The Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona is typically the setting for an automaker to send over its first production model and have it auctioned off. It’s happened a number of times in the past, including models like the 2013 SRT Viper, 2013 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray, and 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang. So, when the most recent auction was held over the weekend of January 30, 2016, it wasn’t all that surprising to see another first production model get auctioned off. The only difference this time is that it wasn’t an American muscle car,->ke507 but rather, a Japanese sports car->ke506 that all of us have been waiting years to arrive.

Yes, the first production example of the all-new Acura NSX sports car just went under the hammer at the Barrett-Jackson auction, fetching an incredible $1.2 million. The deep-pocketed individual who took home the first-production NSX->ke307 was no less than NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, the same man who took home the keys to the aforementioned first-production Corvette Stingray->ke4603 and the first-production 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, another car that he won at a Barrett-Jackson auction.

Like the other first-production cars that were sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction, Hendrick’s winning bid will go directly to a beneficiary, which in this case, is the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground in Georgia. The organization is focused on taking care of at-risk kids, children of military families, and those with neurobehavioral disorders.

In addition to the first-production NSX, other first-of-its-kind models were auctioned off at the event, including the new Chevrolet COPO Camaro, which fetched $300,000 for United Way and Jay Leno’s 2000 Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Edition, which raised $200,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. All in all, it was a great day for a lot of these organizations, just as it was for Hendrick, who now has a new first-production car to add to his growing collection.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

2016 Acura NSX 001 Fetches $1.2 MIllion At Barrett-Jackson Auction

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Why it matters

Color me a little surprised to hear that the first-production Acura NSX went for this much money, becoming the most expensive VIN 001 car that Barrett-Jackson has sold in any one of its auctions. $1.2 million is the kind of money you pay for a Ferrari LaFerrari, not an Acura NSX, even if it’s the first production model. Remember, the NSX has a starting price of just $156,000, and even if somebody goes all-out on the NSX, the price only reaches a little north of $200,000. So basically, Rick Hendrick paid close to six times the amount of a full-spec NSX for the first production model.

The math definitely doesn’t add up, but hen again, this is Rick Hendrick we’re talking about here. This is a man who has had no problems opening his wallet anytime a VIN 001 vehicle goes up for auction. He’s done it numerous times in the past, and if there were ever odds offered on these auctions, he’ll always be one of the odds-on favorites to win it. That’s exactly what happened over the weekend of January 30, 2016 when he added the very first Acura NSX to his collection of VIN 001 vehicles.

It’s hard no to be a little jealous of the man, especially when you think about how many of these models he already has in his possession. But, that’s why he’s Rick Hendrick and, well, I’m not Rick Hendrick. I know he takes real good care of his cars, so I’m sure that the VIN 001 Acura NSX will be in good hands. And besides, even if he paid quite a premium for the sports car, at least all that money is going to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground.

Acura NSX

Read our full review on the Aucra NSX here.