The Most Famous NSX In The World Goes Under The Hammer On October 31

Arguably the most famous 1991 Honda NSX on the planet is back on the market and heading to auction on October 31. This NSX, once owned by late Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna, could sell for between $700,000 and $1.1 million, far beyond the going rate of a normal NSX of this vintage.

The iconic Brazilian racing driver helped Honda develop the original NSX, and while competing with the McLaren-Honda team, he was provided with three NSXs for personal use. This red car, chassis number T000233, was stored in Lisbon, and every time Senna was in Portugal, it was delivered to him.

RM Sotheby’s/Ken Saito

Senna was pictured driving this very car to the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix, where he finished second. Perhaps even more notable was the car’s cameo in the Ayrton Senna: Racing Is In My Blood documentary, where he was pictured washing it with a hosepipe, an image which has become iconic in the history of the NSX.

Read: The Pininfarina NSX Tensei Saved Its Best Colors For Round Two

Following Senna’s death in 1994, the car was registered by a private company in Portugal before landing in the hands of Honda’s Nipomotor dealership in September 1997. It was later sold to a businessman in the local city of Faro before being purchased by Robert McFagan in 2013 and imported to the UK.

RM Sotheby’s/Ken Saito

In 2024, the car was listed for sale on AutoTrader, ultimately being acquired by an individual based in Nagoya, Japan. The car has since returned to the UK in preparation for October’s sale, handled by RM Sotheby’s.

As any original NSX, the car uses a 3.0-liter naturally aspirated V6 with 271 hp and 209 lb-ft (283 Nm) of torque. Drive is sent to the rear wheels courtesy of a five-speed manual transmission. The NSX proved that the Japanese could build a sports car to rival the very best from Europe, and Senna’s car is bound to remain the most valuable thanks to its original owner.

RM Sotheby’s/Ken Saito