Hardly any classic car exudes the charm of the economic miracle era as perfectly as the 190 SL Roadster. Bibi Johns, one of the idols of the economic miracle generation, takes a seat behind its ivory-colored steering wheel, as do actresses Grace Kelly and Gina Lollobrigida.

It is a German-American relationship story that a novelist could not have invented better: As in the case of the 300 SL Gullwing, a successful businessman plays the key role in the creation of the 190 SL. Max Hoffman is regarded as the conceptual father of the two Mercedes roadsters. Hoffman succeeded in convincing the Daimler-Benz Board of Management to produce a small, less expensive sports car for American customers in addition to the 300 SL. The 190 SL was developed at breathtaking speed: the starting signal was given in September 1953, and in February 1954 it was presented together with the 300 SL at the New York International Auto Show. The European premiere was in March 1955 at the Geneva Motor Show, and production began two months later.

The fact that the 190 SL was stylistically based on the 300 SL was intentional. Under the beautiful sheet metal skin, however, the similarities are over. There was no ingenious tubular lattice frame, nor was there direct gasoline injection as in the 300 SL. The technical basis comes from series production.

2,246 units of this 190 SL were built, and the roadster may be called the model for all future SL and SLK generations. In this respect, even its big brother, the 300 SL, was exceptionally left behind. Even though it was the first Mercedes-Benz to be allowed to bear the designation SL.