A 1992 Honda NSX, formerly owned by legendary three time Formula One World Champion Ayrton Senna, is set to cross the auction the block at Silverstone Auctions’ Race, Retro and Classic Car Sale on February 22nd.
Close personal friend, manager and mentor of Senna, Antonio Carlos de Almeida Braga, purchased the car new for the famous driver to use when he visited his home in Portugal. The car remained in Braga’s garage following the tragic death of Senna at Imola in 1994, where it was not to be touched by anyone, let alone driven.
After sitting dormant for 2 years, it was eventually sold to an unknown buyer who kept it for a short time before selling it to the current owner.
“Very rarely does a car with such pedigree and provenance come to market, especially with such a powerful and personal link to arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time, and as such, we’re incredibly excited to offer it for auction,” said Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions.
Braga, making sure the car carried the same specification that Senna chose for his own NSX, ordered the car in black with a matching black leather interior and of course, a manual gearbox.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Senna’s death, which could spark additional interest in the auction. Senna was heavily involved in the development of the NSX, encouraging Honda engineers to stiffen the chassis after a testing session at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. He also tested the car on a variety of different circuits on numerous occasions, including the Nurburgring.
This pristine NSX has covered just 31,000 miles and is expected to fetch between £75,000 and £85,000 when it goes under the hammer next month.
