1953 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL

A 1953 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL finished in black, offered here at £129,990. The 190 SL was introduced as the more accessible, road-focused sibling to the 300 SL Gullwing, pairing the same elegant, Gullwing-inspired styling with a lighter-duty four-cylinder engine and a focus on open-top grand touring rather than outright racing performance.

The listing gives few details beyond the black paintwork and the 1953 registration. No mileage, engine, transmission or ownership data is shown, so the car's condition, originality and history would need to be confirmed with the seller. Production of the 190 SL began in 1955, so a 1953 date points to the prototype stage, or to a dating or registration quirk, and that is worth checking.

For reference, standard 190 SLs used a 1.9-litre four-cylinder with twin carburettors and a four-speed manual gearbox. They are among the most collectable and usable early postwar Mercedes roadsters, and values vary widely with originality and restoration quality.