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

[Roger Dowding]

Car has recently come up for sale and the sellers is in Malta - a long
way from its original base in the 1950s and into the 2010's - saw it at a Queensland AH Club Show in 2015.

a couple of photos posted by the seller.





Car has been for sale a few times in the past - unsuccessfully for a while but apparently sold in 2019.

My own photo from the Scarborough QLD event.



The car after its first rebody - after a big accident.
The body is made by " Ausca " and the body style has been seen on a few Australian Specials.
photo from Peter Linn archives and appeared in a " Healey Factory " - Melbourne story on the car a few years ago

[Roger Dowding]

As mentioned on the Matamata thread the " Ruddspeed " 3000 raced there both years and was [ thanks to Milan's note ]
- a 4000 - the A125 engine.
The restoration is being done as the car was at Ardmore in the 1961 NZ International Grand Prix meeting.

The Car readied for Ardmore with Race #122 - posted before - a new copy of the image.



The car at Matamata in 1964 with the 4000cc motor - photo from the Morrie Given - Scott - Given archives.
- posted on the Matamata thread.



Recent photos of the restoration from Myles Hicks.





Another photo has emerged of the " Ruddspeed " from 1966 - coming in a new post.

Another restoration of a known AH Sprite is now complete after 4 years - photos to follow.

[Roger Dowding]

Brett Young " faminz " in this group, has completed the restoration of the Sprite he owned many years ago and bought back - in the early 1980's it was with Phil Ganley, wife of Denis Ganley [ Howdens brother ]. Car is a 1959 model Chassis No. AN5 21031.

At Eastbourne, Wellington last weekend.







" 1959
Make: AUSTIN
Model: SPRITE
Colour: WHITE
Body Style: Sports Car
VIN: 7A80T1W0798521031
Plate: XE2121
Engine No: 9CUH20491
Chassis: AN521031
CC rating: 948cc (0.9l)
Fuel Type: Petrol "
Car has been in NZ since 1992 - according to this - would have had a 5 yearly plate 1961 -64/65 when first registered.
" Plates History
Plate Effective Date
XE2121 29-Jun-1998
BD5874 02-Oct-1962 "

Classic Car Portraits images of the 1958 - 1961 Sprite - later known as the Mark One,but more often as - depending on which side of the Atlantic a Bugeye or Frogeye.

[Roger Dowding]

The AH has the A125 Motor and is now 4200cc, up from 3993cc, the size in an Austin Princess.



The entry list for the Race - a couple of cars have already passed, well one you can just see the tail.
The Ruddspeed taking a wide line through the Elbow.
Roger Smith, David Oxton #38 and Trevor Sheffield - the Daimler SP250 trio.



both images from Graham Woods archives - photographer not known, - would be taken from the Stables, maybe on the steps.

[Roger Dowding]

X224 - one of the eXperimental cars that Donald Healey Motor Company built.
As is known Healey used a few different engines in his " own " cars - Riley 2.4 litre hi cam 4, the Nash 6, the Austin 4 and 6 cylinder motors in the " Big " Healey's and the 948 - 1098 and 1275 " BMC " A Series motors in Sprites.

One of the more unusual Healeys was X224 - powered by a 2.5 litre Ferrari Motor,

A little of the - story - notes from Rainer Jordan.
There is information on the car in the Geoffrey Healey Book " Healey - The Specials ".

" Nassau Trophy 8.12.1957
4th Annual International Bahamas Speed Weeks
(Race 15 - Nassau Trophy race), Oakes Course, Nassau
Grid: Le Mans start , Started: 42 , Distance: 250 miles
Results:
10th #18 Peter Collins (GB) Austin-Healey Ferrari Special X224 1th [ 1st ] Class: D
23rd #16 Phil Stiles (USA) Austin-Healey 100M 4th Class: D
26th #11 David Darrin (USA) Austin-Healey 100 5th Class: D
30th #46 Hugh Sutherland (CDN) Austin-Healey 100S AHS 3805
6th Class: D
From the 12-hour Florida International Grand Prix of Endurance on March 23, 1957 to the December 8, 1957 Nassau Speed Weeks, either car #24 or #25 was selected for an experiment.
Peter Collins was a good friend of Donald Healey and he suggested a use of a Short distance 2,5 litre Ferrari four-cylinder Grand Prix Engine. A Ferrari gear box and the Rear (de Dion) Suspension and trans-axle from the Ferrari 625F1 were installed.
In late-1955 the Ferrari 625F1 was purchased Donald Healey. X224, that was the code given to Donald and Geoffs’ project to fit the 2.5 Ltr. four cylinder engine and trans-axle from the Ferrari 625 into a modified Austin Healey 100 chassis.
The Ferrari engine developed 210BHP using petroleum spirit, down from the 240 BHP that it developed when using Methanol " "

The car at Nassau in 1957



The car was later raced with an Austin 6 motor as well as the Ferrari 4 cylinder.
It ran at Nassau again in 1959 - more details to come but this is known about the Nassau 1959 Event- Bahamas Speed Week. A very popular Event that Chevrolet sent 3 Grand Sport Corvette Special Bodied C2 Corvettes to in 1963

" Nassau Trophy 29.11.1959
My posts about the Bonneville record runs and Streamline race participation end here.
A long-term solution with the Ferrari engine as an alternative was not possible due to some problems because the combination Ferrari engine and Austin Healey Cassis did not work well together.
For example, the ground clearance with a full tank and the (de Dion) rear suspension was zero, so that the exhaust dragged on the ground.
The Ferrari 2.5l engine was also more suitable for short distances and consumed a lot of oil.
So for 1959 it was decided to use the newly designed and prepared Austin Healey 100-six engine for racing.
Transaxle and rear end were removed from the car and X224 was rebuilt using a six cylinder Austin engine and transmission.
It was heavier than the Ferrari engine, but the car did about 175 mph and was better suited for the upcoming stages than with the Ferrari engine.

Nassau Trophy 29.11.1959
6th Annual International Bahamas Speed Weeks
Preliminary race Nassau Tourist Trophy +2000 ccm
Track: Oakes Field Course, Nassau (Bahamas), 7.242 km
Result:
2nd #73 Roy Salvadori (GB) Austin-Healey 100-6 X224, 1st in Class D GT

In the 5-lap race for larger GT cars, Stirling Moss in a private Aston Martin DB4GT beat Roy Salvadori’s special-bodied Austin-Healey 100-Six. "

Notes on the photo below:
" The X224 Streamliner at the Nassau Speedweek in 1959. The car was driven by Roy Salvadori who is pictured standing behind the car Roger Menadue work at the front wheel. "

[Roger Dowding]

Reims [ Rheims ] Race Circuit has been used over the years in various iterations as shown in previous posts, from an Oval to other closed tracks and then the longer circuits that went through the local town.
The Circuits are known as Circuit Reims - Gueux.

In 1956 AHS3810 Race #1 was entered and driven - by Raymond Flowers and Colin Davis and came 8th, in 1957 the car had Race #13 and was a DNF. AHS3810 was a customer car with the Lobelia Blue and Ivory / White paintwork.

Photos from Rainer Jordan archives with notes from Ivo Visser. - the 1956 Race.







Chassis and Engine number details of the Special Test Cars.



OON441 the other entrant in 1957 alongside AHS3810.
In the Pits - along with other Competitors, before the Start ;- two different photos





A couple more photos to follow

[Roger Dowding]

The last two photos [ so far ] of OON441





Another photo of AHS3810 - at the start of the 12 hour Race in 1956 Car Race #1, A night / evening start, for a Daytime finish.