LONDON, November 5, 2026: A red 1991 Honda NSX once driven by legendary Formula 1 champion Ayrton Senna has sold for approximately $1.17 million at auction in London, setting a new public auction record for the Japanese sports car.
The vehicle fetched £871,250 at RM Sotheby’s London auction on October 31, exceeding its estimated selling price of £500,000 to £800,000. The sale narrowly surpassed the previous record held by a Honda NSX Type R, which reportedly sold for around $1.164 million.
The Formula Red sports car was supplied by Honda for Senna’s personal use in Portugal during his Formula 1 career with McLaren-Honda. Registered in March 1991, the vehicle carries chassis number T000233 and its original Portuguese registration, SX-25-59.
Senna drove the car while staying at his property in Portugal’s Quinta do Lago resort. He also used it to travel to the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, where he finished second.
The NSX appeared in the 1992 documentary Ayrton Senna: Racing Is In My Blood and became widely recognised through photographs showing the Brazilian racing legend washing the vehicle with a garden hose.
Unlike rare performance-oriented versions of the NSX, the auctioned vehicle was a standard first-generation road car. Its exceptional selling price was largely attributed to its documented association with the three-time Formula 1 world champion.
Senna also played a role in developing the original Honda NSX. During testing at Japan’s Suzuka Circuit in 1989, he provided feedback on the car’s handling and chassis rigidity, contributing to improvements made before production.
The 1991 NSX featured a mid-mounted 3.0-litre V6 engine producing approximately 271 brake horsepower, paired with a five-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
Following Senna’s death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the car remained in Portugal before passing through several owners.
It was acquired by Robert McFagan in 2013 and later transported to Britain. In 2019, the vehicle returned to Imola for an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of Senna’s death.
A Japanese collector subsequently acquired the car in 2024 before it returned to Britain for the October 2026 auction.
According to auction documentation, the vehicle retains ownership records, its warranty book and Honda documentation establishing its connection to Senna.
The record-breaking sale highlights the premium collectors place on historically significant vehicles with verified links to motorsport legends.