Here is a piece of machinery that simply demands your attention: a 1991 Honda NSX previously owned by three-time Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna is heading to an auction in London on 31 October, as Motorsport.com reports. If you have anywhere between £500,000 and £800,000 lying around, you could own a genuine slice of racing history.
This specific car, chassis T000233, wears a gorgeous Formula Red coat with a contrasting black roof and was one of only three NSX models allocated to the Brazilian legend. Under the engine cover sits a six-cylinder three-litre engine pushing out 271bhp, launching the car from 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds all the way to a top speed of 165mph. According to the official auction listing from RM Sotheby's, the car was originally imported by Honda Automobil de Portugal, registered on 22 March 1991 with the number “SX-25-59”, and kept in Lisbon waiting for Senna whenever he flew into the country.
Following Senna's tragic passing at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the NSX stayed in Portugal until it was sold to Robert McKagan and shipped to the UK. A subsequent sale in 2024 took the car back to Japan with new owners before it was once again imported back to the UK for this upcoming sale.
What makes this machine truly special isn't just the famous name on the previous logbook, but the fact that Senna himself helped shape it. He was heavily involved in testing the Honda NSX while the Japanese manufacturer chased down Ferrari and Porsche, famously putting the car through its paces at the Suzuka Circuit where he candidly described the early chassis as "a little fragile". That exact feedback forced Honda's engineers back to the drawing board to stiffen the frame by 50 per cent and sharpen up the suspension tuning.
To cap it all off, this very car even featured in the 1992 documentary Racing Is in My Blood. For collectors eyeing RM Sotheby's The London Auction 2026, the NSX will share space with other dream machines like a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT, a 2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie Coupe, a 1988 Ferrari F40, and a 1994 Lamborghini Diablo SE30.
