The three-time Formula 1 World Champion’s iconic Formula Red NSX – chassis T000233 – goes under the hammer at The Peninsula London, estimated between £500,000 and £800,000.

Few relationships in motoring history carry as much romantic weight as the bond between Ayrton Senna and the Honda NSX. The Japanese brand gave the world a usable supercar, but it was Senna’s razor-sharp feedback on chassis stiffness at Suzuka that honed the machine into an absolute masterclass. Now, collectors have the opportunity to acquire a direct physical link to that legacy: Senna’s personal 1991 Honda NSX is heading to auction in the heart of London.

RM Sotheby’s will present the historic supercar at its flagship UK sale, hosted at The Peninsula London on 31 October 2026. Estimated at £500,000–£800,000, the car represents far more than low mileage or rare factory specifications; it is an undeniable piece of cultural and motorsport history.

The European Companion of a World Champion

At the dawn of 1991, Senna was already a two-time Drivers’ World Champion with McLaren-Honda and embarking on the dominant campaign that would net his third title. Under an agreement between Honda Motor Company and the Brazilian legend, three NSXs were allocated for his personal use.

While two black cars remained elsewhere, chassis number T000233 was delivered directly to Europe. Finished in classic Formula Red with a contrasting black roof over black leather, the car was imported by Honda Automobil de Portugal and registered on 22 March 1991 under the plate SX-25-59.

Stationed in Lisbon, the car served as Senna’s primary transport during the European leg of the 1991 season, kept at his home in the Quinta do Lago resort in the Algarve. He routinely used it to travel to race weekends, including driving this exact vehicle to the 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril, where he qualified third and finished second on the podium.

Ken Saito ©2026 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Film, Fame, and The Hosepipe Photo

Chassis T000233 is cemented in motoring pop culture. It starred alongside Senna in the 1992 documentary Ayrton Senna: Racing Is in My Blood, captured on film with the champion dumping the clutch and spinning its rear wheels. It is also the very car featured in the widely recognized photograph of Senna dressed casually in jeans and a button-down shirt, washing his red supercar with a garden hose outside his home.

As Sholto Gilbertson, Director of Sales UK at RM Sotheby’s, observed:

“Senna’s legacy runs far deeper than his three world championships. His style and elegance are everlasting, and when you think of Senna—nonchalantly dressed in jeans, white socks and brown loafers behind the wheel of a road car—you think of an NSX. This is a wonderful opportunity to own a genuine piece of sporting and cultural history.”

Provenance and Global Journey

Following Senna’s tragic passing at Imola in May 1994, the car remained in Portugal, registered in Lisbon by Laboa Etablissement in February 1995. By late 1997, it had returned to the care of official Honda dealer Nipomotor, before being acquired in 2009 by the owner of MSCAR Comércio de Automóveis SA in Faro.

In 2013, UK collector Robert McFagan purchased the car, bringing it to Britain where it received UK road registration in May 2016. In 2019, the car made a emotional pilgrimage back to Imola to mark the 25th anniversary of Senna’s death, driven around the circuit by former Minardi F1 team principal Giancarlo Minardi. Most recently, chassis T000233 was acquired in 2024 by its current owner in Nagoya, Japan.

The lot is offered complete with its original warranty book, Portuguese registration history, and official documentation from Honda Motor Europe confirming its Senna provenance.

London Motor Week Anchor

The NSX will lead an impressive array of early consignments at RM Sotheby’s London Peninsula Auction, alongside classics such as a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso, a 2002 Ferrari 550 Maranello, a 1931 Invicta 4½-Litre S-Type, and an ultra-rare 1903 Clément AC4R.

Held in partnership with the Royal Automobile Club ahead of the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the sale stands as a key highlight of London Motor Week, bringing global attention to one of the most historically significant road cars ever to cross an auction block in the UK capital.

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