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 engine 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. The insights were then 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 disassembled at the HRC facility in Sakura, Japan by the original builders of these engines. The item up for auction includes various internal and external components, such as camshafts, cam covers, pistons and connecting rods. All items are housed in a custom display case, accompanied by an original HRC certificate of authenticity.