Following in the tire tracks of the 1450 S and 1834 S, the Atego race truck represented the third stage in the Mercedes-Benz race truck development program. In 1998, its first season, Ludovic Faure drove the Atego to the European Truck Racing Cup (ETRC) title in the Super Race Class for purpose-built race trucks. In 2000 the Atego finished runner up in the standings. Mercedes-Benz witBuhdrew from truck racing at the end of the 2001 season. The truck was powered by V6 engine providing output of 1100 kW (1495 hp).
In the 1999 ETRC season Atego was used by five teams – Tiger Racing Team Dehnhardt, Team Atkins Mobile, DKV M-Racing Motorsport, Hasseröder Team Muller, and Team Warsteiner. French driver Ludovic Faure was defending ETRC champion and drove car #1 for Tiger Team Denhardt. However, the 1999 season wasn’t good for him. Ludovic did not score any wins and finished the season 6th in the SRT (Super race Trucks) standings.
Faure was born in 1966, won the Volant Elf on the Paul Ricard circuit in 1986, raced in Formula Renault and Formula 3, being one of most promising young French Formula drivers. He was French Formula Renault Turbo Champion in 1988, 3rd in French F3 in 1989 and 2nd in 1990. His formula career ended in 1992 due to lack of sponsors, and Faure started truck racing in 1995 becoming an official Mercedes France driver in the team managed by Gérard Cuynet. He remained with Mercedes until 1997 when DAF recruited him. Unfortunately the reliability of the Dutch truck was disastrous and he signed for the 1998 season in the Tiger Racing Team Dehnhardt winning the championship. Faure remained in the Hans Dehnhard’s team until 2002, then briefly drove for Buggyra in 2004, finishing SRT runner-up a tough season against former Mercedes team-mate Markus Oestreich. In 2012 Faure briefly returned to French truck racing cup with Lion Truck Racing.
Mercedes Benz Atego racing car scale models in 1/43 was initially produced by Schuco in their Junior Line series, and then the same models were issued by Minichamps, High Speed and Corgi Toys.
| Season | Series | Event |
| 1999 | FIA ETR Cup | |
| Driver | No. | Entrant |
| Ludovic Faure | 11 | Tiger Racing Team Dehnhardt |
| Scale | Manufacturer | Collection |
| 1:43 | Minichamps | |
| Cat. No. | Quality | Rarity |
| 439999301 | 
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