1955 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL was the first iteration of the SL-Class grand tourer and the fastest production car of its day. Introduced in 1954 as a two-seat coupé with distinctive gull-wing doors, it was later offered as an open roadster. Hugely successful in Europe and across the pond, coupé and roadster production topped out at 3,258 cars. Its successor, the 190SL, combined superb build quality with understated styling and a, not insignificant, 104bhp from the 1.9-litre, four stroke engine. An instant hit, the three-pronged star sparkled among the gloom of post-war austerity. The 1955 launch of the 190SL cemented Mercedes-Benz's reputation as the car manufacturer for those who wanted elegance, build quality and a good turn of speed. Unsurprisingly, most of the 26,000 units were sold to the North American market.

This particular left-hand drive 190SL, the 514th made, was shipped new from the Mercedes-Benz factory in Stuttgart to Houston, Texas in 1955. One can imagine it cruising elegantly down Westheimer, effortlessly holding its own against the bloated excesses of American chrome and fin. It seems that Chassis #514 enjoyed the arid climate of Texas for much of its life when its last American owner, a Mr Epstein of Houston sold it in 1994. It was then imported into the UK through Norway and was purchased by its current owner, Brian Gunney, who knew a good 190SL when he saw one. As the owner of Caerphilly-based Redcastle Classics, he has forty-years of classic restoration experience with Mercedes-Benz models and specialises in 190SLs. Embarking on a bare-metal, ground-up restoration using his encyclopaedic knowledge and a remarkable attention to detail, #514 was reborn in 2005. HM Custom duties were settled at this time and it was registered with the DVLA on 1st May 2005 and issued with the licence plate '585 UXD'. It must be noted that the V5C incorrectly lists the car as 1956, the accompanying copy build sheet clearly states it was dispatched in 1955 and our vendor, who bought the car from us in May 2015, is in the process of applying for this error to be corrected to 1955.

The chrome dazzles in the Spring sunshine and the silver paintwork gleams, perfectly complemented by the dark blue hood. As befits a sympathetic restoration by a marque specialist, the original chassis plates remain in place and the car boasts many distinctive early period features. Of particular note are the rare thumb-release catches on the door frame for the roof mechanism. The dashboard is a two-part early design with no clock set on the glove box lid and there is no chrome in front of the rear wheel arches or on the eyebrows above the wheels. The interior was re-trimmed in the trademark and very rare Mercedes plaid, the cloth perfectly complimenting the blue leather and silver paintwork of the dashboard. The butter-soft tonneau cover in blue leather fits snuggly over the stowed roof.

Remarkably for a car that has traversed the globe, the history file contains a copy of the original Stuttgart issued build-sheet, showing that Chassis #514 left the factory on 11th September 1955. During the full engine rebuild the odometer reading was zeroed and it shows, at the time of consignment, a reading of a mere 1,500 miles since 2005 substantiated by the recent MOTs on file. As the personal conveyance of a renowned restorer, the car was started and idled to temperature regularly and enjoyed occasional runs. When our vendor purchased the car from us in 2015 it joined his stable of super classics, that includes a Porsche 2.7RS, Jaguar XJ220 and a brace of XK140s. Having covered some 200 miles in the car, and recently serviced, it is offered to auction with an MOT until March 2018.

We are confident that this is one of the finest examples of an early 190SL available today and offers exceptional value in a rising market, as well as being the perfect companion for Continental touring.