Why this $300,000 car has been left to rot in an Australian parking lot

This $300,000 car has been spotted left to rot in an Australian carpark. Photo: Facebook.

Abandoned cars are becoming a growing problem in Australia. Snap Send Solve, a free app that allows you to report issues with a photo directly to your local council, has received 16,613 reports of abandoned vehicles in 2025 alone.

Realistically, the number is even greater for cars that aren’t reported or are not logged through the app.

For the most part, these abandoned cars are damaged or have little to no value on the sales market, contributing further to a litter problem rather than disposing of them in a correct fashion.

So you can believe our shock when a $300,000 1960 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL was spotted rotting away in a Western Australian car park.

First rolling off the showroom floor in 1955, the 190 SL was the entry into the German brand’s flagship model – the 300 SL, best known for being optioned as a gullwinged coupe.

The six-figure car was a 1950s entry into the German brand's sports car line. Photo: Facebook.

Powered by a tiny 1.9-litre single overhead cam four-cylinder that produced just 77kW, the main allure to this vehicle came from its uber exclusivity and its gorgeous looks, dressed to the nines with everything from its round but sharp curves and red leather interior.

This car was a whopping $7225 on debut in Australia (about $120,000 adjusted for inflation) and came when the world was still trying to get back on its feet post WWII.

It is unknown how many came to Australia, but we know that 25,881 were built, 10,000 went to North America, and the other 15,000 were distributed around the world. It’s more than likely we received fewer than 1000.

The goalposts into ownership of more desirable models like the 300 SL moved back to high millions, which in turn boosted the value of these.

So why would anyone leave this gorgeous, high-value car sitting in a parking lot with dust and vandalism all around it?

Many have posted the abandoned 190 SL to social media. Photo: Facebook.

This car is not new to exotic vehicle spotters and consistently gets posted to Facebook groups full of like-minded enthusiasts.

After some internet sleuthing, we tracked the car back to a motel parking lot in Perth, Western Australia.

There is no interesting story or reason why it has been left to sit. Allegedly, it is simply just an owner of a motel who wants a place to store his car securely.

Many car spotters who have stayed at the accommodation have allegedly tried to contact and buy the vehicle to no avail. Others have mentioned that the owner has an impressive collection, including multiple 190 SLs.

We do know that the car has been sitting in the same spot for more than seven years – the earlier photos of it parked up are from 2019, and the registration has been expired for many years.

However, it could’ve been the best move for the owner, as pricing has more than tripled for 190 SLs in the time it has been parked.

The cheapest example currently on sale in Australia was $260,000, while other examples topped the scale at $370,000.

Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.

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