Honda Motor Co. has announced plans to auction off engine parts from the Formula One car driven by the legendary Ayrton Senna during the 1990 season. The auction will take place in the United States in August, with smaller parts also being sold online starting at a price of several thousand yen, according to the company.
Honda’s involvement in Formula One reached its peak during the 1980s and 1990s, a period often regarded as the company’s golden era in the sport. Senna, who drove for McLaren Honda, won his first World Championship in 1988, a victory that helped solidify Honda’s reputation on the F1 circuit. He would go on to win two more World Championships, including one in 1990.
The Brazilian driver, widely regarded as one of the greatest in Formula One history, tragically lost his life in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
While Honda has preserved many of its iconic racing cars and parts from its F1 past, space limitations have made it difficult for the company to showcase them. By auctioning off these historical items, Honda aims to enhance its brand value and open new avenues for business by offering fans a chance to own a piece of motorsport history.
The company has also hinted at the possibility of selling entire engines and cars in the future. Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing, expressed the company’s belief that buyers will be drawn to the stories behind the engines, bodies, and parts. “We think those who find value in the stories behind engines, bodies, or parts will buy them,” Watanabe said at a news conference in Tokyo on April 2.