1963 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Convertible

4 Cylinder 4 Speed

Manual

12104010024383

Clear

Gasoline

1963 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 190SL, both hard and soft tops, one family ownership since 1965 This car is apparently something of a rarity. The Mercedes 190SL was made from 1955 to 1963, but Mercedes stopped making them in late 1962. The last 104 cars manufactured in 1962 are officially 1963 models. According to the VIN, this car was actually manufactured in mid-1962. Seeking information, one web site had the following quote (you can probably google the quote if you want): "Back then the model year was based on when the car was initially sold, irrespective of manufacture date." This car was sold to the original owner in 1963 (February as I recall, but I don't have any documents that I can locate right now), so it was a "1963" even if it was manufactured several months earlier and that is why the registration says it is a 1963 even with the earlier VIN number. However it is NOT one of the last 104 190SL cars that were made. This car has always been registered as a 1963, because the original owner bought and registered it in 1963. It might be more correct to call it a 1962, but its registration says 1963. VIN # is 12104010024383. That's on the chassis data tag plate on firewall behind the battery, on the registration, and on the Title. Body # on the plate on the drivers door post is A121040 10 00585, and it's also stamped on the firewall and some other places on the car. Current mileage 150,000 miles. This car's history: When I was a freshman in college in Feb, 1965, my dad bought this car from its original owner. For the next 13 or so years, until he retired, he drove it 20 miles to work and 20 miles back in the suburbs of Washington, DC every day. Of this, only about 2 miles wasn't freeway. Maybe 2 to 4 times he drove it on longer trips of 200-500 miles one way, once with me to New Hampshire, and he and my mom would drive it to visit me in Baltimore, about 40 miles one way several times a year up until 2001. But mostly after 1978 it was used for local driving. My parents usually had several other cars, but this was dad's baby. Starting about 1960, over the years they had a bunch of Mercedes, a 1959 219, a 1958 219 originally bought for parts but then fixed up and used for more than a decade, a 1964 220SE bought in 1966, a 1965(?) 300SE Coupe, all purchased used, and a 1987 Toyota Camry purchased new (for my mom) and all except this long gone. The 1964 220SE was mostly my mom's car and the family car until the Camry. One day when the 190SL was about 20 years old, while it was parked in front of the house, my mother looked out the front window and told my dad to get out and put the roof up because it looked like it might rain. He thought he had left it up, but went out to the car and found that someone had apparently stolen the whole convertible top from the car while it was parked on the street. After that he didn't park it on the street for more than a few minutes at a time unless the hard top was on (usually from roughly October to April). However, he did manage to buy a new, original Mercedes convertible top for it within a few months, and that is what is on it now. The clock was also stolen and never replaced. About 1999, dad began showing signs of memory loss and later dementia, but when he and mom came to visit, he still usually drove them in the 190SL. We kids learned to drive on the other Mercedes and could drive the other cars, but not this one. Sometime around 1980, I believe, dad got tired of dealing with the temperamental original twin-choke dual Solex carburetors and bought a simpler model and either installed it himself or had someone else do it. But he kept the original carburetor in a box in the basement, and I now have that in a box in my garage. It goes with the car and is probably restorable and quite possibly complete, but I don't know for sure. Dad did much of his own minor maintenance, but also had the car regularly serviced at Gunther's, in Clinton, Md, until Gunther died. Gunther was a Mercedes trained German Mercedes mechanic who opened his own shop in competition with Mercedes dealerships in the Washington area. After Gunther's death I believe he had most work done at local Mercedes dealers. When mom died in 2002, dad moved into assisted living, and I inherited the car. He had kept it under cover in a carport (with a roof but no sides). I have kept it in a garage since I got it. I have generally driven it with my wife and/or daughter on leaf drives or to visit parks at distances of 5 to 75 miles away 3-6 times a year since then, less in the past 4 years. I taught my daughter to drive stick shift in this car after she had taken a driver ed course, learned to drive, and gotten her license, but I am the only one who has driven it solo since I inherited it. I keep the convertible top on and I have the hard top stored in my garage. I had it inspected when I got it just to check its condition, even though as an historic car, it does not require Maryland State Inspection to buy or sell it. I had a new water pump put in a few years ago because the old one had gotten a bit noisy. The car was originally red, but has been repainted at least once in more or less the original color. As far a I know all parts are original Mercedes parts, though the original red leather seat material wore out and has been gone for decades. And I believe my dad told me that he had to have some brake line parts custom made in the 1990s since they were no longer made by Mercedes. He had a new generator or starter put in sometime about 2000 and had to wait 6 months or more for it to come from Germany through the dealership. But I don't know all the intimate details of the car's life since I haven't lived with my parents since college. Soon after he bought it Dad installed an anti-theft device, which I can describe to the purchaser, and which may have prevented theft of the whole car instead of just the convertible top. I do recall that it was in an accident in the 1980s. Its right stone guard is missing but I have an original replacement part right fender guard and an extra turn signal light globe or two plus a tailpipe (from Hemmings?) and possibly some other spare parts, hubcaps, wheels, lights, etc. The extra tailpipe, fender guard and boxed original carburetor are included with the car as are the original jack and lug wrench. Other spare parts are negotiable. Somewhere I have an original 1962 manual which I bought on ebay after I inherited the car. I couldn't find a 1963 and as far as I know the car didn't have the manual when Dad bought it. If I can find the 1962 manual, I will include it. I have not been able to locate the right stone guard I bought for the car but will include it if I do find it. But at this point it doesn't look like the manual or stone guard will be included When I tried to start the car this spring, it turned over nicely, and after several tries, started and ran hesitantly for about 20-30 seconds and died. After that I tried a couple times more and it turned over very well, but wouldn't start. I took it to the local mechanic who had worked on it before and he fixed it that afternoon and it is now running nicely again. It likes premium gas with octane booster added. Dad often used to use Amoco super premium white (unleaded) gas back when that was the only unleaded gas available. When I got it, I used Sunoco 94, which worked nicely, but Sunoco no longer sells it around here. Since then, I have had to use the highest octane I can find, usually 92, with octane booster added. When I had the car inspected in 2002, I was told it had some rust on the frame, but it shouldn't be a problem for occasional local driving and garage storage, and that it needed some work on the brakes. I had the brakes done and I bought new tires for it and I have put less than 2000 miles on the car in the last 12 years. I would suggest having the car transported unless it is purchased locally. It hasn't been driven more than 10-15 miles at a time for several years. The car must be paid in full before it is released. If someone has a Tesla in good working order that they would like to trade even for this classic Mercedes roadster, that will probably take it unless ebay bidding goes significantly higher than I expect. Then again, I've never seen a 1963 190SL for sale on ebay. I suspect I will have to settle for cash. Buyer must make arrangements to pickup or ship the car, which is located in Baltimore, Maryland. Any questions? Send me an email. Also see my other auctions and my feedback. SALE TERMS Deposit within 48 hours; certified funds in my bank before releasing car for delivery (within 7 days of auction end). Buyer pays shipping cost. Buyers with negative or zero ratings must email Seller prior to bidding. Prospective buyers are cautioned to conduct their own due diligence, including a physical inspection in person through a qualified third party inspector or appraiser prior to bidding. Buyer is responsible for any inspection charges and fees. Every effort has been made to accurately and fairly describe this vehicle to you. Seller has disclosed all information known about this vehicle for auction. Seller is not responsible for any typographical errors of any kind in the description of this advertised vehicle. This vehicle is being sold "as is". It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle, and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. No representations or warranties are made by seller, nor are any representations or warranties relied upon by bidders in making bids. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I recall that the 1962 manual I had says that a 1962 car's turn signals operate by rotating the inner ring on the steering wheel. This car has a lever to operate the turn signal but I have been told that dealers in the USA usually ordered it with that option since that is what customers here are used to. A prospective buyer inspected the car recently and I add the following information based on what he said as he checked out and photographed the car. The passenger side floor will need to be replaced due to rust; the driver's side floor is OK but has been replaced in the past. There is rust on the car as you can see in some of the pictures. The rear trailing arms are in good condition. The spare tire wells in the trunk are in really nice shape. The original Solex carburetor for this 190SL, mentioned above, appears to be complete and restorable, which I would expect, knowing my dad. The carburetor currently on the car is a Mercedes 190 single barrel carburetor, so it is a Mercedes carburetor for another similar engine used in a sedan. The engine itself is a 190SL engine and in all likelihood the original engine, which is as I would expect. I mention above that car was in an accident in the 1980s. The person who inspected the car said that the "front clip" and front fenders have been replaced and are attached inside the engine compartment by rivets rather than spot welds as original, and the hood is lacking matching numbers (or any numbers) that should be on it as a chassis part, so it is a replacement also. I don't know this to be a fact, but I assume he knows what he is talking about. I do know the car was in an accident in the 1980s, as noted in the description above, but I never saw it in damaged state. It was "in the shop." Again, knowing my dad, I would suspect that the replacement parts were original Mercedes parts, like the replacement carburetor was an original Mercedes part for a car with a similar engine. One of the chrome wheel covers is missing in the car pictures, but I have found a fourth one and it is in the trunk and will be included. I have not been able to find either the right stone guard or the 1962 manual and they will not be included unless I find them by the time the car is picked up.