A cool cruiser with sporty intentions, this Mercedes 190 SL convertible was built as a good-looking alternative to the more expensive 300 SL.

First introduced at the New York Auto Show in 1954 as a prototype 190 SL, it was never officially determined what the SL stood for. Some claim it was “Super-Leicht” and others claim it stood for “Sport-Leicht”. The only thing that was known for sure is that Leicht in German means “easy” as an adverb and “light” as an adjective.

It wasn’t until 2017 that someone was looking through the corporate archives and found evidence that the 300 SL was supposed to stand for “Super Leicht.” Up until that time, the Mercedes-Benz website referred to it as both “Super Leicht” and “Sport Leicht,” and even times “Super Super.” Now the website has been changed to read out the abbreviation as Super Leicht.

Interior Both driver and passengers get to sit comfortably in one of the two leather upholstered, individually adjustable seats. A nice big luxury steering wheel is front and center for the driver along with an easy-to-reach shifter handle.

The RPM and MPH gauges are easy to see and read while the whole top of the dash is wrapped in the same color leather as the seats. The driver control knobs are chrome and easy to reach, and although technically a two-seater, a rear seat could be ordered, but not really made for adult seating.

Exterior
The exterior offers Mercedes sporty bodylines that smoothy flow with the side of the car, while the bold front end is a little less inconspicuous. Two big headlights sit on both sides of a black front grille that hosts a huge chrome Mercedes badge in the middle. Both the front and the rear have big chrome bumpers that are bolted to the frame. To top off the vibe, color-matched wheels and wheel covers fit perfectly on this Mercedes. The car could either be ordered with a removable hard-top or as a soft-top convertible.

Drivetrain and Suspension
The M121 1.9-liter inline-4 Single Over Head Cam (SOHC) engine was based on the in-line six-cylinder that the 300 SL used at the time. The bore size stayed the same as the six-cylinder at 85 mm, and a reduced stroke of 83.6 mm was implicated. Feeding the valve train the air and gasoline was a pair of twin-choke dual Solex carburetors.

A manual four-speed transmission gives you control over the RPMs and speed, and a fully independent suspension helps you with cornering this roadster. The suspension includes a double-wishbone suspension in the front and a set of swing axles in the rear. This is a perfectly calculated Mercedes for luxurious driving at a comfortable price.