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For many fans, Ayrton Senna is the greatest driver to ever get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 machine. His ability to get the most out of any car made him a legend, but his legacy extends beyond the track. Senna is one of the few racing drivers to have influenced the development of a road car—the Acura NSX. His personal NSX might seem like all a Senna superfan could want, but the people actually in a position to buy this valuable piece of F1 history apparently don’t appreciate its significance.
The red Honda NSX (as the supercar was badged outside the United States) that Senna used as his personal car in Europe came up for sale in April 2024 with an asking price of $623,000. Just two years later, it’s once again headed to a new home. The NSX will be part of an RM Sotheby’s auction in London on October 31, and is expected to sell for 500,000-800,000 British pounds. That’s approximately $665,000 to $1 million at current exchange rates. It’s looking like the current owner made a solid investment, but Senna’s NSX deserves to be so much more than an appreciating asset.
RM Sotheby’s
Before McLaren had its own supercars to give its drivers, the team raced with Honda power. In stark contrast to today, Honda’s engines were the class of the field in the 1980s, and Senna developed a close relationship with the Japanese automaker as a result. He had an opportunity to sample an NSX development mule and deemed the chassis “a little fragile,” leading engineers to stiffen it by 50% and rejigger the suspension, according to the auction listing. So Senna had a small but genuine role in making what is arguably one of the greatest driver’s cars of all time what it is.
Honda actually gifted Senna three cars—two black ones, and this 1991 left-hand-drive version in red. It was reportedly housed in Portugal from new for the three-time champion to use as-needed. And there’s reason to believe Senna drove it plenty. When not in Brazil, he spent most of his time in Portugal, which is a short plane ride from McLaren’s U.K. base. This was also back when Estoril hosted plenty of F1 testing—and racing.
AutoTrader UK
The car stayed in Portugal after Senna’s 1994 death, trading hands a few times before being sold to a U.K. owner in 2013. That owner listed it for sale in 2024 with 39,100 miles. RM Sotheby’s doesn’t state how much mileage has been added since its current owner bought it that year, but we do know that this owner had it shipped to Japan. It’s also unclear what condition the NSX is in, but it’s likely never been fully restored, which is probably for the best. The more original it is, the stronger the connection to Senna.
Any Senna fan would cherish the opportunity to own this car, but it’s just getting flipped like so many other investment-grade classics. It deserves a long-term home with someone who truly appreciates it.
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Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
