190 SL 300HP 32 valve V8 5 speed LSD faster than 300 SL Gullwing Cobra Best OFR

1962 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Additional Info:

Restored by an aerospace engineer at Boeing, this may well be the world’s best sounding and most fun to drive 190 SL or 300 SL. This Mercedes is much faster and more refined than the legendary 300 SL Gullwing. This SL is a like a German Shelby Cobra.....but so much more refined and functions as a great daily driver. In fact, this Mercedes has a power to weight ratio comparable to the original Cobra yet the Cobra did not have roll-up windows, a luxurious interior, refined suspension, large chrome bumpers, glove box, etc.

This is perhaps the best engineered, best performing Mercedes 190 SL in existence, one that performs significantly better than the iconic 300SL Gullwing and yet is more refined as well.

This 190 SL features a 5-speed manual gearbox making it a joy to shift and a comfortable car to drive at freeway speeds.

The rear differential was upgraded to a Mercedes limited slip differential.

The steering was also upgraded from the old worm and roller to more responsive rack and pinion steering. The steering is power assisted which makes this car easy to drive at lows speeds and during parking maneuvers.

The car drives beautifully, solid and without any play in the suspension. This car does not drive like a 1950s era car but feels modern in terms of its solidity. The suspension appears to have been recently restored. As you can see from the pictures, the suspension and undercarriage are in exceptional condition.

The 32 valve, four-liter V8 idles so smoothly that looking at it you can’t even tell its running.

This Mercedes has a dual personality either as a comfortable cruiser or as an AMG-style hotrod.

A 300 horsepower vintage Mercedes SL, with a modern, reliable, clean running, fuel efficient, fuel-injected, four-cam, all-aluminum, easily serviced, 32 valve V8. A motor so light and well-engineered that its weight is the equivalent of the iron block four cylinder it replaced. This V8 is known to run reliably for up to 300,000 miles!

This Mercedes is something truly rare, significant and special. Faster and more fun to drive than a Gullwing or 300SL Roadster, it was owned and driven regularly for decades by the Boeing aerospace engineer. He restored and built this car back in 1994, whereupon he restored the Mercedes and engineered it so as to be the fastest and most refined 190 SL anywhere.

This Mercedes was his pride and joy and he drove it to shows consistently for many years. In fact, he lined the trunk with miniature plaques he’d received from the various shows with plaques going to back to 1994 still displayed. Several files of records come with the car including photographs going back a number of years. Also included in the sale is the traditional white steering wheel and a modern yet period correct looking radio (to be installed this week and replacing the radio you see in the current photos).

This 1962 Mercedes 190SL weighs just 2,575 pounds (less with a lightweight battery; 2,662 with its hardtop on). That’s only 20 pounds more than the published weight four cylinder 190 SL and this car has larger wheels and tires and power steering.

This Mercedes' lightweight, fuel injected, ~300 HP four-cam, all-aluminum V8 weighs just 364 pounds. The engine/transmission flywheel assembly of the V8 is comparable in weight to the old iron block four-cylinder engine it replaced.

The standard 190 SL, although a beautiful car to look at is quite frankly frustratingly slow, taking nearly 14 seconds to go from 0-60 and 20.5 second 1/4 mile time at just 74.6 mph. By comparison, an entry level Hyundai takes just 8 seconds to go from 0-60 and 16 seconds in the quarter mile while a Mazda Miata will go from 0-60 in just 6 seconds. This Mercedes SL will zero to 60 in an estimated 4.6 seconds.

The four cylinder 190SL engine makes less than half the power of the Gullwing, barely more than 100 hp, with published figures of actual horsepower ranging from just 89 bhp to 104 bhp.

Actual dyno results show just 73.3 to 82.6 rear wheel horsepower. Giving a further example of the lethargic nature of the 4 cylinder, it reportedly makes just 48hp at 3000 rpm.

This car makes nearly three times that amount with an estimated 300 bhp and its zero to 60 is closer to Cobra territory. This V8 also revs freer and higher than the four cylinder and is reportedly safe to run up to 7000 rpms although maximum HP is reached around 6500 rpms.

This 190SL will 0-60 in around 4.6 seconds whereas the 190 SL takes 14 seconds to get to 60 mph. By comparison, entry level economy cars like the Hyundai Accent and Honda Fit take just 8 seconds.

Even the 300SL Gullwing, which costs more than a million dollars and weighs 300 pounds more than this Mercedes SL, takes about ~ 9 seconds to go from 0-60 mph as it has just 215 horsepower.

The 300SL Roadster is slower still as it weighs significantly more than the Gullwing.

The only comparable Mercedes from the same era is the legendary 300SLR, an 8-cylinder race car that made 300 horsepower and won World Sportscar Championship before a catastrophic crash and fire at Le Mans ended its domination prematurely.

This 190 SL has the identical wheelbase (94.5”) as the Gullwing and the same style swing-axle rear end so it has similar handling characteristics.

This 190 SL is roughly the same height as the Gullwing but 2 inches narrower and more than 9 inches shorter than the Gullwing. Significantly lighter, with more compact dimensions and far more power, this Mercedes is far more nimble and dramatically faster than the Gullwing. It is also far more reliable and infinitely easier to service, use and maintain.

This is a very special car for a person who wants to drive a classically styled, 1950s era Mercedes-Benz, but who also wants performance and reliability. A car that is a blast to drive!

The engine in this car is an award-winning motor and known to run upwards of 300,000 miles before needing rebuilding.

In fact, this engine was based on CART/IRL engine design. It was planned to be used on GT500 vehicles, however it was subsequently used in the Daytona Prototypes. It has race engine features like 6-bolt main bearings and belt-driven quad-camshafts. Unlike Ferraris and other cars, if this cam belt ever brakes the pistons do NOT hit the valves.

This is an extremely popular motor with tuners and its durability has made it a favorite in drifting competitions.

The timing belt, tensioners and water pump were all replaced in January of 2018. The clutch was replaced in February of 2018 with a new pressure plate, disc, throw-out bearing and pilot bearing. The engine oil and filter (synthetic Mobil 1), rear differential oil (Mobile 1 and LSD additive) and transmission fluid (Redline synthetic fluid) were all replaced in February of 2018.

This engine has been termed “bullet proof” and is known to have no design flaws. This is a car you could drive from Los Angeles to New York while also being able to get it serviced almost anywhere.

This car represents the best of everything. Classic Mercedes styling and driving refinement yet with modern powertrain reliability and performance.

This is the only 190SL in existence like this. There is another car, called the “Bent” Mercedes, where the owner put a 190SL body on a modern SL600. Of course, it does not drive like a 190SL or look like one in the interior because, well, it is not a 190SL. But it is super cool….and cost $500,000.00 or so.

A 190SL was modified in Germany, but they modified the appearance of the 190SL’s exterior as well as the drivetrain. Their price for their car was 1,000,000.00 Euros.

There is also a 190SL with a Chevy engine in it but they completely changed the suspension and installed a solid axle rear end in so that car, while looking like a 190SL on the outside, no longer drives anything like a Mercedes. A beautiful car, likely very expensive, but a car that does not feel like a Mercedes…..and it sounds like a Chevy.

This car is the best engineered, most aesthetically pleasing, best sounding, 190 SL known in existence and for what it is, it’s extremely well priced. Far less expensive than the $1 million dollar car in Germany or the $500k 600 SL with a 190SL body mounted.

In January, at the 2018 Scottsdale Auction, RM Auctions sold a 190SL for $196,000…..and lovely as it is, it is still slower than Molasses. This car is for someone who actually wants to drive and enjoy a classic Mercedes roadster, a car that’s reliable, serviceable and comfortable to drive on the freeway, yet fast and responsive, even more so than the Gullwing. It truly is the best of all worlds. SOLD AS IS