Ayrton Senna’s Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Could Be Yours at RM Sotheby’s
By Hugo Mattson August 28, 2025
Ayrton Senna’s personal Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth is heading to RM Sotheby’s London auction on November 1, 2025.
The car connects directly to Senna’s breakthrough 1984 Nürburgring Race of Champions victory, where he beat Lauda, Prost, and Reutemann.
Finished in Smoke Silver with full provenance and Lauda’s autograph, it carries an estimate of £220,000–£250,000 ($295k–$335k).
There aren’t many chances to own a car that once belonged to Ayrton Senna. This November in London, RM Sotheby’s is putting up a 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16. Not just any Cosworth, but Senna’s own Smoke Silver example.
The car’s story goes back to the Nürburgring in 1984, when Senna was still a rookie. He stunned the F1 establishment by beating Lauda, Prost and Reutemann in identical 190Es at the Race of Champions. That victory signaled what was coming. Soon after, Mercedes handed Senna one of his own. Delivered in Stuttgart with fellow Brazilian Maurício Gugelmin alongside him, it became his UK runabout, a proper Cosworth with a dogleg Getrag gearbox and all the right details.
This is more than provenance on paper. The engine bay carries Niki Lauda’s signature. The original paperwork, tool kit and Becker Mexico stereo are all still there. The odometer shows a little over 154,000 miles, proof that the car was driven and enjoyed rather than locked away.
On November 1 the hammer falls in London. The estimate is between £220,000 and £250,000 ($295k–$335k). But bidders won’t be paying for mileage or spec sheets. They’ll be paying to park a piece of Senna’s aura in their garage.
The 190E 2.3-16 was already a legend, built as a DTM-bred answer to BMW’s M3 with a Cosworth-developed head and serious motorsport credibility. With Senna’s name on the logbook, this particular car moves into another realm entirely.
