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

[Roger Dowding]

Having got to Invercargill and been to Teretonga for the George Begg Festival, and visited the " Bill Richardson Transport Museum ".. many of the contingent went to Wanaka for " Wheels at Wanaka ".

Here a photo by John Craig, one of the participants - unsure which car, he took the photo at the Motel at Invercargill.
[ will try to get a better resolution copy. ].

[Roger Dowding]

The Tom Colby Slot Car Set Up.. with the Racing Sprites.. a different image.



and maybe the Spectators arrived in this.. archive of Hans Van der Kerkhov - Schuco Piccolo in 1;90 scale apparently.







Tom Colby was also the creator of this - a BMC " Rocker Cover Racer ".

[Roger Dowding]

At this event.



100S ...AHS3908



100 .. V8 ..



Photos by Quinton Taylor -understand that he took 1000's of photos covering all the classes..

Here the AH Healey Corvette with another of my favourite cars the Lycoming Special with similar size motors.

[Ray Bell]

Another one from Albert Park:

[Roger Dowding]

Ray Bell, I think that Sebring 3000 belongs to Joe Armour !!,

or one very similar .. Yep



A photo from Joe Armour archives of two of the Sebring cars 54FAC and 57FAC.

[Ray Bell]

I thought Joe had a Sebring 100/6...

Then again, Alan Jones was still alive when I was keeping close contact with Healeys. Through Alan, of course.

[Roger Dowding]

I thought Joe had a Sebring 100/6...

Then again, Alan Jones was still alive when I was keeping close contact with Healeys. Through Alan, of course.

Ray Bell - you could be right .. so DAC953 NSW plate car is not 57FAC ..and it has flared wheelarches ..more likeABL6

Cheers

Roger

[Ray Bell]

Another pic...



Fortunately Stephen is happy for me to post these here.

[Ray Bell]

And another:



George Russell on board.

[Roger Dowding]

Some photos of the first Austin Healey 100S to come to New Zealand .. imported through Austin New Zealand and delivered to the Invercargill Austin dealer P H Vickery Ltd.

Car was originally Black - single colour unlike most 100S that were White over " Lobelia " Blue.
Car was ordered by an American who failed to complete the purchase and it came to New Zealand,ahead of the Seabrook Fowlds / Ross Jensen car AHS3908 - one of the last of the 50 " customer " cars built.

Ardmore January 1961 with Peter Lawson





Later in 1961 the car was sold to Grady Thompson and painted a pale blue - here with the 1961 - 65 plates.
Stated to be Ardmore in 1963 - but the GP meeting was at Pukekohe.
If Ardmore would be 1962, but not even sure if it is Ardmore.



After the rebuild / recreation by Steve Pike for Murray Wells in 1992 - back in Black as AHS 3601 R - at the Queensland Healey Club Rally.
In company with Joe Jarick car AHS3807 and a works car of Frank Moore OON441 SPL



A brochure produced in 2015 by the current " English " owner of the car, and a Magazine article - a copy - that were given to me by current owner Alister Rayner recently, [ Alister was in NZ for the Grand Tour - he and the car are currently based in Queensland ] - the first two photos ( above ) appear in the brochure.

[Milan Fistonic]

Later in 1961 the car was sold to Grady Thompson and painted a pale blue - here with the 1961 - 65 plates.
Stated to be Ardmore in 1963 - but the GP meeting was at Pukekohe.
If Ardmore would be 1962, but not even sure if it is Ardmore.

Grady Thomson was entered in an Austin Healey numbered 42 at the January 1964 meeting at Levin.

[Roger Dowding]

Grady Thomson was entered in an Austin Healey numbered 42 at the January 1964 meeting at Levin.

That looks more like it Milan, brilliant - I questioned the photo on the AUSTIN-HEALEY 100S forum, and no one responded.
- Last year 1963 - 64 for the Yellow and Black plate " 75.602 "
Thank you,

Roger

[Roger Dowding]

Having got to Invercargill and been to Teretonga for the George Begg Festival, and visited the " Bill Richardson Transport Museum ".. many of the contingent went to Wanaka for " Wheels at Wanaka ".

Here a photo by John Craig, one of the participants - unsure which car, he took the photo at the Motel at Invercargill.
[ will try to get a better resolution copy. ].

The Grand Tour is over, and Mark and Jan [ McLaren ] Donaldson returned last Friday.
31 days on the road and the 1961 Tri-Carb never missed a beat..
The Interislander crew let them park here as they have only small ground clearance.



Hopefully more photos and stories to come.
Haven't downloaded mine from Tauranga - but they are only the cars and people in the Motel carpark.

[Ray Bell]

Two pages of the Albert Park programme were devoted to a (shallow, I believe) story about the Austin Healeys:



Once again, thanks to Stephen Dalton.

[Roger Dowding]

In May 2004 5 Austin Healey 100S all in the White over Blue colours were together.

The cars were AHS3906 with the South Australia number plate SA 3906 on the left with AHS3506, one of the 1955 Sebring Cars with the Race #45 on the right.
I have not yet identified the other 3 cars - One has the lower vented grille in the shroud which may help and the one in the middle has a number plate

*** see note from Allan Hyndman #1336 - the car with the vents is AHS3507

Photos from Clas Arleskar archives and the Date 25 5 2004.

*** Full details of the Cars / Chassis Numbers - from Clas Arleskar and Ivo Visser.

As seen in the first photo.
Top Left - a 100S Replica, - Top right AHS3507
The cars on the ground
Left AHS3906 in the middle AHS3905 [ not confirmed but likely as is in Australia] Right AHS3506.







AHS3506 is in the United States as seen in this photo taken at a Car Show in Des Moines, in 2020 by Shawn Frank, who is actually a Triumph guy - I understand that !!



Could not afford a 100S these days ..worth over a Million Dollars ..

[Alan Hyndman]

"I have not yet identified the other 3 cars - One has the lower vented grille in the shroud which may help and the one in the middle has a number plate "


The A100S with the lower grille would be the Vincent Sardi car. It was resident in New Zealand back around 2004. Google helped me find my post about it on Ray Green's TRS thread on the 20th of March 2016. It was also in NZ Classic Car magazine: https://magstore.nz/products/nz-clas...-164-august-04
It looks like it is chassis AHS 3507.

[ERC]

Previously posted. Goodwood 2009

[Roger Dowding]

Thanks Allan and ERC,

ERC, your photo the Sardi Car plate ZH-179022. AHS3507 - was among six cars shipped to Austin New York in February 1955.. Shown as being despatched from the 7th to the 10th of February 1955

Vince Sardi was the owner of a well known Restaurant, " Sardis ", in New York I believe.
That venting is distinctive and has been copied by the 100S Replica that is in New Zealand - the Mike Sexton car.

Have found another photo of 4 of the " Sebring " 100S cars being readied at " The Cape " works at Warwick in early February 1955 - the photo and the details of the despatch from the Geoff Healey book " Austin Healey - the story of the Big Healeys " published in 1977.



The Car with the central stripe is AHS3501 - the Briggs Cunningham car.
Photos of the cars on the transporter has been posted before.

The photo - page 144 of the Geoff Healey book " Healey The Specials " published in 1980.



The other plate " GKE.006 " can't quite get the last two numbers. Looks like an Australian Plate too !! - so maybe in the photo.

" Allan H "- your comment " The A100S with the lower grille would be the Vincent Sardi car. It was resident in New Zealand back around 2004. Google helped me find my post about it on Ray Green's TRS thread on the 20th of March 2016. It was also in NZ Classic Car magazine: "
Thanks for the Note ;

I have that copy of the NZ Classic Car August 2004 and also was able to get some details from the NZ Regitration plate of the time BDP671 .. The NZTA used the Engine number " 1B 222708 " as the chassis number in their data ..

Will put the chassis detail on the Post- Cheers
Roger..

Details from Carjam ;

" 1955
Make: AUSTIN
Model: HEALEY 1005
Colour: White
Second Colour: Blue
Body Style: Sports Car
Plate: BDP671
Engine No: 222708
Chassis: 1B222708
CC rating: 2,670cc
Fuel Type: Petrol "

" BDP671
Plate Type: Standard
Origin: Import from USA
Used as: Overseas Visitor Licence vehicle
Cause of Latest Registration: Used
NZ First Registration: 25-Feb-2003
Cancellation Date Of Registration: 25-Aug-2004
NZ Last Registration: Get CARJAM Report
Was Registered Overseas? Yes
Registered previously in: USA "

bringing the information together ..

Thanks again Allan and Ray " ERC ".

[ERC]

Mike Sexton's car - 2004

[Milan Fistonic]

Details of car AHS3906 from the 1988/89 Australian Austin-Healey Year Book