1991 Honda NSX

Delivered new in Japan (RHD), subsequently moving to the USA and then Belgium

We are advised that the car drives very well. MOT valid until 18/09/2019

Very nicely presented with an excellent interior and tidy engine bay

Offered with an instruction manual (in Japanese) and the old US Certificate of Title

The legendary Honda NSX (standing for New Sportscar Experimental) was developed by the Honda Motor Corporation between 1984 and its eventual launch in 1990, with major chassis and suspension input from three times F1 World Champion, Ayrton Senna. The NSX featured a state of the art 3.0-litre V6 'VTEC' engine (variable valve timing) and an all-aluminium monocoque body, encompassing a revolutionary extruded aluminium alloy frame and suspension. This made the car very light and extremely strong. Despite being developed during F1's turbo era, the NSX's 24-valve 3.0-litre V6 engine was normally aspirated. Equipped with the new VTEC variable valve timing system, the all-alloy unit produced 270bhp initially, which was good enough for a top speed of 168mph and a 0-60mph time of less than six seconds. Those performance figures put the NSX on a par with Ferrari's 348 GTB, but in terms of comfort, ergonomics, driving dynamics, and build quality, the NSX was in a different league entirely. Sadly, this superiority was not translated into sales, and by the time production ceased in 2005 fewer than 20,000 NSXs had been sold.

A desirable pop-up headlamp model (later versions had fixed lamps) this right-hand drive NSX was delivered new in Japan, though details of its ownership history there are not known and there is no service history. In December 2017 the car moved from Japan to the USA and had one owner there before finding a new custodian in Belgium, who is selling it in the UK as the car is right-hand drive. The car's Red paintwork looks good and retains a decent shine as does the Black roof, a feature of the early NSXs. The cabin is upholstered in black leather, which remains very presentable as does all the switchgear. The engine bay is excellent, suggesting caring ownership, and the car sits on a set of very smart 10-spoke alloys. A fog light was added for the MOT test, which was passed on 19th September 2018 (expires 18/09/2019).

The vendor advises us that the NSX drives very well, its engine very smooth and the gearbox changing without hesitation. Last October the car was driven, without fault, to the Goodwood Breakfast Club to be displayed at their 'Japanese Sunday' event, a distance of some 40 miles. The odometer currently reads 61,000km (38,000miles) and the car is offered with an instruction manual (in Japanese) and the old US Certificate of Title. This smart NSX represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of the defining supercars of the 1990s at a very attractive estimate.