MD-28-42 Engine: 2.000 cc Gearbox: 5