The 190 SL presented an attractive, more affordable alternative to the exclusive and iconic 300SL, sharing its basic styling, engineering, detailing, and fully independent suspension. Instead of the 300 SL’s expensive purpose-built W198 tubular spaceframe, the 190 SL’s R121 structure used a shortened unitary floorpan modified from the W121 base saloon “Ponton”. The 190 SL presented an independent design that clearly set it apart from its predecessor, the W 121 Ponton sedan.