All you need to know about the Austin-Healey
Born: 1946
Nationality: British
After a career in the 1930s, first as a racing driver with Invicta and later as chief engineer at Triumph, Donald Healey decided to set up his own car company after the second World War. His early vehicles had chassis and bodywork designed by himself and running gear from Riley, Alvis and Nash.
His first cars included the Westland Roadster, Elliot Saloon and Sports Mobile, all with 2.4-litre engines. His Silverstone was a two-seater aluminium-body pure racing car with a double-camshaft 2.4, which quickly established the Healey name on many racing tracks. A highlight was the 1948 Mille Miglia win by Count Lurani.
Following the 1952 Earl's Court Motor Show, Healey amalgamated with Austin to provide a sports car which would compete in the marketplace and on the tracks with MG, Triumph and Jaguar cars. It happened because Austin's Leonard Lord saw the star of the show as the Healey 100, which was built around Austin mechanicals including its 2.6-litre four-cylinder engine.
A year later, Austin-Healey production moved from Warwick to Longbridge, and chassis and bodies were built by the Jensen Motor Company. The big demand for the post-war "British sports car" was in the US, so the then BMC distribution system there provided readymade outlets for the car, whose underlying shape was - and is - arguably the best proportioned of any sports car ever. It was enthusiastically received, especially when a series of runs at Bonneville Flats saw the car break more than 100 US speed and stock car records.
Up to 1959, all Austin-Healeys had the model name 100, reflecting the engine's horsepower, with suffixes such as BN, M and S delineating their progression. The gearboxes were particularly interesting, being four-speed Austin units with top gear blocked off, and electrically-operated overdrive gears on second and third that effectively gave the car five gears.
A significant move in 1956 was the substitution of the 2.6-litre four-cylinder engine by a six of similar capacity and two extra horsepower, though paradoxically a 12 per cent increase in weight of the car (which had also been lengthened by 2 inches) meant that it was actually slower than its predecessor. A four-seater was also produced, by the addition of two very small seats in the back, though this didn't get much public acceptance.
In 1959, the "Big Healey" 3000 was introduced, with 136 hp and the marque's first sub-10 second 0-60 mph. In various evolutions it gained three carburettors and then two larger ones. Two- and 4-seat versions of the Mk II series were eventually phased out in favour of a drophead 2+2 convertible. The Mk III got engine and interior improvements and in 1964 it was itself improved with better suspension.
The final modification of the Mk III was carried out in 1965. It's recognisable by rear lamps of similar size to those on the front.
1967 was the last full production year for the marque, with just over 3,000 copies coming out of the factory.If you see a metallic golden beige version with black leatherette interior, then you're looking at one that was in the last production run of November/December of that year.The last car was built in March 1968 - the Austin-Healey sports car had been killed off by US safety and emissions legislation. A total of 71,568 Austin-Healeys were built. Donald Healey died in 1988 at the age of 89.
Best Car: The 1962 Mk IIa, the first of the breed to have roll-up windows
Worst Car: If we must, possibly the 1962 Mk II with three SU carbs that were hard to keep tuned and made the car very thirsty
Weirdest Car: Definitely not