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Low serial numbered cars

Joined
3 October 2000
Messages
93
Location
Orange, CA, USA
Are cars with low S/N for year 1991 ONLY, let's say cars No.0001 thru 0020 worth more today than the rest? If so, how much more? For you that are old enough to remember, when the NSXs first came out they commanded thousands above the $65,000 MSRP. I am pretty sure that all the low S/N cars sold for more than $100,000 each, if not very close to it. I would say that they worth more, not because their high initial costs. But because they are the firsts that rolled-off Tochigi, and in the future, they will be sought after by collectors. I am not sure how much more they are worth though.
 
For the '91 NSX, the lowest VIN available for sale in the United States was 000063.

The original MSRP on the NSX was $60,000 plus $600 transportation cost. In the first month it came out (around 9/1/1990), sales for $80-90K were typical, but sales over $100K were uncommon. By the end of the year, typical selling prices had declined to the low seventies.

I have not heard of any sales of early NSX's in which the sale price was regarded as higher (by buyer OR seller) due to a lower VIN.
 
Look at the Ferrari 308 and its ten year-plus run. Its a good model of how modern high production (10,000+), exotics turn the old investment laws around. The best of the 308 are the last one's made 328. Cars just kept getting better. The only exception is the 200 or so fiberglass model made early on. ..that might be of an interest to a few die-hard collector fans.

But I don't see the NSX or the 308 collector in the future wanting to pay a premium for the older lesser car. There are too many of them to play the S/N game. Haven't seen that kind of action since the pre 70's Ferraris.
 
#0099 sold at an auction in Oklahoma for around $30,000 (50,000 miles and it was in need of a clutch). The same car was on a dealer lot six months later asking $32,000. I don't know if the auction buyer put a clutch in it. It's gone now, I think the dealer took it to another auction...

I thought #0099 was pretty neat but when I pointed it out to the dealer he wasn't impressed. I guess value is in the eye of the beholder.
 
The first NSX is on display at Honda in Japan. Serial numbers 1-20 for the US were all destroyed manufacturer cars.

But in general the lower serial numbers do not seem to command any premium at resale due soley to their serial number. I know one owner who bought one of the first '91s (sold Oct. '90) a few years ago with very low miles and in good condition for the same price as any other '91 in similar condition even though the original owner paid well over $100k for the car.
 
If it is an investment you want, you have to remember that time is part of the formula. In 1970 a 63'split window was just an old body style Corvette, but today it has value to a collector. Who knows what the future holds for NSX, maybe your cars will be worth big dollars again some day, but for now Sieze The Day! Let restoration houses worry about bringing them back in 40 years.
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See you all in Wisconsin!
 
Thanks for all the infos guys. Amazing, after all these years, I never had any clue that the first NSX sold here is #63. I always thought that US and Canadian cars are numbered differently from the rest of the world because they are badged as Honda elsewhere.

Chris W, I don't have any intention to invest on any of these low numbered cars. I am just curious about how this car is priced compared to the rest.
 
I always thought that US and Canadian cars are numbered differently from the rest of the world because they are badged as Honda elsewhere.

There is a different sequence of VIN numbers (last six digits) for each world market area. US VIN numbers begin with zero, Canadian VIN numbers begin with "8", European begin with something else, etc. The last five digits can be duplicated between markets (e.g. there can be two cars in the same model year, one ending in MT000123, another with MT800123).
 
I have MT002475 a '91 that I bought off the original owner. He paid 104k+ when he bought it new from a dealership in So. Cal. and that was without keyless, CD, Phone options. I have added the frist two options since.

Although I don't know much about it, I would think that it's possible to be one of the first to take delivery of a new car and depending on what dealership you buy it from still get a high production number. I guess it would depend on where a particular dealership fell in the manufacturers allocation plan (if they have one
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Dealers then probably decide to put a premium over MSRP based on certian criteria such as product demand, area demographics and other factors not necessarily production number.
 
I have MT002475 a '91 that I bought off the original owner. He paid 104k+ when he bought it new from a dealership in So. Cal. and that was without keyless, CD, Phone options. I have added the frist two options since.

Although I don't know much about it, I would think that it's possible to be one of the first to take delivery of a new car and depending on what dealership you buy it from still get a high production number.


Hmmm... I suspect this is not the case. That's a pretty high production number, and I don't think that car had been built when the NSX was first introduced and was selling at a huge premium. The NSX was selling for $80-90K (and higher) in September and October, 1990, but it was pretty easy to buy one for low to mid seventies by the end of 1990.

Certainly a dealer can ask a customer for any price they want, even if the car sells elsewhere for much less - so it's still possible that he paid that much at a later date.

Could you check when your car was actually manufactured? You can find this information (month and year) on a sticker on the driver side door jamb. That way we will know for sure the earliest date when your particular car might have been originally sold.
 
Just out of curiosity, does anybody know if the first "batch" of NSXs had any problems? For a brand spanking new car, I'd be curious as to know how "problem-free" they were. I owned a 96 Ford Probe GT and compared to my friend's 93(first year of a brand new redesign), mine didn't have any problems. His had squeaks, mechanical problems, recalls, etc.
 
Just out of curiosity, does anybody know if the first "batch" of NSXs had any problems? For a brand spanking new car, I'd be curious as to know how "problem-free" they were.

I have not heard of any problems that were specific to the first "batch" of NSX's. There were a couple of problems in the first couple of years - the window regulator problem (fixable with the Dali Racing part) and the snap ring transmission problem (which didn't even start until late in the 1991 model year), but that's about it. It was, and is, a remarkably trouble-free car.

Oh - as we heard at NSXPO '97, there was one last-minute change. The first batch of hood emblems had a horizontal crossbar connecting the two vertical pieces of the Acura logo. But Mr. Honda didn't like that aspect of the design and had the Acura logo changed, so all the hood emblems were replaced before the cars were sold.
 
Some of the early TCS implementations had issues (over-sensiativity).

[This message has been edited by Lud (edited 07 June 2001).]
 
Originally posted by Lud:
I know one owner who bought one of the first '91s (sold Oct. '90) a few years ago with very low miles and in good condition for the same price as any other '91 in similar condition even though the guy had originally paid well over $100k for the car.

My car first sold in Oct. of 1990, so it is a pretty early car. I paid a bit below market for it and wouldn't expect the low # to gain me anything if I sold it (as if).
 
wow you might win the thread digging award... 10 years!

Haha ... and you might win the diligence award for visiting the page every time you get an email :smile:

I was actually looking for the Japan NSX restoration program I heard about from the Acura dealer today. Didn't find it but I always enjoy reading comments from Ken & Chris
 
I have #96, built 7/90.

I would believe the newer, more rare models would hold their value better then the earlier models. For now at least.
 
Haha ... and you might win the diligence award for visiting the page every time you get an email :smile:

I was actually looking for the Japan NSX restoration program I heard about from the Acura dealer today. Didn't find it but I always enjoy reading comments from Ken & Chris

No email. lol. Was wondering how I never saw this thread, then I saw the date. :redface:
 
Haha ... and you might win the diligence award for visiting the page every time you get an email :smile:

I was actually looking for the Japan NSX restoration program I heard about from the Acura dealer today. Didn't find it but I always enjoy reading comments from Ken & Chris


There was some info provided in the "2010 Fiesta picture thread". I would also pm RSO34 who took most of the pictures from that event.
 
Haha ... and you might win the diligence award for visiting the page every time you get an email :smile:

I was actually looking for the Japan NSX restoration program I heard about from the Acura dealer today. Didn't find it but I always enjoy reading comments from Ken & Chris

Funny enough, the refresh program isn't much more than a place like SOS or Driving Ambition can do for your NSX here in the states. They basically go over your car, find anything worn out and replace with factory parts. I guess it's cool that it is done by Honda at the factory, but it's not like they build you a new NSX.
 
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