Ayrton Senna’s NSX heading under the hammer at auction

A Honda NSX used by Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna could fetch up to £800,000 when it goes to auction in October.

The 1991 car was used by Senna as his personal vehicle in Europe, having been provided to him by Honda during his time with the F1 team. By that point, Senna had already amassed two F1 Drivers’ titles.

In total, Honda provided three NSXs to Senna for personal use, with two black models contrasting this car – chassis number T000233 – which was finished in Formula Red with a contrasting black roof and full black leather interior.

The NSX was stored in Lisbon and delivered to Senna each time he arrived in the country. With it, Senna would drive to his races, including the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril. It also made a starring role in the 1992 documentary ‘Ayrton Senna: Racing Is In My Blood’.

Ten months after Senna was tragically killed at Imola, the car was registered in Lisbon and was still under the care of Honda Motor Europe’s Nipomotor dealership by September 1997.

From there, it went through two more owners and found itself in teh UK, where it was registered for road use in 2016. The NSX also visited Imola in 2019, marking 25 years since Senna’s fatal crash. Minardi F1 team founder Giancarlo Minardi was behind the wheel during the tribute drive. It has since been returned to its native Japan.

Now up for auction by RM Sotheby’s, the NSX is accompanied by a full warranty book and ownership history, along with a fax from Honda confirming Senna’s connection with the car.

It carries an estimate of between £500,000 and £800,000 and is set to go under the hammer on October 31 as part of RM Sotheby’s Peninsula Auction in London.