In 1983 there were 193 cars buggies and trucks along with 111 motorcycles entered into the rally. The team of Mercedes-Benz France had already placed third and fifth places in the 1982 event, out of the top ten there were two more 280 GEs and a Mercedes-Benz prototype. 

The near 12,000km route, depending on exactly which was you crossed the desert, took competitors from France via Algeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali and Mauritania to Senegal. Navigation is probably the most important thing on the rally and can be the difference between winning and losing. Or getting lost!

The top car team of Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur took an early lead with the 280 GE but before the end of the stage in Agadez (Niger), Ickx reported a severe loss of power from his engine.

The Mercedes pit crew swapped the entire engine with that of a teammate, which is allowed within the rules where major assemblies can be exchanged with another vehicle in the competition. After the change, the pace resumed.