On his way to becoming a three-time Formula One World Drivers’ Champion and one of the most legendary drivers in the history of the sport, Ayrton Senna was the king of the race track in 1991, winning damn near everything in his tobacco-sponsored Honda-McLaren missile. As an internationally-recognized Honda driver, Senna was conscripted to star in a series of commercials for the Japanese market, including this recently-uncovered ad for the then-brand-new fourth-generation Honda Prelude. I’m sure it was part of his contract with Honda to promote Honda products, but did he have to get so dang sexy with it?
“Driving, for me,” says Senna, “is a way of expressing myself; my personality, my character, my way of life. Driving safely and careful, with style and comfort, is my personal goal. Just move it.”
The baggy pleated pants and matching oversized turtleneck is pure early-1990s fashion, and Senna’s elegantly disheveled hair tousles with carefree ease. The clean-cut Brazilian ace gives a wry smile and the smallest hint of a wink to let you know he’s got his eye on you. His carefree laissez-faire lean on the trunk lid isn’t begging, but it is a little slutty. This isn’t an ad for a Prelude, this is one of the fastest men on earth doing his damnedest to convince you that driving a Honda is sexy. Look, I like the Prelude a lot, but Senna didn’t have to get all bedroom eyes with it.
*My personal goal*
Senna had a stranglehold on the Japanese market in 1991, and as long as he kept delivering wins for the Honda home team in F1, he was the pride of the nation, despite being from Brazil. And the new Prelude was a pretty big deal, so Honda wanted to throw everything it had at the promotion of its new mid-tier sports coupe. With new electronic four-wheel steering and a 2.2-liter engine, yeah, it was almost as impressive to drive as it was to look at. With 197 horsepower in the uprated VTEC Si model, the Prelude was a quick and attractive little thing, much like Senna himself.
