Few road cars are linked as closely to a Formula 1 legend as the Honda NSX is to Ayrton Senna. One of the three examples supplied for his personal use is now heading to RM Sotheby’s London auction, where it is expected to sell for between £500,000 and £800,000.
The 1991 NSX, chassis T000233, was kept in Portugal for Senna to use whenever he visited the country. Finished in Formula Red with a contrasting black roof and black leather interior, it became one of the most recognizable cars associated with the three-time Formula 1 World Champion.
This is the NSX seen in the documentary Ayrton Senna: Racing Is In My Blood, where Senna spun its rear tires for the camera. It is also the car from the famous photographs showing him casually washing it with a garden hose, earning it the nickname of the “hosepipe” NSX among enthusiasts.
After passing through several owners and countries over the decades, the Honda will cross the block at The London Auction on October 31, 2026. Its next buyer will acquire a valuable collector car, although its history deserves long-term preservation rather than treatment as a rapidly appreciating commodity.
Senna Helped Shape The Honda NSX
Senna’s connection with Honda extended well beyond receiving company cars. His relationship with the Japanese manufacturer began during his time with Lotus and deepened after he joined the Honda-powered McLaren team for the 1988 Formula 1 season.
While Honda was developing the NSX, Senna was invited to evaluate an early prototype. He reportedly described the chassis as feeling “a little fragile,” prompting engineers to increase structural rigidity by approximately 50 percent and revise the suspension setup.
His contribution was only one part of a much larger engineering program, yet it became an important chapter in the NSX story. The resulting production car earned widespread respect for combining exotic-car performance with predictable handling, everyday usability, and the reliability expected from a Honda.
The Red NSX Was Kept For Him In Portugal
Honda provided Senna access to three NSXs for personal use under an arrangement with the driver. Two were black, while chassis T000233 was configured in Formula Red and imported by Honda Automobil de Portugal.
The car was registered on March 22, 1991, under the Portuguese registration SX-25-59. It was stored in Lisbon and made available whenever Senna arrived in the country, where he owned a home in the Quinta do Lago resort.
Senna drove the NSX to the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, where he qualified third and finished second. Its appearances in period footage and photographs helped turn it into a recognizable artifact from his life away from the Formula 1 paddock.
A Carefully Documented Ownership History
The NSX remained in Portugal after Senna’s death in 1994. Records indicate that it was registered to Laboa Etablissement in Lisbon in February 1995 and was later cared for by Honda dealership Nipomotor.
It was purchased by the owner of MSCAR Comércio de Automóveis in Faro in 2009 before being acquired by Robert McFagan in 2013. The car was transported to the United Kingdom and registered for road use there in May 2016.
In 2019, it returned to Imola to mark 25 years since Senna’s fatal accident, with former Formula 1 team owner Giancarlo Minardi behind the wheel. The current owner acquired it in 2024 and brought it to Nagoya, Japan, before returning it to the UK for the upcoming sale.
The accompanying documentation includes its warranty book, Portuguese ownership records, and a copy of a Honda fax confirming the car’s Senna provenance. RM Sotheby’s also states that Honda Motor Europe has reaffirmed its historical connection to the Brazilian driver.
An Important Car That Should Be Preserved
According to The Drive, this NSX was previously offered for sale in 2024 with an asking price of $623,000, far above that of an ordinary early example. Its latest auction estimate demonstrates how strongly the market values direct links to Senna, particularly when attached to a model he helped develop.
Its financial value is understandable, although the car’s significance goes beyond its potential return as an investment. Originality, documentation, and the physical traces of Senna’s use form an irreplaceable connection to one of motorsport’s most admired figures.
A sympathetic caretaker would preserve the car without erasing the details that make it historically meaningful. Displaying it at significant Honda, Formula 1, and Senna-related events would also allow enthusiasts to appreciate it rather than leaving it hidden in a private collection.
The Next Owner Will Hold A Piece Of F1 History
Plenty of cars can claim celebrity ownership, but this NSX has a deeper connection to its famous driver. Senna influenced the model’s development, drove this particular example regularly, and was captured enjoying it in moments that felt far removed from the intensity of Grand Prix racing.
That combination makes chassis T000233 one of the most important road-going Hondas in existence. Its next owner will not simply be buying an early NSX in a desirable color, but accepting responsibility for a tangible part of Senna’s personal and professional legacy.
The upcoming sale may establish another major price for a Senna-related car. The better outcome, however, would be for the red NSX to find a stable home with someone prepared to preserve, use, and share it with the respect its remarkable history deserves.