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

[Roger Dowding]

Came across these recently ;
An article -Letter to the Editor from Donald Healey -re The British Government and the De Lorean " adventure ".



Rick Neville from the USA a Healey enthusiast and archivist wrote a story about the potential Healey involvement with the defunct De Lorean [ Delorean ] gullwing Car. It was published in the Austin Healey Club Magazine in 2020.
Recently Rick posted the story on the Facebook group " Austin Healey Owners & Enthusiasts ".

This the link to the Pdf file ## no it is not working so deleted !!

Hope this works !! ## - It didn't

Guys going to try and scam [ make that scan - writer error ] the article as the link or links are not working - probabaly operator error.

Watch this Space ..

[Roger Dowding]

The Mark 3 Sprite has appeared on this thread in a couple of photos by Dennis Green,taken at various Northern Sports Car Club events in the 1970's.

Owned the car from June 1974 to January 1976, when it was replaced by a Triumph GT6.

Recently I have been sent four photos of the car at NSCC events, Autocross in 1974 and 1975.
One other photo is a new print of an image that I have had since 1975 when I bought a print from Dennis Green.
These photos and many other photos from NSCC events in the 1970's are being processed by Ross Cammick, who has known Dennis since the 1970's, as have I.

[ a couple of the photos were put on the NSCC thread recently and are copied here.

Autocross at Woodhill - Tom Grace farm in late 1974.
Car running top up;





Autocross again at Woodhill - Car running top down and the Matt Black paint on the grille starting to wear off.
Believe this event was in early mid 1975.





Autocross in 1975 later in the year, Grille paint restored but showing Fiberglass patch in the sills and the tail stripes have been removed.
[ This is the new copy of the photo. ]



Hoping for more photos as Ross works through the two huge boxes of negatives.
Thanks Ross aka BMC BOY.

[Roger Dowding]

The first time Donald Healey Motor Company had two very different branded cars at Le Mans, Nash Healey and the new Austin Healey 100.
In 1952 the Donald Healey Motor Company ran a Nash Healey [ car #10 ] and an experimental Healey called the X8 [ car #11 ].

The real; Nash Healey pit - cars no 10 and 11.



The real; one of the Austin Healeys car no 34 - team was car 33 and car 34.



The real ; Nash Healey with the bonnet up



Photo 1 from the " Healey Museum " archives - the Museum is in Holland
Photos 2 and 3 from Karsten Stelk archives

The small ; Diorama by Jerry Luidahl, of Oregon USA, who runs a group called "Old Irish Racing " with photos of real and model cars ; Met Jerry at Snowmass, Colorado at the July 1982 " 30th Anniversary of the Austin Healey " and saw him again in Oregon in August in Salem and Medford Oregon -drove his 100 at the time.

The 1953 Le Mans Pit scene Diorama; great detailing - did not realise that the cars were together as thought numbering and pit space was numerical from the largest engine to the smallest.
It certainly was in 1950 from images I have in books and articles.

[Ray Bell]

The Nash-Healey made all too small a dot in sporting car history, Roger...

A real shame but probably inevitable with the fragility of the Nash company and the ocean between Healey and the Americans - allied, of course, with the willingness of Austin to be a party to the Healey 100.

But I guess that's what makes certain cars collectible, isn't it?

[Roger Dowding]

Ray Bell,

" The Nash-Healey made all too small a dot in sporting car history ".

A small one, yes ; 1950 - 1953 at Le Mans and in the Mille Miglia, obviously some racing in the USA, with that Packard V8 powered one as well as the " Factory " cars.

Once the 100 came along that was the main car for Donald and Co, as the Riley engines were being phased out by the BMC takeover ....
and the engine was 2/3rds of the 3 and 1/4 litre Austin Truck 6 cylinder engine.

[Milan Fistonic]

A green cover on Autosport to honour the victory in the GT category of the 1964 Tulip Rally by the Austin-Healey of Don and Erle Morley.

[Roger Dowding]

Card by Clas Arleskar .. an Austin Healey guy in Europe ..

[Ray Bell]

Roger Dowding
Once the 100 came along that was the main car for Donald and Co, as the Riley engines were being phased out by the BMC takeover .... and the engine was 2/3rds of the 3 and 1/4 litre Austin Truck 6 cylinder engine.

Actually the 4-litre version of that engine...

Used in trucks in the late-forties (early versions were made from 1938/39) and also in 4-litre form in the A125/Sheerline and Princess.

[Roger Dowding]

Actually the 4-litre version of that engine...

Used in trucks in the late-forties (early versions were made from 1938/39) and also in 4-litre form in the A125/Sheerline and Princess.

You are so right Ray Bell,

The first incarnation was at 2190 cc for the Austin A70 and the FX3 London Taxi, [ was 2/3rds of the 3 and 1/4 litre ] then the 2660 cc in the Austin A90 Atlantic, Austin A90 / 4 .. and the Healey 100 which became the Austin Healey 100 at the 1952 London Motor Show..

[Ray Bell]

And the 2.2 was used in the Gipsy, while the 2.6 was used in the civilian version of the Champ...

The 2.2 originally having been drawn from the big six to provide a locally-sourced replacement engine for Jeeps during the war.

But which one was used as a diesel?

[Kevin Hirst]

And the 2.2 was used in the Gipsy, while the 2.6 was used in the civilian version of the Champ...

The 2.2 originally having been drawn from the big six to provide a locally-sourced replacement engine for Jeeps during the war.

But which one was used as a diesel?

Which vehicle was the big motor used in as a diesel, apart from nuffield tractors, the small 1500 diesel was used as a marine motor as well, navigator I think, not sure, long time ago.

[Ray Bell]

I have a notion, unconfirmed, that the nitrided crank in the 100S was a standard part from a diesel...

Probably used in taxis.

[Roger Dowding]

I have a notion, unconfirmed, that the nitrided crank in the 100S was a standard part from a diesel...

Probably used in taxis.

A couple of boys in your part of the world would know that, Joe Armour and Joe Jarick, also Steve Pike - who restored a few 100S over the years .. must find out, Ray ..

Cheers
Roger

[Roger Dowding]

BMC archive photo from 1960 ..
So many Sprites - and a couple of early 3000's tucked away at the back..

[Milan Fistonic]

An advert from Autosport dated May 23, 1958.

[Roger Dowding]

Thanks Milan for the Sprite item from Autosport in 1958. As Ken H would say - " appreciate your inputs "

Came across this today - an Advert in Autosport 23rd October 1953 issue for the AH 100 and its record breaking results.



from Clas Arleskar archives.

[Roger Dowding]

Mr Stringer, in a Porsche 356 at Levin 1956, and in the Jack Brabham Cooper Dunedin 1957

John Seabrook in the 100 [ M Spec ] and Ross Jensen in the ex Seabrook Fowlds 100S - the car is still in New Zealand.
* more details on this 1st Levin meeting to come.



Dunedin 1957 - in company with the RA Lycoming, Ron Roycroft Ferrari and others - Bruce McLaren in the Austin Healey - another car that is still in New Zealand.

[Roger Dowding]

To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Healey 100 - revealed at the London Motor Show in October 1952, two days later it became the Austin Healey 100.

" 70th Anniversary Austin-Healey BN1 Prints " are being done by Sports Car Art.

here is the promotional version;



Back to those times an advertisement about the AH 100 Fuel Economy and Performance
35 miles per gallon and 110 miles per hour
- Was that an American Gallon ?? - which I understand is about 4 litres, not 4.5 litres as it is with the Imperial Gallon.



It is a US advert, and those Austin A40 Somersets too !! don't think the 1200 cc car would have been a big seller in the USA

[928]

roger, the A40 sumersaults might have sold as stunt cars.

[Ray Bell]

Isn't one of them an A70?

A US gallon is 3.78541 litres. Sorry, liters. Imperial is actually 4.546 litres.