Austin-Healey’s and the Austin Healey Car Club of NZ and Others

[Roger Dowding]

" SN3000 " is the " Valiant - Healey " by name was owned by Bernie Huynen for many years in the 1970's - 1990's.
It was powered by an Australian Chrysler Valiant 225 cubic inch slant Six motor under Bernie's ownership and attended many AH Club events in New Zealand and other events Hill Climbs and Races by other groups.

When the car was sold an owner tried to fit a V8 to the car but had major difficulties with " Compliance ".
As a result the current owner, who has had the car for many years restored / rebuilt it with a " Compliant " Valiant 6 motor.
Car has a Kilmartin built replacement chassis but the body panels, wide Chromed Mag wheels and most other components are from the original Valiant build.

Current owner Grant MacKenzie was responsible for its rebuild into it current form and uses the car, attending Car Shows and doing the Austin Healey Car Club of New Zealand - " 50th Anniversary Grand Tour " in March April 2023.
Recently the car appeared at a Classics Meeting at Hukeranui North of Whangarei - a swap meet where Grant said " with the classic car club 90% left hand drive " vehicles, this photo form Kyran Maher appeared on " Classic Cars and Wrecks page with photos of an MGB, some Falcons [ Australian ] and several US Trucks and Cars.



Car looks a bit different to this photo [ my own ] from 1984 at Napier for the AHCCNZ Rally.



Carjam says this about the car ;
Think a couple of errors like the engine size.

" 1957
Make: AUSTIN
Model: HEALEY
Colour: Purple
Body Style: Sports Car
Plate:ⓘ SN3000
Engine No:ⓘ 26CUH47347
Chassis:ⓘ BN4S47347
CC rating:ⓘ 2,300cc (2.3l)
Fuel Type:ⓘ Petrol "

The number plate SN3000 was a reissue as the plate it got in the Christchurch region in 1964 when permanent plates first came out was AM4408. Car was Registered in New Zealand as a new vehicle in 1957.

" Plate Effective Date
SN3000 15-Apr-1994
AM4408 "

[Roger Dowding]

Yes Ray I know - " One Day Roger Fitch - One Day " when this is over and I get to Auckland - they will be going the Hillcrest as the family house is vacant again - Am hoping to get the MX5 back there too in a Garage to work on.

How many Magazines Ray ? - an estimate - would be great if this one is there Nov 2000.

Attachment 65992

Magazines were collected back in 2020 and passed on, as mentioned, a year or so back - this issue I did not find, but today scored a copy at a book fair. More to come on 9GO.832 and others.

[Milan Fistonic]

Don & Erle Morley, the sole winners of an Alpine Cup for completing the 1961 Coupe des Alpes without penalty. Photo from The Motor magazine dated July 5, 1961.

[Roger Dowding]

" Dunedin Autospectacular 2024 ".

Autospectacular was held back in October 2024,
The Austin Healey Car Club of New Zealand had a good display and managed to have the 2 AH 100S there, one is a recreation of AHS3601 the P H Vickery Car and the other the sympathetically restored [ with historic modifications ] AHS3908 - the Seabrook Fowlds - Ross Jensen car.

In the group was the 100 of Simon Read, the Dr Graham Cowie car that featured at the Wanganui Car Club Hill Climb, at Ngutuwera, back in the mid 1950's as already shown on this thread. Post #1459 from October 2024

Here a part of one of the pages of the latest NZ Classic Car article by Quinton Taylor [ a couple of errors in the description of the " Red " 100 in the photos.]



A great photo of the 3 100 cars an S AHS301 R a 100 and an S AHS3908.
Thanks to Ross Osborne from Dunedin the former Area Representative Co-Ordinator and still Healey Registrar / Committee Member for the AHCCNZ for this photo.
- Ross tells me that he has handed over the Area Rep Title to another Club Member -

It appears in the latest AHCCNZ Magazine " Healey Torque " which has just gone out to Club Members.

The photo was described as " Esteem Company " and it is.



Thanks Ross,

More to come as " hopefully " NZ Classic Driver will also feature the show, and the Austin Healey Club Display.

Both cars currently reside in the South Island. All three in fact, AHS3601 R is at Highlands Park Track and Museum, the 100 is in Dunedin near where Ross Osborne lives and AHS3908 is also in the Dunedin area.

The Cover of the NZ Classic Car issue and the 2025 Calendar just issued. NZCC Publicity image

[Roger Dowding]

The Austin Healey 100S - currently in the USA with a California Registration has come up for Auction by
- " Fantasy Junction "
The car that was brought to New Zealand in 1958 by Fred Lester Losee and raced, sold on the E Joss Tims in 1960 and had other owners after being with Joss from 1960 to 1963, finally with Nic MacFarlane from 1973 to its sale to Australia in 1981.

" https://www.fantasyjunction.com/inve...ey-100s/photos "

There are over 100 photos of the car on the website.
The car originally White over Lobelia Blue, 1955 to 1980's became Red when restored in Australia in the 1990's and returned to the USA where it was again worked on and restored back to the Original Colours.

A photo of the car when in New Zealand with Fred Losee. at Wangaloa, nr Balclutha - Allan Dick archives.
It had the full windscreen and Bumpers while in New Zealand, as seen in many photos.



The Car in Red in around 1999 when owned by Murray Wells who had it restored with AHS3601R - the recreation of another NZ 100S the Black Vickery Motors car, now with Alister Rayner. - from Clas Arleskar archives



The Car back in Original colours and with the full Windscreen removed in the USA in recent times. Owned by a Dr Griffin at the time of the photo.
Photographer not known - from Rainer Jordan archives



Current owner not known by me, others may be able to help.
The current owner has the last New Zealand Number Plates " GH9426 " - issued in the 1970's when with Nic MacFarlane.

Details of the NZ Owners from the archives of Jim Reece





posted before - keeping it all together.

[Roger Dowding]

" Replies: 1,464
Views: 1,134,904 "
last post #1465.

A long, long way to go to catch Ray Green - with his thread ;
" Just a Mix of Pics " by ERC.
" Replies: 4,900
Views: 2,763,567 "

Well done Ray and thanks for all your photos and comments - stories . Have borrowed many over the years especially Austin Healey or Triumph related ones.

A small group of random Austin Healey photos big and small - the cars and the items.

A Dinky model - a remodeled/restored version - in Left Hand Drive - was originally RHD and unsure if they came with a driver; model with John Reynolds



A BMC tray with models of the range around 1960 - in the collection of Austin Healey guy Karsten Stelk



a photo of UJB143 - the current car - plate was issued in 1960 as part of the Sebring 1960 team in BRG, with car UJB141 having the huge rollover and later being fully rebuilt in BRG -
UJB143 raced at Le Mans in 1960 as car #23 by Jack Sears still in BRG.
UJB143 is in the later BMC Rally colours of BMC Red with White hardtop.

Photo from Tony Parkinson - Australia vast collection.

[Roger Dowding]

Four Austin Healey 3000 cars went to Sebring under the BMC Work Team.
UJB140 - the spare car
UJB141 - #19 - the car that had a huge " rollover " crash
UJB142 - #20 finished 15th place
UJB143 - #18 also a finisher., in 33rd place

The Race entrants UB141 #19, 142 #20 and 143 #18.



BMC also entered a Team of MGA Coupes [ Twincam ] which I was not aware of.

A number of photos have emerged and the story of the event for BMC written by Rainer Jordan with photos he has collected.

Will put the details on TRS when I have uploaded the images.

Meanwhile - the big rollover - again.



More to come.

[Milan Fistonic]

I don't think I've posted this Australian magazine cover before. It's the November 1956 edition

The caption: Ian Fraser's cover shows Vena Davey at the wheel of her Austin-Healey - a car which appears frequently in Victorian hill climbs and races.

[Roger Dowding]

" I don't think I've posted this Australian magazine cover before. It's the November 1956 edition "

Milan,
- You have not, that is new to the thread, thank you.

[Milan Fistonic]

Here's another A-H cover for you.

Don & Eric Morley in the works Austin-Healey 3000 Mk. 3, homologated just in time for the 1964Tulip Rally. They were the winners of the GT category.

[Roger Dowding]

Here's another A-H cover for you.

Don & Eric Morley in the works Austin-Healey 3000 Mk. 3, homologated just in time for the 1964Tulip Rally. They were the winners of the GT category.

Thanks Milan, I see the note of features on the cover - re ; " Bruce McLaren - From the Cockpit " his book [ ghost written by Eoin Young as we know ] have my recent reprint copy [ re-published in 2016 - my copy in 2020 ] which has an updated " Preface " by Amanda McLaren
here with a couple other Bruce related, but not Healey related books.

[Roger Dowding]

The three Austin Healey 3000 entered were UJB141 UJB142 and UJB 143.
A fourth " practice " car [ as in spare car just in case of any incident / accident ] UJB140 was also taken to the event and as we know DHMC and BMC had swapped details to another car when damage prevented the entered car from Racing, at other events Le Mans and others.

A few photos from the event - to start around the Pits with people and the cars.
There was also a BMC Team of MGA Twincam Coupes entered
- not AH but will include some photos to complete the " story " in a future post.

The Programme Cover / Poster.



A sign on the road leading to the Track - the race was well supported locally.



Images from Rainer Jordan archives - photographers not stated.

More to come on the event.

The Practice Car with one of the entered cars UJB143 on the track



Some of the Team - with a friend who was driving for Maserati this year.
Donald Healey of DHMC and Marcus Chambers BMC Competition Dept head



GCH Geoffrey Healey with a Mr S Moss

[Roger Dowding]

More photos from the Rainer Jordan archives;
- Photographers not known/stated.

The start; UJB143 in the photo



UJB142 - the " McCluggage " partly mentioned in the photo title [ McC ]is Denise McCluggage - a well known racing driver of the era, she also was involved in writing and collecting photographs of Motor Racing in the USA. Racing in the " OSCA " car #64



UJB143 - under the " MG " bridge, which features in many photos of Sebring



a different photo of the " rollover " of UJB141, when being driven by Fred Spross.



More to come including, as mentioned, the MGA entries.

- Then on to 1961 when DHMC and BMC ran an even larger Team with entries in the 4 hour race - for smaller capacity cars - the Sprite as an example, and Mr S Moss was driving for the Austin Healey group.

[Roger Dowding]

A bit of the story ;

" 12 Hours of Sebring 26.3.1960

The BMC Competition Department under the direction of Marcus Chambers had prioritized the Austin Healey's for use in international rallies. Preparing Austin Healey's for 12 hours of racing was a new challenge for BMC.
The Donald Healey Motor Comp. had already completed some successful entries in Sebring and wanted to see if they could also be successful in the 3 liter GT class.
It was hoped, they would be a competitive proposition in the 3 Litre GT Class against Ferrari's 250 GT LWB with modern Twin-Cam Technology.

Austin Healey 3000 race Car modification:
Weslake modified cylinder head, race camshaft,
twin SU HD8 2 inch carburettors,
competition clutch,
baffled sump,
improved front coil springs and rear leaves,
heavy-duty anti-roll bars,
uprated brakes and 25 gallon fuel tank.
Better cockpit air ducting, competition Bucket-type seat, quick lift jacking points, twin SU-fuel pumps.

5 Austin Healey 3000 BN7 ,UJB140, UJB141, UJB142, UJB143, UJB144 were prepared by The BMC Competition Department.UJB140- was the practice car; No xx –

It was really the spare car to fill in if one of the others failed completely.
#19 UJB141- raced in 1960 Sebring; John Colgate & Fred Spross - crashed- Phil Stiles drove car in practice, but did not race it
#20 UJB142- raced in 1960 Sebring; Gilgert Gietner & Lew Spencer - finished 2nd in class / 15th overall 167 laps- Jack Breskovich was listed as driver for the car, but did not participate in meeting [ according to Geoffrey Healey book he did - Spencer does not feature - Italics mine - RJD ] some information as Mr Gietner as Gilbert
#18 UJB143- raced in 1960 Sebring; Peter Riley & Jack Sears – finished 3rd in class / 33rd overall 141 laps- returned to England and re-registered as DD300 - [ this was much later as raced at Le Mans as UJB143 in June 1960 - Registration changed when the 3000 was sold by BMC Works Team ]"

above notes largely from Rainer Jordan - Italics are mine

" UJB144 " does not seem to have gone to Sebring.

In addition to the AH 3000 BN7 cars - BMC took 4 MGA cars - Twincam Coupes with a fixed roof not a hardtop.

The MG's [ UMO95, UMO96, UMO93 ] were stated as Chassis No 2571 - to - 2575 - [ according to Bill Price book - no Registration Plate numbers stated ] 4 cars including the " P " Practice/Spare car, UMO95 and two others UMO96 UMO93 - same cars query - had competed at Sebring in 1959. cars Race # 28, #29 and #30

The three 3000's - on track







in the pits ;





In the Pits - the start [ grid ] area - with Geoffrey Healey at the side ; Race was a Le Mans type start.



MG Team to follow - next post.

[Roger Dowding]

" The MG's [ UMO95, UMO96, UMO93 ] were stated as Chassis No 2571 - to - 2575 - [ according to Bill Price book - no Registration Plate numbers stated ] 4 cars including the " P " Practice/Spare car, UMO95 and two others ".

In the Pit area with the " P " practice car;



In the Pits area;
The 3 Entries UMO95, UMO96, UMO93



On Track Car #40 UMO93



At the start - they are off. all three MG's in the image;



Summary ;

" The BMC Competition Department's efforts were impressive.

3 Austin Healey 3000 BN7 , UJB141, UJB142, UJB143 were entered for the 3 liter GT class.
and
4 MG A Twin Cam with hardtop , UMO95, UMO96, UMO93 were entered for the
the 1.6 liter GT class.
3 MG A took part in the race, the 4th was marked as P.

Austin Healey Team
Results: #19 UJB141 Accident, #20 UJB142 15th, #18 UJB143 33rd.

MG A Team
Results: #38 UMO95 DNF Broken Valve, #39 UMO96 24th, #40 UMO93 29th. "
4 out the 6 cars finished "

Later, UJB141 that had that huge " rollover " with Fred Spross diving was rebuilt and was for many years [ in the 1980'2/90's ] in Oregon with Bill Bolton, Bill sold the car some time ago - [ heard recently that Bill is still around at 100 years of age.]

[Roger Dowding]

" UJB141 the big rollover " - posted before at different times - the 4 photos believed to be in sequence.
Fred Spross in the AH 3000 Race #19.

- Up up up,



- and over



- a big crunch - had already hit once and rolled again.



- and finally down.

Corvette #3 passing the upturned Healey,

Fred Spross was alright, very shaken, according to reports of the time.

[Roger Dowding]

Alexander Engineering were a tuning modification business in Haddenham Buckinghamshire in the UK.
They produced Engine modification kits for the Austin Healey Sprite and were known as " Alexander Conversions ".

A brochure produced around 1960 for the Austin Healey Sprite - the Bugeye - later known as the Mark One.
- thanks to Karsten Stelk for the images.





A little bit of History - from " Motorsport " Magazine in 1957

" In 1949 the Alexander Engineering Co., Ltd., was formed for the production of car spares and accessories; their specialist equipment then used for tuning the racing cars of manager Michael Christie was soon put to good use on development work for enthusiasts throughout the country. Eventually modifications were carried out on a range of popular production cars and this side of the business flourished rapidly, with the result that a new workshop and showroom have been built in the village of Haddenham, near Aylesbury, increasing the work capacity three-fold and bringing the total number of conversions to over 3,000. "
" Until October of last year the accent was on added performance and modifications or kits of parts were available for some of the more popular small cars, but economy conversions were a natural development, and their recent introduction has coincided well with the present petrol shortage. Both the “economy” and “added performance” kits are in production in quantity and are being exported, especially to Switzerland, to the firm’s agents in Basle, and to agents in New Zealand and America. "

Had read of the name but never seen their work in NZ.

[Roger Dowding]

A photo has emerged of what is stated to be AHS3802.
It features in post #1465 back in late 2024 and before that.

The photo shows a 100 - looking at the grille, bumpers and full Windscreen, but the central Fuel Filler - behind the driver on the rear scuttle, that a 100S would have.
It has a side exhaust on the right hand side which would fit with a 100S motor as the exhaust manifold was on the opposite side to a 100. BN1 BN2 series 1953 - 1956.
It also has separate indicators and side lights and displays NZ Number Plate CO855 which was issued in the Wellington area in 1964 - when permanent plates were released. According to known history and Registration details the car came to Wellington in November 1963 after being sold by E Joss Tims,
The car has plate " 484.600 " when first registered in NZ in 1958 and its last plate was GH9426 - a 1972/73 issue plate when with Nic MacFarlane [ he owned in it 1973 to 1981 ]

Image from Ivo Visser archives.



AHS3802 was for sale at Auction recently in the USA and its story [ with errors ] published by the vendor / selling Agent ]

- As an aside the Plate " CO855 " is now on a 2000 Foden Truck as a personalised issue.

[Roger Dowding]

Photos from A Sealed Gymkhana at Takapuna, the carpark by Shore City - must have been a Sunday when the Shopping Centre was closed - October 1981.

Photos by Keith Humphreys, who is in the car in one photo - unsure who owned it [ Diane B perhaps as she is in it in several of the images - and I don't recognise the car from that period, *** - same event as the photos on the Buckler thread.









The group of cars with the Bugeye - Bugatti and Buckler



*** Just got a note from Keith " BJ8676 It had a Marina 1275 motor " and a photo, car was pale blue.
Photo with an XJ6 Jaguar and the Number Plate;
Rego no longer showing on Carjam -



The Sprite was owned by Steve Kahn a Healey Club member 1978 - 1990, not sure what years he owned the car - he also had a Big Healey at the same time of membership.

[Roger Dowding]

AHS3707, with Donald Healey in the drivers seat at Snowmass, Co, the July 1982 event ;
- " 30th Anniversary of The Austin Healey " International Meeting at the " Snowmass, at Aspen " Ski Resort.

Photo was posted in Monochrome on an " Austin Healey 100S " page, by Ivo Visser and was followed by a colour photo from Rainer Jordan archives.





Jerry Luidahl, an AH and Jaguar Guy I met at Snowmass, from Salem, Oregon, also posted a couple of photos to me back in 2016, just rediscovered them - have been in touch for many years.
- Unloading of the Global Healey Truck at the carpark at Snowmass - the Fred Cohen 100S.
It was not fully restored at the time and was being worked on.

Later in 1985 Steve Pike from Australia also did more restoration work on the car.

The Jerry Luidahl photos.





My own photo of the unloading



Parked beside the Truck with boot and bonnet up.



Great memories of a big event. the last week of July 1982.