Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 16 W201 A. SENNA Nurburgring Cup 1

In 1984, Mercedes took advantage of the launch of the new Nürburgring circuit to run a marketing operation to promote its new car, the 190E. The "Race of Champions" featured twenty star drivers of the day, including Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, James Hunt, Sir Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Ayrton Senna and many others. The race was chaired by none other than Juan Manuel Fangio! The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 W201s were all the same, with a small race pack featuring a roll bar and a specific number for each driver. Niki Lauda led for a long time, but in the end it was the young Ayrton Senna who won this promotional race! The gamble paid off for Mercedes, and the 190E quickly became a flagship model.