GENEVA: A Mercedes 190E saloon car once raced by grand prix star Niki Lauda is expected to reach up to €500,000 (RM2.5mil) at an auction in St. Moritz, Switzerland on Sept 15.

The four-door car is the only example of a batch of the humdrum saloon converted to racing trim and complete with roll-over cage ever to come up for sale. It is being auctioned at Sotheby's.

The car looks the part with Lauda lettering on the front doors and windscreen and a starting number 18 at the rear. It is finished in smoked silver.



At the heart of the 190E racer, designated as E2.3-16V, is an uprated version of the 2,299cc inline four-cylinder engine used in the regular 190 E.

Over the course of 12 laps in the Nürburgring-staged "Race of Champions" in May 1984, starters included Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Carlos Reutemann, Sir Stirling Moss, James Hunt and Keke Rosberg. Lauda was pipped to victory by Senna.

All 21 cars, except the two used by Lauda and Senna, were converted back to their original specifications and sold as used cars to dealers or brand VIPs. Senna's car was retained by Mercedes.

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