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

[Roger Dowding]

I had a bit of a look online and I'm not so interested any more...

The front suspension is Healey's trailing arm (as on Silverstone etc), which doesn't sit well with me. The rear is okay, a coil spring version of the torque tube arrangement from a Nash with a Panhard bar. Healey made a special head for the engine in alloy, but the power wasn't magnificent.

Ray, thanks for the comments - believe that the " Healey " front suspension was rather complicated and expensive, no wonder they used a more basic but good handling set up on the Healey 100, that became the Austin Healey 100 - was modified over time to use on the 100 Six and 3000 apart from better Brakes [ Disc ] on later cars nothing much changed.

The suspension - edit from Wikipaedia.
" The chassis was a widened and reinforced Healey Silverstone box-section ladder-type steel frame. Independent front suspension, also Healey Silverstone, was by coil springs, trailing link, and a sway bar. The rear suspension featured Nash's rear end and coil springs replaced the Silverstone’s leaf springs, while the beam axle was located by Panhard rod. "

Classic and Sportcar article states " With rumours that his supply of Riley engines was about to dry up, Healey had been on his way to Detroit to shop for the new overhead-valve Cadillac V8; when it wasn’t forthcoming (Cadillac couldn’t spare any), Mason’s offer of the rugged 3.8-litre Nash ‘Dual Jetfire’ straight-six began to look like a good deal.

Special high-compression, 125bhp versions of this seven-bearing, overhead-valve unit – complete with three-speed overdrive gearboxes – were shipped to England, six at a time, in giant packing cases. All the Donald Healey Motor Co had to do was fit twin SU carburettors, which helped to get a lower bonnet line.

It was then installed into a suitably modified Healey Silverstone box-section chassis, with trademark coil spring and cast-alloy trailing-link front suspension and a new coil-sprung rear end. Nash supplied the propshaft, torque tube, rear axle, wheels and ‘Weather eye’ heater, plus various items of instrumentation and trim. "

A 1950 Model for sale - doesn't seem right as production was 1951 - 54. so maybe they mean a 1950's model.