Honda Racing Corporation, the Japanese manufacturer’s USA motorsport arm, has announced the launch of a new memorabilia business, offering enthusiasts the chance to own original components from some of the company’s most celebrated racing programmes. To mark the launch, it will offer parts from the 1990 Honda RA100E V10 Formula 1 engine, one of the units that powered Ayrton Senna to his second World Championship.
The 3.5-litre naturally aspirated RA100E engine was a dominant force in the 1990 F1 season, delivering 660bhp at 13,500rpm and securing five wins for Senna and one for Gerhard Berger. Set to be auctioned during Monterey Car Week in August, the disassembled RA100E was meticulously prepared at HRC’s Sakura facility in Japan by the original team who built the race engines for McLaren-Honda in period. The sale will include a selection of camshafts, pistons, connecting rods and cam covers, each displayed in bespoke presentation cases and accompanied by certificates of authenticity from HRC.
Looking ahead, HRC plans to expand its memorabilia offering to include parts from other disciplines, including IndyCar and MotoGP. A number of items will be selected from Honda’s carefully preserved archive at the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi and the Honda Racing Gallery at Suzuka. Both collections include working machines spanning decades of global competition, from the Isle of Man TT to contemporary F1.
Crucially, all memorabilia selected for sale will be chosen so as not to affect the preservation of Honda’s significant historic race fleet.
HRC President Koji Watanabe said: ‘We aim to make this a valuable business that allows fans who love F1, MotoGP and other races to share in the history of Honda’s challenges in motorsport since the 1950s. This is not a one-time endeavour, but a continuous business we will nurture and grow.’
