Taking their inspiration from the F-16 fighter jet, Masahito Nakano and Shigeru Uehara set out to design a revolutionary sports car to compete on a global level. The result was unlike anything that had been seen at the time, the NSX. Debuting in 1990, it was the first mass-production car to feature an all-aluminum body and, unlike most world-class sports cars with V12s and V8s, it packed a 3.0-liter V6 engine with Honda’s famous VTEC (variable valve timing and lift electronic control) system. Although the cars were only rated for 270hp, a curb weight of just over 3,000 pounds meant the car didn’t need loads of horsepower to be fast. With the lightweight construction and performance minding engineering, the result was a fast sports car that handled like it was on rails. Although the car never became a true “Ferrari killer” in terms of performance, it was incredibly well-received by the public. At half the cost with far more reliability than the Italian competitor, it was Automobile Magazine’s “Automobile of the Year” in 1991 and dubbed “the best sports car ever built” by Motor Trend.
As a true three-owner car, this NSX has been pampered and well-kept since new. It was sold new in Nevada to the first owner, then moved to southern California several years later, when it was sold by a member of the NSX club. Eventually the car made its way to Colorado, when the third owner acquired it. With just over 60,000 miles the car retains all of the original delivery documents and information, right down to the coffee table books and brochures given to the original owner upon delivery. The car has been recently serviced by factory-trained technicians an Acura dealer, and the majority of its service history has been documented. Currently the car is equipped with wheels from a 1992 model, which are wider for a better driving experience, but the original wheels come with the car, as does the stock air box.
Recently collectors and enthusiasts have started to take notice of these cars. With their desirability and prices on the rise, the NSX is a rising star in the collector world.
