1984 Nürburgring Niki Lauda Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16

The Ultimate Gathering of F1 Royalty
On May 12, 1984, Mercedes-Benz orchestrated what is still regarded as the greatest assembly of Formula 1 champions in motorsport history. Dubbed the “Nürburgring Champions’ Cup,” this 12-lap exhibition race served a dual purpose: christening the newly redesigned Nürburgring Grand Prix track and debuting the brand’s latest performance saloon, the 190 E 2.3-16. With the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio presiding as master of ceremonies, the 20-car grid was a who’s who of racing, featuring nine of the twelve living F1 titleholders alongside a mix of active grand prix drivers and local track experts.

Rivals in the Making
While the drivers initially viewed the event as a lighthearted promotional exercise, the grid contained the ingredients for explosive competition. Among the entrants was McLaren’s Alain Prost, an established star with 11 victories to his name, and his teammate Niki Lauda, already a two-time world champion. Neither man realized they were destined to fight down to the wire for the 1984 F1 Drivers’ Championship, which Lauda would eventually steal from Prost by a devastating half-point.

Also in the mix was a virtually unknown, fearless rookie named Ayrton Senna, who had ironically failed to qualify for the San Marino Grand Prix just a week prior. Before this weekend, Prost and Senna were strangers; by the end of the race, the seeds of motorsport’s most bitter rivalry would be sown.

The Sport-Technik 190 E 2.3-16s
To prepare for the race, Gerhard Lepler of Mercedes-Benz Sport-Technik pulled 21 units of the new 190 E 2.3-16 straight from the assembly line. They were systematically transformed into track weapons. Modifications included bolt-in roll cages, revised suspensions, upgraded exhaust systems, four-piston front brakes, Pirelli racing slicks, twin Recaro seats with six-point harnesses, and a shorter 4.08-ratio final drive. Interestingly, period documentation reveals that these 21 exhibition cars were fitted with different engines than those listed on their original factory build sheets.

The Rain-Soaked Showdown
When the green flag dropped in wet conditions, the casual atmosphere instantly evaporated. Prost started from pole position but was shunted from behind by Elio de Angelis on the opening lap. By lap three, the rookie Senna made his presence known, executing a ruthlessly aggressive maneuver that forced Prost off the tarmac and handed Senna the lead. For the final eight laps, Senna and the veteran Lauda engaged in a spectacular dogfight. They swapped the lead multiple times before the young Brazilian finally broke away, crossing the finish line just 1.58 seconds ahead of the Austrian.

The Surviving Artifacts
Once the promotional dust settled, Mercedes-Benz took 19 of the 21 cars, reverted them to factory street specifications, and sold them off to VIPs and dealers. Only the two podium-topping cars driven by Senna and Lauda were preserved in their exact racing configurations. Because Senna’s winning chassis has remained locked away in the Mercedes-Benz Museum since day one, the Lauda car represents the sole “as-raced” survivor available in private hands.

The Provenance of the Lauda Chassis
The historical paper trail for Lauda’s car is impeccable. First registered by Mercedes-Benz in April 1984 under the plate “S-HH-7837,” it was sold in February 1985 to fashion heir Jochen Holy. After a brief six-month stint, it changed hands to an enthusiast in Mannheim, before ultimately crossing the border to a collector in Vienna, Austria.

In a highly poignant moment in October 2016, Niki Lauda was reunited with his 1984 race car for the final time, leaving his signature across its roof. The following year, Mercedes-Benz Classic in Stuttgart treated the vehicle to a meticulous, ground-up recommissioning before it was acquired by The Iseli Collection in 2018.

In September 2019, The Iseli Collection facilitated a reunion between the Lauda and Senna cars at the Mercedes-Benz depot in Sindelfingen. While Lauda was scheduled to attend the historic photoshoot, he tragically passed away just months prior. Today, this extraordinary machine is celebrated as a crown jewel of touring car history, having been featured heavily by major automotive outlets like evo and Petrolicious, and exhibited alongside Senna’s winner by Mercedes-Benz Classic.