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First Wash in 22 Years: 1992 Acura NSX Goes From Dirty to Low-Mileage Gem

1992 Acura NSX 10 photos
Photo: AMMO NYC/YouTube
1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX1992 Acura NSX
When talking about barn finds, we usually think about vehicles produced several decades ago. However, more recent automobiles have also been stuck in storage for very long periods. This 1992 Acura NSX (yeah, it's pretty much a classic at 32 years old) sat for a whopping 22 years.
And while you'd be tempted to believe this supercar spent a full decade on the road, its odometer suggests otherwise. This Japanese rig was driven for only 2,002 miles (3,222 km) from delivery to when it was parked in 2002. Fortunately, the owner decided it was time to bring it back into the light in 2024 and commissioned the folks at AMMO NYC to give the Acura a much-deserved cleaning.

Even though it's sad to see such an iconic supercar deprived of valuable road time, the unearthing brings some good news. The NSX was kept in relatively dry storage and emerged with minor issues, such as dirt on the Grand Prix White body and a bit of mold inside the cabin.

Thankfully, both were removed easily by the professional detailer, who turned the NSX into a squeaky clean and very appealing automobile—to the point where the owner had second thoughts about selling it. Yup, this Acura will be going to a new home soon because the original owner "is not getting any younger" and "could use the money." The NSX wasn't running when the video was shot, but hopefully, it will be returned to public roads soon.

Built for the 1992 model year, this NSX is part of the long-running first generation of Honda's now iconic supercar. The first production car to feature an all-aluminum semi-monocoque, the NSX was developed with input from Formula One champion Ayrton Senna and went into production in 1990. The Acura brand was used only in North America. The NSX was sold as a Honda in other markets.

The NSX remained in production through 2005 and got a facelift in 2002. The latter saw the removal of the pop-up headlamps. Originally only available as a coupe, the NSX gained a targa-top version in 1995.

Benchmarked against the Ferrari 328 and 348, the NSX hit showrooms with a 3.0-liter V6 (C30A) engine rated at 270 horsepower and 210 pound-feet (285 Nm) of torque. In 1997, Honda replaced the original mill with a 3.2-liter unit (C32B) good for 290 horsepower. The automatic version, however, generated only 252 horses.

Over the year, Honda introduced several limited-edition models, including the Type S, NSX-R, and the NSX-R GT. An Alex Zanardi Edition was offered in the US to celebrate Zanardi's two back-to-back CART IndyCar championship wins for Honda (1997 and 1998).

Honda sold 9,700 examples in North America over 16 model years, of which 8,999 were delivered in the United States and 701 in Canada. The pre-facelift Acura NSX is now a six-figure classic, with low-mileage examples fetching more than $130,000 at public auctions.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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