Torrance, CA

  • New Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) merchandise and memorabilia business will include sales of championship winning race components, scale models and apparel
  • In a historic first, HRC will auction the last V10 Honda F1 engine raced by the legendary Aryton Senna
  • Historic racing machines to be displayed at Car Week include race and championship winners from Formula 1, IMSA, World Challenge and Isle of Man Tourist Trophy

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), the global racing arm of Honda, will launch a new merchandise and memorabilia business this week during California's famed Monterey Car Week, the world's top gathering of automotive and motorsports enthusiasts. To commemorate the new memorabilia business, HRC will auction the Honda V10 engine used by Ayrton Senna in his McLaren Honda MP4/5B during the final two rounds of the 1990 Formula 1 season. The historic engine, artfully displayed in a bespoke case, will be auctioned by Bonhams during the prestigious The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering at Quail Lodge on Aug.15.  

“Throughout our history, Honda has won at the highest levels of motorsports all over the world, and the new HRC merchandise and memorabilia business is all about sharing our incredible racing heritage with our race fans in exciting new ways,” said Jon Ikeda, senior vice president, Honda Racing Corporation US. “HRC will build an even stronger connection with Honda and Acura enthusiasts by offering exclusive opportunities to own a piece of racing history, including limited-edition collectibles and rare artifacts from our storied legacy in motorsport.”

HRC also will celebrate the company's more than six decades of two-wheel and four-wheel motorsports heritage during Monterey Car Week. Iconic Honda and Acura racing machines will be displayed at both The Quail and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca Raceway (Aug. 13-16), including championship winners from F1, IMSA, World Challenge and Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.

Honda RA100E V10 Engine Auction
The 1990 Formula 1 season marked the final year for the Honda V10 engine, with this particular unit (V805) powering Ayrton Senna's McLaren Honda MP4/5B during the final two rounds – making it the last Honda V10 Formula One unit ever raced by the three-time F1 champion (1988, 1990, 1991). This unit was used during the warmup for the Japanese Grand Prix (round 15) and raced in the Australian Grand Prix (round 16). Senna secured his second Drivers' Championship that year, while he and teammate Gerhard Berger earned McLaren Honda a third-consecutive Constructors' Championship.

During this time, all Honda F1 engines were sent back to Japan immediately after each race to be dismantled, investigated and learnings applied to future engine development. As a result of this process, it was costly to keep the used engines, and they were normally disposed of after diagnosis. It is for this reason very few historic Formula One engines still exist today. As the last Honda V10 Formula 1 engine, and development of the new V12 for the 1991 season already underway, there was no need to dismantle and examine this unit. Rather than the engine being disposed of, it was sent to the archives where it remained until recently.

The RA100E-V805 engine has been faithfully disassembled at the HRC facility in Sakura, Japan by the original builders of these very special winning engines. The item up for auction includes various internal and external components, such as camshafts, cam covers, pistons and connecting rods. All items are beautifully housed in a bespoke display case, accompanied by an original HRC certificate of authenticity.

Race Car Activations
HRC will display and demonstrate multiple race and championship winning machines throughout Monterey Car Week in celebration of the company's racing success, the 60th anniversary of the first Honda F1 victory, as well as the 75th anniversary of Formula 1.

  • Formula 1
    • Honda RA272 – Winner of the 1965 Mexico Grand Prix – the first Honda F1 win, just 1 year after entering the sport. The RA272 will be displayed at both The Quail and the Motorsports Reunion.
    • Williams FW11 – The FW11, which brought Honda its first F1 constructors' title in 1986, will participate in the F1 Exhibition demo laps at the Motorsports Reunion driven by two-time Indy500 winner Takuma Sato. The race machine was recently driven at the historic Goodwood Festival of Speed following a full restoration in partnership with Williams F1.
    • McLaren Honda MP4/7 – Winner of five Formula 1 races during the 1992 season, including the iconic Monaco GP. The MP4/7, driven by Aryton Senna and Gerhard Berger, marked the conclusion of a dominant McLaren Honda partnership and the company's second era in F1. The MP4/7 will be displayed at the Motorsports Reunion.
    • 2025 Red Bull Racing RB21 Show Car – Representing the current F1 entry, the RB21 is powered by the Honda RBPTH003 and has seen wins at the Japanese and Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. It will be displayed at the Motorsports Reunion.
  • ALMS/IMSA
    • Acura ARX-01b – Driven to multiple race wins in the 2008 season, the Acura ARX-01b is entered into the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup at the Motorsports Reunion by its private owner. This marks the second year the ARX-01b has competed in the historic races, following its maiden entry and win in 2024 with former Acura IMSA driver, Ricky Taylor at the helm.
    • Acura ARX-06 – Acura's current IMSA GTP entry, the #93 ARX-06 in Phillips 66 livery, will be displayed at The Quail and the Motorsports Reunion.
  • World Challenge
    • Realtime Racing Acura NSX GT– Driven by SCCA Hall of Famer Peter Cunningham, this Acura NSX won 8 races in 3 seasons including a Drivers' Championship in 1997. It returned to racing in 2001 where it finished second in the Championship two years running. The Acura NSX GT will compete in the Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup at the Motorsports Reunion, driven by current Acura IMSA driver Nick Yelloly.
  • Isle of Man Tourist Trophy
    • Honda RC145– The #6 machine won all 10 rounds of the 1962 World Grand Prix and the Isle of Man TT races, ridden by Luigi Taveri. Featuring a high-revving 125cc 4-stroke, parallel 2-cylinder engine, the Honda RC145 emits a sharp, unforgettable sound. The motorcycle will be displayed at The Quail.
    • Honda RC163 – Introduced for the 1962 season, the four-cylinder 250cc RC163 was an evolution of the preceding year's World Championship-winning Honda RC162. The RC163 was ridden to victory by Jim Redman, who won the 250cc World Championship in 1962, in addition to the 350cc title. The motorcycle will be displayed at The Quail.

Honda RA272 Scale Model by Amalgam Collection
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the first Honda F1 win, Honda has partnered with Amalgam Collection to create incredibly detailed models of the Honda RA272 F1 race car that took victory at the 1965 Mexico Grand Prix. Only 30 examples of the limited edition 1:8 scale models available worldwide, while 300 copies will be made of the smaller 1:18 scale.

About Honda
Honda offers a full line of clean, safe, fun and connected vehicles sold through more than 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The award-winning Honda lineup includes the Civic and Accord, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport, Prologue and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. The Honda electrified vehicle lineup, representing more than a quarter of total sales in 2024, includes the all-electric Prologue SUV, hybrid-electric Accord, CR-V, and Civic, and fuel-cell-electric CR-V e:FCEV. A hybrid-electric Prelude is set to join the Honda lineup late this year.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for over 40 years and currently operates eight major auto manufacturing facilities in America. In 2024, more than 99% of all Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, with nearly 60% made in America, using domestic and globally made parts.

More information about Honda is available in the Digital FactBook. 

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