Honda NSX values have been headed to the stratosphere for several years now. Like the Subaru Impreza 22B, R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (or any generation come to think of it) and many other Japanese performance cars of the '90s and '00s, ‘affordable' NSXs weren’t all that hard to come by. Honda made thousands of them after all, and it’s not like they were restricted to the JDM either. And so the thinking went: ’if I’ve got supercar money to burn, why would I spend it on a Honda?’
Obviously, anyone who’s ever driven one of the original NSXs will know it’s up there with the all-time great analogue supercars. An all-aluminium chassis kept things light and stiff, while a VTEC-equipped 3.0-litre V6 provided just enough grunt for the NSX to exploit its superbly set up chassis - but not so fast that its full potential can’t be unlocked on your favourite road. Of course, we all know Aytron Senna had a hand in the car’s development, reputedly convincing Honda to stiffen the platform after being unimpressed with the early prototype. The company duly did (by 50 per cent), and with it the legendary NSX was born.
For a brief period, there was a stigma around the NSX’s 274hp output (later bumped to 290hp with a 3.2-litre engine), which even by early '90s standards isn’t all that exotic. That, and the fact that they were relatively attainable, made them hugely popular with tuners across the globe. So while thousands upon thousands were produced, the number of completely stock examples are dwindling, and the ones that are typically change hands for vast amounts of cash. Automatics, while technically rarer, can be had for a lot less, although unless you’re forking out for a conversion you’ll always be kicking yourself for not grabbing a manual when prices were more sensible.
Before you start kicking yourself, take a look at what we have here: an original, NA1-generation Honda NSX with a manual gearbox for £59,995. That’s the sort of money the cleanest of clean autos are commanding these days, and while this '93 example is hardly concours grade it’s definitely not an old shed either. The wheels look to be in great condition and the engine has been treated to a good clean-up. The only apparent blemish seems to be a small tears on the engine cover, which after 31 years of driving is no great surprise.
More impressive is how tidy the interior is. The comfy touring seats look just as plump as they would have done when new and, apart from what looks to be a small scuff on the driver’s side, there’s no sign of any obvious tears to the leather. The previous owners haven’t mucked about with the stereo system, either, so the only way to listen to music is through the radio or cassette player - a setup Honda stuck with for the facelifted NA2 in the early '00s, too. Audio tapes are making a comeback, you know...
Even a dig through the MOT doesn’t reveal any major issues, save for the usual tyre wear warnings and a few mentions of corroded brake pipes, though nothing has come up in the last five years. And because it’s an aluminium chassis and body, corrosion isn’t much of an issue with the NSX - unlike most Japanese cars of this vintage. The odometer reading of 105,000 miles is impressively high, which just goes to show how resilient the NSX is. Slash that figure in half and values begin to soar, though this '95 car does look decent value with just 34,320 miles and one owner. We’ll take the high miler and enjoy it the way it was intended: with a pair of loafers and white socks.
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