Up for sale 1960 Mercedes 190sl.

We are selling this 1960 Mercedes 190sl for a Family member who just turned 89 years of age & would like to pass this wonderful car onto another, I have included (further down) a write up from the owner & the service history on the car (Documents will be supplied to buyer) This Mercedes has been in the Family since the original purchase in Germany, the purchasers pick up the car & toured Europe in it.

 

My wife and I dove the car for 160 miles this weekend & it ran Flawlessly. The Mercedes comes with the original hard & soft top, Plus original spare tire & tool kit, The front carpets were replaced 2 years ago. The convertible boot is missing 4 snaps, The only rust we could find on the car is a little surface rust in the trunk, & a spot under the passenger floorboard (Under the heater core) all of the gauges work with the exception of the gas gauge.. sometimes it works.. sometimes not. the interior is in exceptional condition, the exterior has small paint chips as a car of this age would have & one minor ding in the truck about the size of a dime (see picts) the rest of the body is straight.

 

This car could be driving to California tomorrow, it runs just that well.

Feel free to contact me with questions at 877-953-2733 ext 203

Thanks. Jeff

Letter from the owner:

 

THE HISTORY OF MY MERCEDES 109 SL

July 21,2014

 

 

            My 190 SL Roadster has had only two owners since it was first bought at the factory in Germany in 1960, and both of us are from the same family. From the beginning, it has been treated as special and given tender loving care.

 THE EARLY DAYS – 1960-1978

            The original owner was my brother-in-law’s father, Mr.  Fisher of Tacoma, Washington.  Mr. Fisher retired in 1960 after a long career as an executive of the Burlington Northern Railway, and in order to celebrate his retirement Mr. and Mrs. Fisher arranged to buy the 190SL at the factory in Germany, tour Europe and then ship the car back to their home in Tacoma.

            For the next several years while their health permitted, the 190 was their only car and was used for basic transportation in and around Tacoma.  We do have the original MB Service Book which I received from Mrs. Fisher which tends to confirm that the car was regularly serviced and maintained. Mr. Fisher always kept the car in their garage.

            In 1953, I spent some time working in Germany as a CPA and learned to appreciate Mercedes automobiles. After returning I began a lifetime career as a corporate and tax attorney.  In 1968, when I was able to afford it, I bought a new 280SE sedan.  My 280 was a great car- It was my main transportation for almost 20 years and I logged more than 350,000 miles before finally giving it to my son

            ..In the late 1960s and early 1970s, we had 3 or 4 family gatherings at the Fishers home, and Mr. Fisher Sr. would always take his son Jim and me out to his garage to show off his “pride and Joy”.  On those occasions I told him that if he ever wanted to sell the car, I would really like to buy it and keep it in the family.

            In 1976 or 1977, Mr. Fisher passed away.  Mrs. Fisher was not comfortable driving the car and neither of their children had an interest in it,  So in 1978, my brother in law called me and, recalling our conversations, asked if I would like to buy it. I jumped at the chance.  On March 13, 1978, my wife and I flew to Carmel, California (where Mrs. Fisher and her daughter and son in law then living) bought the car and drove it back to Tacoma.  That drive from Carmel to Tacoma was the only road trip which I have ever taken in the car .At the time I took over the car, it had been driven 97,851 miles.

 

THE LAST THIRTY SIX YEARS – 1978 – 2014

            As soon as we arrived in Tacoma, I took the car in to Doxon Motors, then the Tacoma Mercedes dealer, and had the Doxon service department service and inspect it. Doxons reported that the car was in good overall condition.

   I then turned the car over to my friend, Ray Johnson for all maintenance.  Ray had been the Manager of Doxon Motors Service Department before leaving to start his own shop, Ray Johnson Import Service.  From 1979 until 1993, when Ray retired, he did all of the maintenance work on the car.  I was careful to get it in for service on schedule.

            Since I have owned it, the car has never been used as basic transportation.  I drove my 280SE and my wife had her own car. The only use we have made of the roadster over the years has been for pleasure trips around town on sunny days, usually with the top down.  Except for a few trips to our summer home in the San Juan Islands, the car has never left the Tacoma-Seattle area. I never drove it on rainy days or even if there was a threat of rain.

            We have a three-car garage at our home, and the roadster has always been kept in our garage.  In the off-seasons, I normally kept it covered.

            Since Ray Johnson’s retirement, I have used 3 or 4 other shops to service the car.  These include Mercedes Auto Service in Tacoma, Doktor Tim (a mechanic specializing in German cars) and more recently, a very good mechanic who I located at Precision Tune Auto Care.

            Right now, the car seems to me to be in good mechanical condition. The odometer now reads just a little over 130,000 miles, which means that over the last 36 years, I have driven just less than 1000 miles per year.  Even at my age, the car is still fun to drive.  Like Sr,, my 190 has, over the years, been my “pride and joy” and , in a way, I hate to think of selling it.  However, I recently celebrated my 87th birthday and, realistically, it is time. Hopefully we can find a new owner who will enjoy the car as much as Mr. Fisher and I have.

Service history:

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
 

Service #

  		 

Recommended 

  		 

 

  		 

Date

  		 

Actual

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

 

  		 

Mileage

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

Mileage

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

1

  		 

300

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

2

  		 

1900

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

3

  		 

3800

  		 

 

  		 

11/23/60

  		 

3875

  		 

Doxon   Motors,Tacoma

 
 

4

  		 

5700

  		 

 

  		 

5/7/61

  		 

6079

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

5

  		 

7600

  		 

 

  		 

8/29/61

  		 

8242

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

6

  		 

9500

  		 

 

  		 

11/29/61

  		 

9930

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

7

  		 

11400

  		 

 

  		 

12/27/61

  		 

13071

  		 

West Texas Imports

  		 

 

 
 

8

  		 

13300

  		 

 

  		 

1/29/62

  		 

16032

  		 

Paramount Motors San Francisco

 
 

9

  		 

15200

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

10

  		 

17100

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

11

  		 

19000

  		 

 

  		 

5/11/62

  		 

18104

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

12

  		 

20900

  		 

 

  		 

8/31/62

  		 

20339

  		 

Topping Motors-Tacoma

 
 

13

  		 

22800

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

14

  		 

24700

  		 

 

  		 

5/20/63

  		 

24781

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

15

  		 

26600

  		 

 

  		 

8/16/63

  		 

26789

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

16

  		 

28500

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

17

  		 

30400

  		 

 

  		 

11/26/63

  		 

31737

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

18

  		 

32300

  		 

 

  		 

3/26/64

  		 

32982

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

19

  		 

34200

  		 

 

  		 

6/22/64

  		 

34953

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

20

  		 

36100

  		 

 

  		 

9/29/64

  		 

36792

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

21

  		 

38000

  		 

 

  		 

12/11/64

  		 

40907

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

22

  		 

39900

  		 

 

  		 

4/5/65

  		 

42819

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

23

  		 

41800

  		 

 

  		 

4/23/65

  		 

44779

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

24

  		 

43700

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

25

  		 

45600

  		 

 

  		 

8/12/65

  		 

46688

  		 

Topping

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

26

  		 

47500

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

27

  		 

49400

  		 

 

  		 

11/16/65

  		 

49827

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

28

  		 

51300

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

Edel   Motors, Tucson

  		 

 

 
 

29

  		 

53200

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

Edel   Motors, Tucson

  		 

 

 
 

30

  		 

55100

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

 

 
 

31

  		 

57000

  		 

 

  		 

5/10/66

  		 

57248

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

32

  		 

58900

  		 

 

  		 

 

  		 

58700

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 
 

33

  		 

60800

  		 

 

  		 

1/10/67

  		 

60846

  		 

Doxon   Motors

  		 

 

 

 

MILEAGE     DATE

 97851              3/13/78            -Purchased from Mrs. Fisher 98806              3/17/78        Car serviced and inspected by Doxon Motors, Tacoma MB                                                     dealer.      Doxon  then appraised at $5500  to  $6000

 99767                5/31/79            Ray Johnson Import Service (former mgr of Doxon                                                            Motors service-dept)- Overall inspection -C service -                                                            replace muffler and exhaust system,fix tach,free up                                                               heater cables

Glass.   Straighten dents.- cut out all                                                             rusted areas

reweld as required,incl.zinc chromate                                                     primer.  sandblast– paint  complete in lacquer to match                                                        original color-  undercoat complete. –

       9/5/79               Randolphs  - manufacture and  install lnew battery case

                      9/14/79            Doxon Moters – parts:  floor mats, etc.

Ray Johnson Import Service bills-1980-1993:

 101418                4/2/80  D Service

                            5/19/80                        Lube tach  tighten transmission bolts

101565                8/15/80 Replace thermostat and 2 hoses

102062             11/21/80 Install rebuilt starter

102927               4/21/81 C service – Replace fuel pump and filter

102738              11/18/81 C service –torque head and adjust valves –new temp.guage

9/10/82 C service – overhaul carburetor

                     11/16/82 check brake system –replace r r wheel cylinder and master                                                                        cylinder           Free up emer.brake cable

   9/22/83            Replace seals

107014              1/19/84   C service

 107139               8/14/84  Repair generator and  charging system –New  battery

107214                9/12/84   tune up     adjust carburetor

107516             6/11/86   C service     repair tach

107741             8/12/87    new Mikuni  carburetor – service front brakes

111776             11/23/88    C Service

 Note: car garaged from 1988 to 1993

 1/11/93    Ray Johnson    C service     replace radiator hose

112000    11/23/93    Ray Johnson   complete  valve job

 Note: Ray retired in 1993

112408                BP   LOF

118391               2/16/96     BP  LOF   fix cooling system leak     pack wheel bearings

118399              11/9/96    Rogers Safety system   align front end

 118500             11/13/96       4 new radial tires

121977                                       BP   LOF    

                        3/26/97            Bill Hirsch      new soft top

123660             10/3/97     Mercedes Auto Service.Tacoma ( MAS)

                                              E Service- plugs,valves,,trans fluid,fixed fuel leak

 123716              11/5/97  ( MAS) replace fan belt

                           1/7/98    (MAS)  replace U joint in drive line

 125540              5/6/98   (MAS) replace shift bushing- adjust carb.

1266444             8/26/99    BP    new starter

                                               6\19\2000     BP   complete brake job

127600             1\25\01  Doktor Tim (Mercedes mechanic) adjust starter

 128000             6\13\01    Dr Tim    tune up-compression test-fix fuel leak

128029               8\2\01  Dr Tim     new clutch

 128358                11\14\01     BP   LOF

 Note: car not used from 2004 to 2008

129390               2\2\08   Precision Tune –Lakewood  (PT)---Premium plus oil change –                                                     new battery-brake inspection- new brake shoes

 129406               3\1\08   PT   carburetor work:  new radiator

                    4\12\08  PT  new fuel pump

129416               5\8\09    PT  New muffler -  clean out fuel tank and system

 129442               6\23\09  PT  clean out and adjust carb-repair heater core

 129865              5\14\12  PT  LOF

Note: car not driven 2010-13

Note: as of  6\10\2014, mileage is 130,321   

 

Please note: we cannot except Paypal on a sale of this size, a $500.00 deposit is required via paypal within 24 hours of the sale, the remainder would be paid by certified funds, or direct bank wire.