Someone Paid a Million Dollars for a Honda NSX – For a Good Reason

The standout story for car enthusiasts at RM Sotheby’s London sale wasn't the $11 million Ferrari or the $3.7 million Aston Martin Valkyrie. Nope. It was a Honda.

The recent record-setting event hosted the record-shattering sale of the 1991 Honda NSX, which achieved £871,250 (approximately $1,169,000 USD) to establish a new world auction record for the Honda NSX model.

The exceptional price was propelled by its provenance:

• Direct Ayrton Senna Ownership: Retained in period by the three-time Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion for his personal use while staying in Portugal.
• The "Hosepipe" Car: Widely recognized from iconic period photographs washing the car in his driveway and featured prominently in the documentary Ayrton Senna: Racing Is In My Blood.
• F1 History: Senna personally drove this exact vehicle to the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril.

Given Senna’s direct technical role in developing the original NSX chassis and dynamics, owning his personally driven example represented a once-in-a-generation piece of automotive history, driving fierce bidding well beyond typical market values for the model.

London Sale Highlights

Held at London’s Peninsula Hotel alongside The Royal Automobile Club and the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the sale achieved £36,550,950 with an 87.5% sell-through rate, becoming the highest-grossing collector car auction in UK history. Every vehicle in the top ten crossed the £1,000,000 threshold:

• Top Seller: The 2022 Ferrari Daytona SP3—a factory press and development car featured on BBC's Top Gear—led the entire event at £8,161,250 (approximately $10.9 million).
• Hypercar Record: A single-owner 2023 Aston Martin Valkyrie Coupé with just 300 km secured an auction record for the model at £2,761,250 (approx $3.7 million).
• Blue-Chip Classics: An early-production 1988 Ferrari F40 reached £2,591,500 (approx $3.5 million), a lightweight 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy brought £2,041,250 (approx $2.7 million), and a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS achieved a model-record £1,186,250 (approx $1.6 million).