190SL
1955-1963 The 190SL was
Mercedes first high volume sports car using the running gear from the
180 series sedan. Styling came from the 300SL, and it was dubbed the 300SL
little brother. This is a very solid car and makes a nice driver. They
have certain areas where they rust so check carefully. Mercedes produced
25,881 of these little beauties. 190 SL’s make a great and fun collector
automobile, and are relatively affordable. The car came as a coupe (with
a detachable hardtop) or a roadster with convertible top to which a hardtop
could be fitted. These cars were guaranteed to sell to enthusiasts who
couldn't stretch to a Gullwing and didn't need the electrifying performance
of a Gullwing.
230SL/250SL/280SL
1963-1971-The 230SL to
the 280SL went into production in 1963. They have a sleek, angular look.
The nickname 
Pagoda
(or Pagode) comes from the typical roofline of the hardtop, lower in the
middle and higher at the edges. It
was the replacement for the 190SL. A sportscar based on the running rear
of a volume sedan, automatic transmission and power steering made it more
of a touring car than a sportscar. There is a reversible hardtop/softtop.
These SL's are very dependable and lots of fun. They do get rusty in certain
areas so check it out first. These cars are a big step forward over the
190 SL; they are very reliable with great performance to match. The Pagodas
have a more powerful, 6 cylinder engine, more luxury and performance than
the 190SL models, due to their mechanical fuel injection system. Although
originally they were supplied with 2 disc brakes and 2 drum brakes, starting
with the 250SL forward, have disc brakes all around.
In
1967 the 250SL was the next generation. It is basically the same car except
the engine has seven main bearings. The 250SL has a little more torque.
In 1968 due to Federal Regulations, Mercedes Benz put a 2.8 liter six, to help put some power back which emission controls robbed. The 280SL seems to have more power. Production figures are as follows
| 230SL 19,831 | 250SL 5,196 | 280SL 23,885 |
300SL
Gullwing / Roadster 1954-1957
/ 1957-1963 Gullwing-1400 units / Roadster-1858 units. Built for racing,
the bodyshell was designed for aerodynamic efficiency The roadster was
a road-going version that was a revised car that fully addressed all the
bugs of the coupe. Production of the 300SL coupe began to wane as news
of the roadster began to spread. The front wings on the roadster have
larger cut-outs to accomodate revised headlights with integral foglights.
