1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

121.042.20.9501188roadGermany

Engine: 1.9L inline-four with dual twin-choke carburettors, 120 bhp
Colour: Light metallic green ('Metallgrün')

A right-hand drive 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, one of roughly 500 UK-market examples from a total production of around 25,881, and notably equipped with the rare factory third seat. Delivered new to a London dealership in February 1959, the car was comprehensively restored between 2016 and 2017 by Queenstown Car Restoration in London, including a full bare-metal repaint in period Metallgrün, a rebored engine rebuilt by Red Castle Classics, and a re-trimmed dark green leather interior, with combined restoration invoices exceeding £71,000.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold £143,750 (≈ $180K)
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1959-02-27 →Factory delivery
Mercedes-Benz dealership, London
full documentation
UK right-hand drive delivery; car was initially received by a London-based authorised dealer as the first point of sale.
→ 2017
Prior owner during restoration period
partial documentation
Commissioned a comprehensive restoration by Queenstown Car Restoration Ltd. totalling just over £71,000, completed in early 2017; body stripped to bare metal, engine rebuilt, interior and chrome refinished.
2017 →Private sale
Current vendor
full documentation
Acquired the car post-restoration and continued routine upkeep, including hood and fuel gauge repairs plus ignition servicing at Buchanan's Motors in July 2018.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

2016Restoration
Queenstown Car Restoration
Full nut-and-bolt restoration commenced, involving bare-metal bodywork stripping, corrosion repair using new panels sourced from Poland, full chrome refinishing, re-trim in dark green leather, and fitting of a matching convertible hood. Total combined invoices exceeded £71,000.
Chrome brightwork was refinished by Capital Chrome of London. Body panels supplied by Classic Car Krzysztof Kulliński of Poland. Restoration completed February 2017.
2016Engine rebuild
Red Castle Classics
Engine fully stripped, rebored, and fitted with new pistons and ancillary components before reassembly. Engine work invoices totalled approximately £9,000.
Work carried out at Red Castle Classics in Wales as part of the broader restoration project.
2016Bodywork
Queenstown Car Restoration
Car repainted in period Mercedes-Benz Metallgrün using bare-metal preparation, with all chrome trim, doors, bonnet, boot lid, and interior components removed beforehand.
Colour described as a vibrant light green shade from the period Mercedes-Benz palette.
2018Repair
Buchanan's Motors
Convertible roof repaired and fuel gauge fixed, with the ignition system refreshed via new spark plugs, condenser, and contact points. Total expenditure was £1,463.84.

Are you the owner of this car?

This car's public record is built from its auction and competition history. Register your ownership and privately add your own records to make it a verified Legacy Metrics passport — provenance that backs your car's value at sale and gives your insurer evidence to price against. Roy reviews and verifies every registration personally.