Tony Stark’s Screen Used Acura NSX Roadster Concept from The Avengers Reaches Auction

Robert Downey Jr. drove away from the final scene of 2012’s The Avengers in a low, open roadster finished in a deep red close to Iron Man’s armor, wearing a New York plate that read STARK 33. That exact car now sits on Cars & Bids with no reserve, and every dollar of the winning bid goes to a charity chosen with the buyer. American Honda will also cover the platform’s buyer’s fee once the sale closes on October 31.

The Acura Los Angeles design office, then led by Dave Marek, took the second-generation NSX concept from the Detroit auto show and ran with it, practically putting those design cues into the car it was developing. Trans FX in Oxnard, California, then created a resin and fiberglass bodyshell over a first-generation chassis, beginning with a relatively worn 1991 NSX with 252,000 kilometers. Marek subsequently revealed that he chose this car for a film set because they needed something that would start every time the cameras rolled, and nothing was better suited to that aim than the original NSX.

The suspension was lowered by two inches, and aftermarket sport seats were added. For good measure, the wheels were staggered, with 18 inches up front and 20 inches in the back. The power still comes from the factory 3.0-liter DOHC VTEC V6 engine, which produces roughly 270hp and 210lb-ft of torque when new, and it is still mated to a five-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.

The finished car has no hardtop or side windows, leaving the cockpit totally exposed to the elements. They also left the screen-used plate and some unique LED taillights in place. After all of the filming, Acura decided to keep the car, bringing it out of storage for public viewing in 2025 at Monterey Car Week and then again at Sundance.

A certificate of authenticity, a signed photo of the creative director with the car, one key, and two key fobs travel with it.Ownership comes with hard limits. The listing calls the car a non-registerable manufacturer prototype that carries no usable VIN for street purposes. It sells on a bill of sale, cannot be titled or driven on public roads, and remains subject to an Acura usage agreement.

In terms of the car’s condition, let’s just say that it’s been well-loved and used for the last dozen years or so. There are micro-scratches on the bumpers, A pillars, and doors, paint cracks on the C pillars, scuffs on the interior trim, and a bent armrest. Plus, the exact mileage on this car is practically a mystery, as it was only test driven in brief bursts of about 20mph while they were creating it.

So it’s worth emphasizing that whoever wins this auction will most likely see it as a nicely kept film prop rather than a daily driver. Which is interesting given that Acura essentially chose this high-mileage donor car because it knew it only needed it to be dependable enough to complete the task on camera.