MERCEDES-BENZ 190 SL 1955 - 1963

The 1956 model shown here looks the same as the 1955 model, as will most other 190 SL you'll see on this tour, but there are differences. Most notable changes in 1956 were a standard clock in the lid of the glove compartment, a second Bosch horn, an ATE brake booster, new rear lights (identical to those of the Mercedes 220 sedan) and two wing mirrors as standard (as of November 1956). For some strange reason this last thing is overlooked by many restorers, most restored 190 SLs have only one wing mirror, located on the driver side. In 1956 the Mercedes 190 sedan was introduced, a popular middle-class car in which the (slightly modified) engine of the 190 SL was fitted. This again made for a reduction in production costs of the 190 SL and enlarged the profit margin on this model.

The 190 SL was available in two body styles: as a coupé (type W121.040) and as a roadster (type W121.042). The coupé version had a detachable hardtop without a convertible top; the roadster only had a mohair convertible top which at first wasn't removable. From August 1955 this was changed and so the coupé/convertible became an option, which came with both the hardtop and the mohair top. This way the owner could choose between fitting the convertible top or the hardtop depending on his preferences or the weather conditions.
Most 190 SLs on the road today are in roadster trim, hardtops are comparatively rare to find. The hardtops were made of aluminium up to February 1956, when they were replaced by cheaper to make but heavier steel ones. In 1959 the rear window of the hardtop was enlarged and changed to a panoramic design.
The roadster could be had in a wide range of special colors, of which this light blue car is a good example. The color range for the coupé was more limited.

This interior view shows some of the changes since 1955. Notice the lock and the clock (both standard from 1956 on) in the lid of the glove compartment, and the changed lay-out of the door controls inside the door (new in 1957: three controls placed in a triangular fashion as opposed to two controls placed next to each other).
On the drivers side there were a lot of buttons and switches on the dashboard, unfortunately without hardly any markings of what they were for. Many drivers had a hard time remembering what all those buttons and switches were for, which sometimes lead to some frantic arbitrary pushing and switching when looking for the desired function.
The standard interior upholstery was the durable Tex-vinyl, but leather came as an option.

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