Here’s Your Chance to Own the Ultimate Senna Souvenir: His Honda NSX
Ayrton Senna achieved star status pretty early on in his racing career for making crappy Formula 1 cars perform better than anyone could imagine. By the time he got to McLaren, he was already a global superstar loved by millions in his home country of Brazil and abroad. After his tragic death in 1994, everything Senna-related became collectible and highly sought-after. Well, that game peaks here, because Senna's 1991 Honda NSX is officially up for sale and ready to make a superfan's entire existence.
Listed by AutoTrader UK, the red Honda NSX was Senna's personal car in Europe. Specifically, this 1991 left-hand-drive model was reportedly housed in Portugal so the three-time world champion could use it as needed. Now, you may be thinking that as a result, the car mostly sat around and was barely driven. Not quite, as the listing claims its two owners have put 39,100 miles on it.
It's unclear how many of those miles Senna contributed to the sum, but I'd dare assume quite a few. When not in Brazil, Senna spent most of his time in Portugal, as he could quickly and easily commute to England by plane. It's known that he enjoyed the weather there and already spoke the language. Plus, back in the day, there was a lot of F1 testing (and racing) in Estoril.
Unlike today's McLaren factory drivers who parade around in their Arturas and Speedtails, back in the '90s, McLaren raced with Honda power. So, Senna was often seen in an NSX (and even a Civic CRX sometimes). For this reason, there's always been a bit of an emotional link between Senna and the mid-engine Japanese sports car. A few years back, I visited his memorial in Imola and came across photos left behind by NSX owners in Senna's honor.
The listing doesn't make a specific mention of the condition of the car, but let's face it, who cares? It's Senna's freaking NSX. Also, the car is going to be featured in a Senna exhibition during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this summer, so clearly it's not a turd. According to a letter shown in the listing's photos, the second owner appears to be a Honda dealer in Switzerland, so I'm sure the car's been absolutely babied.
I've seen all kinds of Senna memorabilia go through auction over the years, from helmets to gloves, and even some of his F1 cars. Frankly, all that stuff brings me sad vibes, and I personally wouldn't own any of it. His NSX, however—that hits differently. Chances are Senna enjoyed driving that car around Portugal with a smile on his face. That makes me happy, so if I had the roughly $623,000 the owner is asking, I'd happily pay it.
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