• Year of manufacture 
    1961
  • Mileage 
    73 367 mi / 118 073 km
  • Car type 
    Other
  • Lot number 
    150
  • Reference number 
    1578
  • Drive 
    LHD
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Exterior brand colour 
    other
  • Location
    United States
  • Exterior colour 
    Other

Description

Chassis No. 121.040.10.020932

Engine No. 121.921.10.021069

Ordering a new car is always a memorable experience, but it is even more so when the delivery is fulfilled at the factory during a European vacation. This is precisely what the first owner of this 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL chose to do. Working through Ship Side Car Delivery Inc. of New York, this 190 SL was ordered with both a Coupe removable hardtop and a folding fabric Roadster soft top in 603 Ivory over Tan Roser leather with a Becker Europa radio. Special instructions were given to have the car delivered with a hardtop installed and the Roadster folding fabric soft top to accompany the car. Further correspondence between the owner and Daimler-Benz shows that the car was to complete production and be received on 3 May 1961 without delay, as storage capacity was limited due to the increased demand for tourist delivery. After collecting the new car, the original owner traveled to Great Britain, where it was first serviced on 8 May 1961 with 319 miles. The short European jaunt concluded just nine days later when the car was delivered to the port of Rotterdam for export and shipment to the United States.

Leaving Europe on 17 May, the S.S. Harpefjell landed in the Port of Chicago in early June, with the Great Lakes Overseas LLC issuing a bill of lading on 12 June. The original owner accepted delivery of the car in Chicago and drove it back to their home near Seattle, Washington. It was next serviced by Doxon and Sons of Auburn, Washington, on 18 July 1961 with 3,374 miles, as shown in the accompanying maintenance book. The maintenance book further notes the service history until mid-1963, with the car having 13,430 miles at the time. The digital history file accompanying the car documents that the car was still registered in the Seattle region through 1989. Impressively, the highly original 190 SL remained under the care of its original owner until 2021, when it was acquired by the current owner.

Today the car remains in outstanding and largely original condition, a testament to the level of care provided for 60 years by the original owner. The bodywork still retains a portion of its original paint, including its hood, after a remarkable 62 years. Some areas have been retouched before a clear coat was applied for preservation purposes, creating an even shine across the car. Of utmost importance to many collectors, the factory-fitted Tan Roser leather interior and its matching tonneau cover are still present. A look into the engine bay reveals numerous original, factory-applied marks and finishes, including the set of Solex carburetors that still feed the original, numbers-matching engine. A largely original undercarriage was exposed during recent preservation work, having been preserved under a thick protective waxy layer. Today, this 1961 190 SL's high-level of originality distinguishes itself as a superb example of the model and is accompanied by an impressive history file, with many records, receipts, factory build sheet, period photos of the car with its original owner, owner's manual, and tool roll. Very few 190 SLs have survived as intact and preserved as this example, with even fewer pedigreed by an exciting ownership history in the hands of just one devoted caretaker from new until 2021.


Broad Arrow Auctions
377, Fisher Road
Suite H
Grosse Pointe, MI 48230
United States
Contact Person Kontaktperson
First name 
Broad Arrow Group

Phone 
+1 (313) 312-0780