1991 Honda NSX Auto

In the care of the vendor for the past 4 years, this 1991 Japanese Honda NSX is finished in red with a black interior. Fastidiously maintained, it benefits from having been upgraded to the later ABS braking system and fitted with larger 16- and 17-inch OE alloy wheels, both of which are hideously expensive but greatly improve the car’s dynamic ability.

With only 34,000 miles on the odometer, the vendor had it vetted prior to purchase by his trusted mechanic and his son – and given the latter is a professional racing driver who was a test driver in F1 in the early 2000s and has spent the past seven years racing in Super GT in Japan, it’s probably fair to say he knows a good car when he drives one…

With two verified owners in Japan, the NSX was imported into the United Kingdom in 2015, at which point the vendor purchased it, making him the car’s sole UK owner. Only for sale because he simply doesn’t use it as much as he thought he would – the online MOT record shows that it has done only 775 miles since 2017 – this is your chance to get your hands on a well-sorted example of the car that served as inspiration for the legendary McLaren F1…

The combination of the red coachwork and the black roof and wheels serves to emphasis the car’s distinctive, aerodynamic profile. It’s in great shape too; while the aluminium panels mean there’s no chance of rust they do tend to dent easily, which is why it’s so nice to see such straight ones on this car.

It’s almost completely free of stonechips and other marks too, and sports tight, even shutlines and panel gaps; this is a car with no story to tell - and when you’re considering buying a supercar that’ll never see 30 again, the absence of an interesting back-story is vital.

Not that it is completely standard, but then that’s okay too because the world has moved on since it was first designed, something Honda embraced in-period as the NSX evolved.

So, the brakes have been upgraded to the larger 95-MY type, which allows the later 16- and 17-inch, seven-spoke OE wheels to be used in place of the earlier 15- and 16-inch items. The vendor describes these wheels as being “as rare as rocking horse poo” going on to say that he thinks Honda charge around £5,000 for a set. They’re shod with matching Maxxis tyres too, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The headlights have also been updated with a Xenon upgrade and booster. The vendor reports that they work extremely well and are a huge improvement on the stock bulbs.

Work to do? Well, the paint is peeling off a couple of the alloy wheels but that’s a minor issue and one that can wait to be resolved.

The black leather interior might show its age thanks to the ruched leather door cards but its condition otherwise belies its three decades. The distinctive, figure-hugging seats are only very lightly patinated but then that’s what you get when Japanese build quality meets three owners and only a thousand miles a year.

Not that the NSX is without its faults: The built-in Honda Bose radio/cassette player is notorious for failing, so potential bidders will be pleased to hear that this one has already been rebuilt by a specialist in 2017 and now works perfectly. Wonderfully, the Honda still has the Japanese mini-CD system fitted in the glovebox, too.

The air-conditioning system was serviced and charged in August 2017, so it now blows nice and cold. This is another significant point, as the air-conditioning system is another known weakness and repairing it can mean removing the entire dashboard assembly, which isn’t the sort of job you undertake lightly…

Other than these points, everything is as you would expect on such a pampered, low-mileage car. It looks great, works as it should, and demonstrates that a mid-engined supercar can be as easy to drive as a family saloon.

Oh, and it even still has the standard toolkit, complete with a can of tyre sealer.

The owner had his local Honda dealer check the car’s compression at the same time as it changed the camshaft timing belt in September 2016. It arrived at 223, 220, 225, 225, 223, 225, which is pretty damned good for an older car.

The anti-lock braking system (ABS) has been upgraded to the third generation, 95-MY type. One of us had this very modification carried out on their own car and can attest that while it is an expensive modification it is a hugely worthwhile upgrade. As the chairman of Honda NSX club describes it: "Very lucky if you have the latest upgraded ABS on your NSX. Mega expensive but well worth it and I upgraded mine many years ago.”

Of course, it drives as it should and reminds us all that Honda really did set a new standard for drivability, ergonomics and handling all those years ago.

The engine bay is neat and tidy, and the underside of the NSX is in a remarkably clean condition. While the aluminium suspension components on so many UK cars have corroded, the ones here are vibrant and still wear their original factory paint indicator marks.

The Honda’s MOT certificate expires in September 2020 and, as might be expected given its history and mileage, was gained without a single advisory point.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage. The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the recent work that has been done to it.

The Japanese ‘preservation record’ shows the car was used by Kuzumi Shizuka from 1991 through to 1999, and Yasuda Tomotada from 1999 to 2015. It was exported in 2015 to the UK at which time the vendor purchased it.

The NSX also comes with three keys and a genuine UK owner’s handbook, something that enthusiasts will know is rare.

NB: The owner had the speedometer converted to mph in 2016, at which point it was showing 52,940km, or 32,902 miles. The current corrected mileage is 35,138.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained in recent years to the very highest standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

Autocar pitted the original NSX against the brand-new Porsche Cayman GT4 only a couple of years ago – and the NSX won, with the author writing: “The NSX is a car of such singular vision and execution that its place in our folklore can never have been in doubt. Even now, it feels like it must have been designed and developed in a vacuum – come from an entirely different place from every European mid-engined rival and predecessor, with very different priorities, each of them delivered on spectacularly well. This is a car I could own and drive for ever.”

And, as well as being fabulous to drive, the NSX should prove to be a good investment. After some reached a six-figure high only a couple of years ago, they’ve dropped back a little now making them ridiculously good value for money.

Our guide price of £29,000 to £37,000 reflects the car’s automatic gearbox, but even thus equipped, it is still a staggeringly good car to drive and its condition – and well-judged, Honda-approved upgrades - makes it one for the enthusiast with their eye on future values.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.