MERCEDES-BENZ: The Fifties, Volume 1
Introduction
Introduction
© 2024 Bernd S. Koehling
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
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Excerpts from the book:
Mercedes 190 SL
Life for the "little SL" did not start easy. Not that it was the black sheep in the family, but it was not the white swan either. It was the smaller brother of a show star that had been sent to a gifted cosmetic surgeon to make it look similar. That beauty was just skin deep, because underneath it did not offer the talent of a thoroughbred, it carried the genes of a reliable, hard working farm horse>>>
<<<Daimler-Benz, which did not have a presence of any significance in the US, of course listened to what Mr. Hoffman had to tell them, but the answer of head of development Dr. Fritz Nallinger did not really please Hoffman at all. Because in a meeting between Hoffman and Daimler-Benz board members in Stuttgart on Sept. 2nd 1953, it was suggested to use the platform of the Mercedes 180 ponton sedan. Of course he was familiar with that car and that is why he did not like the idea at all to share those genes with his suggested design of a more affordable sports car. And when Nallinger later showed Max Hoffman the Daimler-Benz’ concept of a lower priced convertible based on the 180 sedan body, Hoffman in his famous direct approach to things he did not like, just replied: “Das wird nichts” or “Nothing will come of that”. And of course he would have been right, had the project pushed through>>>
What does the book offer:
Updated in Sept. 2021, this 180-page book gives you all the facts about the 190SL. These are some of the topics covered:
· the development and history of the 190SL, all upgrades included
· a comprehensive buyer's guide shows you, what to look out for
· chassis number and data card are explained in great detail
· over 90 mostly recent non-Daimler AG color photos highlight many interesting features, this includes pictures of the suspension and it
· covers the car's short racing activity with rare b/w photos.
All technical features and the paint options are listed. A separate chapter is devoted to Max Hoffman, who was instrumental in the car's development. Enjoy!
Interested to read more about the 190SL Mercedes? Please go here for the printed book and e-book. If you do not live in the US, please select it from your respective country website of amazon.
Mercedes 190 SL
Life for the "little SL" did not start easy. Not that it was the black sheep in the family, but it was not the white swan either. It was the smaller brother of a show star that had been sent to a gifted cosmetic surgeon to make it look similar. That beauty was just skin deep, because underneath it did not offer the talent of a thoroughbred, it carried the genes of a reliable, hard working farm horse>>>
<<<Daimler-Benz, which did not have a presence of any significance in the US, of course listened to what Mr. Hoffman had to tell them, but the answer of head of development Dr. Fritz Nallinger did not really please Hoffman at all. Because in a meeting between Hoffman and Daimler-Benz board members in Stuttgart on Sept. 2nd 1953, it was suggested to use the platform of the Mercedes 180 ponton sedan. Of course he was familiar with that car and that is why he did not like the idea at all to share those genes with his suggested design of a more affordable sports car. And when Nallinger later showed Max Hoffman the Daimler-Benz’ concept of a lower priced convertible based on the 180 sedan body, Hoffman in his famous direct approach to things he did not like, just replied: “Das wird nichts” or “Nothing will come of that”. And of course he would have been right, had the project pushed through>>>
What does the book offer:
Updated in Sept. 2021, this 180-page book gives you all the facts about the 190SL. These are some of the topics covered:
· the development and history of the 190SL, all upgrades included
· a comprehensive buyer's guide shows you, what to look out for
· chassis number and data card are explained in great detail
· over 90 mostly recent non-Daimler AG color photos highlight many interesting features, this includes pictures of the suspension and it
· covers the car's short racing activity with rare b/w photos.
All technical features and the paint options are listed. A separate chapter is devoted to Max Hoffman, who was instrumental in the car's development. Enjoy!
Interested to read more about the 190SL Mercedes? Please go here for the printed book and e-book. If you do not live in the US, please select it from your respective country website of amazon.
The following videos are copied from youtube for your viewing pleasure. Some of them contain cars filmed by commercial vendors. I am not associated with them