Had Senna used this V10 during the prior season, it’s possible that it wouldn’t even exist today. At the time, Honda usually would ship its Formula One engines back to Japan for study. Once at HQ, technicians would then disassemble the blocks to analyze wear and tear accrued during racing, afterwards discarding the parts altogether.
However, because a change in FIA rules mandated that teams move to a V12 configuration for 1991, Honda had already started working on a new engine by the time V805 was retired from competition. For this reason, the V10 miraculously escaped the fate shared by many of its counterparts, and it was instead preserved in its original state.
Auction inbound
To ready serial number V805 for sale, Honda’s expert HRC technicians disassembled the engine in its entirety. Rather than being auctioned off as a single lump, the parts instead take center stage in a striking display case.
If you’re interested in getting your hands on this exceptional piece of Senna (and Formula One) history, break open your piggy bank and start liquidating your assets. Bonhams will be listing engine V805 on August 15th as part of the Quail Auction during Monterey Car Week. With so many passionate gearheads in attendance, the sale could be truly stratospheric in its result.
