The somewhat different Ring Taxi
04/01/2024
"If I want to drive a Mercedes, I'll call a cab." This common saying of mocking star deniers could soon become a joyful exclamation of motorsport joy. Last week, a cab company from Vienna announced that it had bought the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 at RM Sotheby's in September, in which Niki Lauda competed in the inaugural race of the new Nürburgring in 1984.
Although not equipped with a robust "oil engine" but with a sensitive sports engine, the smoky silver limousine will also be on duty as a taxi in the Austrian capital from May 20 (the fifth anniversary of Niki Lauda's death). In order to have an educational purpose as well as a driving service, a short documentary about Lauda's career can be shown on a screen in the rear.
Apart from this retrofit and the obligatory roof sign, the car remains unchanged in the condition in which it was driven to second place by Niki Lauda at the Nürburgring. This also means that motorsport enthusiasts will have to suffer a little for the sake of originality. Because the racing car was never originally intended as a cab, a strut of the roll cage crosses the rear footwell.
The choice of destination is left to the passenger - as in any other cab - whether it's just to the nearest supermarket, to Niki Lauda's final resting place at Heiligenstadt cemetery or simply for a quick spin around the Vienna Ring. In the latter case, the Nordschleife would no longer be the only famous circuit with a Ring Taxi.
Even if some people might call it wanton wear and tear on a historical artifact, we think the idea of the Lauda cab is a very good thing, as it keeps the memory of the Austrian triple Formula 1 world champion alive every day. If you don't want to wave your cab by the roadside in the old-fashioned way, you can already book a ride online. Advance booking could also be worthwhile due to the expected high demand ...
