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The Most Interesting Car in Marvel’s 37-Movie Run Is Finally Getting Some Attention

Iron Man’s convertible concept car is finally coming out of hiding — and it’s going to be offered up for sale.

Rear view of a dark-colored Acura sports car featuring sleek taillights, a New York license plate with the text "STARK 33," and a sporty rear diffuser with integrated exhaust outlets. The car has a polished finish and visible Hankook tires.Acura
Gray Van Dyke headshot

By Gray Van Dyke

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Between their super-powered action sequences and confusing multiverse timelines, Marvel movies don’t really provide the best opportunities for car-spotting.

Even still, thanks to the likes of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), the franchise does feature a few notable automotive appearances. Arguably the most impactful of them all, though, is the Acura NSX Roadster that made a cameo in 2012’s The Avengers. 

Sleek, dark maroon convertible sports car with a low profile, sharp angular front grille, and black alloy wheels with silver accents. The car has a modern, aerodynamic design with a two-seater interior visible through the windshield.
The NSX Roadster based much of its striking design on the 2012 Acura NSX Concept, but it featured a few tweaks to avoid spoiling the eventual production car.
Acura

It’s been over a decade since the car rolled onto the screen, and it’s now getting the attention it deserves. What’s more, it could finally be offered up for public sale, having been hidden away for years.

Stark roadster

To recap — in the Iron Man and Iron Man 2 films, Tony Stark roared onto the screen in an Audi R8 (RIP) Spyder. However, for the sixth film in Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he appeared in an exotic convertible that was unlike anything audiences had seen on the road.

Rear view of a sleek, dark-colored Acura convertible sports car with distinctive angular taillights and a New York license plate reading "STARK 33." The car features a low, wide stance with aerodynamic design elements and a visible rear diffuser.
Even in a one-of-one roadster, Iron Man needs a vanity plate.
Acura

After all, Honda had only just pulled the wraps off of its Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show a few months earlier, so the striking car that Stark was driving didn’t even technically exist.

Nevertheless, the studio wanted Robert Downey Jr. to appear in a functional vehicle rather than a rolling prop. Accordingly, Acura’s L.A. Design Studio partnered with Oxnard-based Trans FX to design and hand-build a resin and fiberglass body closely resembling the concept.

Two black racing bucket seats with integrated four-point harnesses, featuring leather upholstery and carbon fiber texture accents, inside a sports car. The seats have high side bolsters for support and yellow tags on the harness straps.
Much of the interior from the 1991 NSX remains intact, though Tony Stark did get a set of aftermarket seats with harnesses.
Acura

The starting point for the project? A first-generation 1991 NSX. To account for the changes, the car received a 2-inch suspension drop, some 18-inch wheels and a set of aftermarket seats.

It’s also worth noting that the donor NSX showed a remarkable 252,000 miles on the odometer at the time of conversion, so it’d already proven to be quintessentially Honda in its reliability.

Auction imminent

So why all the attention now? Well, according to Acura, the NSX Roadster will be making its first public appearance in more than a decade on Friday (August 15th) as part of Monterey Car Week.

Sleek black convertible sports car with a low profile, featuring sharp, angular rear lights and a New York license plate reading "STARK 33." The car has large, stylish alloy wheels with a five-spoke design and a smooth, aerodynamic body.
The NSX Roadster has been preserved just as it appeared during filming — down to the Iron Man-inspired colorway and ‘Stark 33’ license plate.
Acura

It’ll be shown alongside some other significant Acuras like the NSX-R and the 1999 NSX Zanardi Edition — as well as the new RSX Prototype — but the big news is that Tony Stark’s Roadster is slated to be auctioned off for charity.

According to Acura, the brand “will begin accepting hand raisers at Monterey Car Week for those interested in getting a chance to bid on the Acura NSX Roadster next year.” Granted, at this stage, Acura hasn’t specified when or where — only that it will be sold in 2026.

Still, as a truly one-of-one creation that’s packed with Marvel movie pedigree and NSX heritage (old and new), it’s a unique opportunity for diehard superhero fans and Honda collectors alike. There’s likely to be more buzz about the auction as the event nears, but you can head to the Acura website in the meantime to watch for updates.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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