Mercedes-Benz · 1955
190SL (W121)
Manual · RWD · Germany
AutoIndex value · good UK car
£65,000
Researched from UK sold prices and auction results. How we value cars
Estimated price by condition
Project
£39,000
Restoration candidate
Driver
£65,000
Good usable example
Concours
£97,500
Show standard
Indicative condition bands · not a valuation of a particular car
Price check
Looking at a 190SL (W121) for sale? Is it a good price?
At auction
Results we have recorded from the auction houses’ published results
RM Sotheby's, The London Auction 2026, lot 130 · 31 October 2026 · estimate £80,000–£120,000
£83,375
What the sale says about values · How results feed our values
Buyer’s notes
About the Mercedes-Benz 190SL (W121)
The 190 SL was the more affordable companion to the 300 SL, sharing its styling and its fully independent suspension but using a 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine. Mercedes-Benz built 25,881 between 1955 and 1963, all roadsters, with a removable hardtop as an option.
What moves the price
- Originality: a matching-numbers engine and body, backed by the factory build record.
- The quality of any restoration, with invoices.
- The original hardtop, which adds to a car that has one.
Before you buy, check
- The chassis and engine numbers against the build record.
- Corrosion in the floors, sills and wheel arches.
- The twin Solex carburettors: correctly set up and free of leaks.
Facts checked against: Wikipedia · rmsothebys.com
Vehicle data
Specifications
From 1955
Performance
Production
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Mercedes-Benz 190SL (W121): value questions answered
- How much is a Mercedes-Benz 190SL (W121) worth?
- A good, usable UK example of the Mercedes-Benz 190SL (W121) is worth around £65,000 on the AutoIndex index. A project car that needs restoration is nearer £39,000, and a concours-quality example around £97,500. Condition moves the price more than anything else.
- What makes one 190SL (W121) worth more than another?
- Service history and paperwork — complete, stamped, explained
- Mileage against the norm for the model
- Originality — matching numbers, original paint and trim
- Specification — gearbox, colour, factory options
- UK-supplied versus imported
- Is the 190SL (W121) I'm looking at fairly priced?
- Enter its asking price and condition in the price check above. It compares the price with the index for that condition and tells you what to ask the seller about.
- How many 190SL (W121) cars were built?
- Around 25,881 were built, by our production records.
Embed this valueFor club pages, forum posts and listings: a live value card that links back here.+
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