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

[Roger Dowding]

Ken H,
" Roger,
I don't think this Healey NOJ 392 will be towing a boat anymore ! "

Very expensive tow vehicle for a " Tinny ".
I agree !!

[Roger Dowding]

Ken H,
" Roger,
I don't think this Healey NOJ 392 will be towing a boat anymore ! "

Very expensive tow vehicle for a " Tinny ".
I agree !!

What about this for a Tow Car .. the tinny would fall off the trailer.
Probably the most famous " modified " Australian AH 3000 - Ross Bond- the wheel flares just got bigger and bigger..



Small photo of a " Big " Healey.

[Roger Dowding]

The car that featured at Torrey Pines in January 1956 - see Ken H thread on ;
" Early Days of Hot Rodding and Racing in Santa Barbara and beyond. " The car entered by W Pringle and driven by Roy Jackson-Moore and a certain S Moss

The car was in the first 10 100S built and " Despatched " in February 1955 mostly [ six ] to New York,
One went to Canada AHS3503 and AHS3510 went to a UK owner.
The car went to Gough Industries in Los Angeles but the customer is not mentioned
[ the other of the first ten cars all had purchasers named including Briggs Cunningham with AHS3501 which was unusual in that it was white with stripe ( blue ) and not Ivory over Black like the others ].

The Torrey Pines photo.



A small image that is part of the link Ken H posted



Another small image of the programme cover.



Ken's copy of the programme ;



The entry list - thanks to the link from Ken H.

[Roger Dowding]

This AH 100 featured in NZ Classic Driver back in the July - August 2017 issue.
John Vevers photos from Caffeine and Classics 28 March 2021 [ yesterday].





Good to know it gets out and about. last saw it in 2017 in its own garage.

[Roger Dowding]

BMCBOY took HL3000 to the 2021 Brit-Euro show - I wasn't there but John Vevers a BMC Guy was - John is into Austin 3 Litres, the 1800 style car with bigger bonnet [ to accommodate the straight Six - in line not the " C " series but a later development by BMC ] and boot.
A series of photos John Vevers took - he also took a lot of BMC/BL standard 8 / 10 and Wolseleys 6/99 and 6/110 etc.
Triple carbs were not normally on a 1959 AH 3000 [ MK 1 ] they were in 1961 -62 only, then back to Duals 62-63 on.






A picture of the car when Bill Dunster had a racing accident sits on the front seat


John was obviously fascinated with the engine

[Roger Dowding]

More on Tri-carb Big Healey's this is a 100 Six;
Thanks to Patrick Quinn - The story relates to a post on " Healey Museum " Facebook page;
" A special 100/6 engine setup, Patrick Quinn send these remarks to the Healey Museum accompanied by these pictures:
"A BN4 that was raced extensively during the late 1950s and early ‘60s.
It has the early cylinder head that was modified to take three SUs, but as semi-downdrafts.
The head was designed by a chap who raced Austin sedans and while the carbs fit under a sedan bonnet they don’t with an Austin-Healey so the car has a slight bulge in the bonnet which you can just see in the first photo."

The Car which is in Australia looks like a good Racer.


Views of the engine ;






The photo that started the conversation as posted on the Healey Museum page - it started a lot of conversation with some details by our own Kevin Hirst who did a similar thing to an A95 Six with the 2.6 motor -taken out to 3 litres.

The 100 Six as posted by Healey Museum.



-compare the set up to both the ones above and BMC BOY's 1959 3000 with triples which are larger carbs HD8's I believe.

[Roger Dowding]

BMC BOY's AH 3000 BN7 the 1959 model. Photo's 40 years apart.

As a twin carb version at Rotorua Rally in 1980 - my own photo



As a triple carb version in 2020, photo by Nigel Hunter Russell, taken on a Car Club day by the Formula Junior boys - BMC BOY has a Cooper single seater with a one litre BMC A series motor - a project.

[Roger Dowding]

Period Advertisement of the Austin Range of BMC cars . Must be 1958/59 as has the first Sprite was 1958 and the Big Healey is 100 Six, the 3000 came along mid 1959.
Thanks to John Vevers for this gem.

[Milan Fistonic]

This advert was in The Motor dated May 16, 1956

[Roger Dowding]

Recent photos have emerged of AHS3707 Which was owned by Fred Cohen and was being restored when I saw it in 1982 at the 30th Anniversary of the Austin Healey, at Snowmass ( at Aspen ) ski resort in Colorado. Most work had been done, but later Steve Pike from Australia did remedial work to correct some faults.
At the time of Snowmass, the car arrived on a truck and was going from California to the East Coast [ I understand. ]

" Ivo Visser together with David Gooding in AHS3707 at Amelia Island 2011 before making a test-drive.
The 100S was sold at the Gooding auction to an investersgroup! As fas as I know it was later sold to the UK and was entered in 2015 at RM Sotheby's Auctions listed € 900.000,-- - € 1.100.000, but failed to sell. "
The photo from 2011.

Attachment 69521

Photos from Clas Arleskar taken in 2005

Attachment 69516

Attachment 69517

Attachment 69518

A montage of photos I took in 1982.
The 100S
Attachment 69520

Here with the Wilson's [ RIP John and Shirley Wilson ] 3000 with matching trailer, Bill Boltons Sebring 3000 from the 1960 race and the 100S.
The guy with the sign is I believe John Harris - a works driver in 1960's/70's
Attachment 69519

AHS3707 was Invoiced to Gough Industries, Los Angeles USA, along with AHS3706, 3708, 3709, 3710 and AHS3801 Despatched on 21st and 22nd April 1955. The actual purchaser is not detailed in the
" Record of 100 S Sales " as written by Geoffrey Healey in his book
" Austin Healey - the story of the Big Healeys " -published in 1977
The book is dedicated to his parents " Donald and Ivy Healey "

Have the pictures returned ?? have edited post and can see them as loaded but when I save and view gone - will repost soon.

Much later 19 May or as in the timeline above 05-19-2021 - no pictures :Go to post #1134 as attached there with the same text.

[Roger Dowding]

Post 1130 appeared twice after I tried to edit a comment and became 1130 with no text and 1131 with the text - Have deleted one post and hopefully all the text will stay with the photos.

[Ray Bell]

What's happened to the pictures, Roger?

I guess they're a work in progress...

[Roger Dowding]

Ray Bell - indeed where did they go. have re-edited the post [ added a comment about lost photos ] and now I can see them.
Will close out of TRS and open it again to check.

Lost again have created a new post and will later delete post #1130

[Roger Dowding]

" AHS3707 - The ex-Fred Cohen car- 1982 being restored - some more recent photos
Recent photos have emerged of AHS3707 Which was owned by Fred Cohen and was being restored when I saw it in 1982 at the 30th Anniversary of the Austin Healey, at Snowmass ( at Aspen ) ski resort in Colorado. Most work had been done, but later Steve Pike from Australia did remedial work to correct some faults.
At the time of Snowmass, the car arrived on a truck and was going from California to the East Coast [ I understand. ]

" Ivo Visser together with David Gooding in AHS3707 at Amelia Island 2011 before making a test-drive.
The 100S was sold at the Gooding auction to an investersgroup! As fas as I know it was later sold to the UK and was entered in 2015 at RM Sotheby's Auctions listed € 900.000,-- - € 1.100.000, but failed to sell. "
The photo from 2011.



Photos from Clas Arleskar taken in 2005







A montage of photos I took in 1982.
The 100S


Here with the Wilson's [ RIP John and Shirley Wilson ] 3000 with matching trailer, Bill Boltons Sebring 3000 from the 1960 race and the 100S.
The guy with the sign is I believe John Harris - a works driver in 1960's/70's



AHS3707 was Invoiced to Gough Industries, Los Angeles USA, along with AHS3706, 3708, 3709, 3710 and AHS3801 Despatched on 21st and 22nd April 1955. The actual purchaser is not detailed in the
" Record of 100 S Sales " as written by Geoffrey Healey in his book
" Austin Healey - the story of the Big Healeys " -published in 1977
The book is dedicated to his parents " Donald and Ivy Healey "

Hope the photos stay with the re-post !!

[Roger Dowding]

More of my photos - posted before - Bringing them all together about AHS3707.





- Off the truck



-Being worked on
.

The only 100S at Snowmass I am sure - must go back through the booklet that came out after the event and was sent to participants in August 1982

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Roger Dowding
What about this for a Tow Car .. the tinny would fall off the trailer.
Probably the most famous modified Australian AH 3000 - Ross Bond- the wheel flares just got bigger and bigger..

There were times when the modifications weren't so welcome...

In the scrutineering bay at Amaroo Park was Keith Neville. Keith was a short-ish bloke who had a lot of experience behind him and some of that was evident by his casual demeanour and the grey of his wavy hair. Always approachable and he knew his stuff.

After the crew finished examining the Ross Bond (Ken Webb?) Austin-Healey one day, Ross jumped in and started it up, selected reverse and was starting to back out when Keith came over and stopped him. The engine was turned off and the scrutineers under Keith's charge asked to jack it up. An inspection of the underside in the gearbox area was carried out.

That was the day it was decreed that the Alfa Romeo 5-speed gearbox had to be removed. Keith had noticed that Ross had moved the gearlever in the wrong direction to get reverse gear.

Part 3 (d) of the Marque Sports Car regulations at that time read:

The original design of transmission train assemblies, including the number of forward and reverse ratios, assembled and operating as originally supplied by the manufacturers, shall be retained. The use of alternative ratios in the gearbox and final drive is permitted, as is the use of a "limited slip" differential.

In the terminology of the time... "SPRUNG!"

[Roger Dowding]

Good story Ray Bell, thanks.
I like the Ross Bond car with all its Mods - a bit like ABL6 in USA and UK the Modsport 3000 ..



Seen here in Corvallis, Oregon at Bill Bolton's place - with Bill Bolton and Mark Donaldson, the green car is UJB141 the famous 1960 Sebring 12 hour racer that had a huge rollover. - photo by BMC BOY- Ross Cammick from around 1984-86

[Ray Bell]

Sad that it went through a very rough period...

At one time some 'intelligent' owners took it to the drags and did a burnout over burning petrol and set fire to it.

[Roger Dowding]

AHS3601, AHS3802 and AHS3908 - the three Austin Healey 100S that were in New Zealand in the late 1950's into the 1960's.
Each has its own story.
AHS3908 is the car purchased by Seabrook Fowlds, in 1955, and made famous by Ross Jensen, who raced in New Zealand and took it to Australia for the Australian Grand Prix meeting, competing in the TT race there.
The car went to Graham Pierce,it passed through a number of owners and is still in New Zealand, the only Original 100S here. It was fully rebuilt/restored retaining the patina [ modifications ] of its racing with Ross Jensen.

Details and photos of the car and an article by Allan Dick in NZ Classic Driver - Issue #70 - Jan-Feb 2017. have appeared in posts on this thread.
The other two cars are mentioned briefly in Allan's story

The other two AHS' have rather different storys;

I have recently came across some information on both cars, from a Healey guy I know, we first met at an AH Club rally in New Plymouth in 1976.
Jim Reece raced a Sprite and has had a " Big " Healey since the 1970's called the " Mongrel "as it is somewhat modified.
Jim collected data on the NZ 100S and other big Healeys as an unofficial " Healey Register ".

AHS3601 was the other 100S sold new to New Zealand in 1955 through P H Vickery Motors in Invercargill [ The local Austin Dealer ] in 1955 and was raced by Barney Giller, Cobber Hurley and Grady Thomson and others before being written of in a level crossing smash in 1967. Parts from the car were used in a recreation by Steve Pike in Australia in 1991. It is now owned by Alister Rayner and is now back in New Zealand as " AHS3601R "

A piece of history - the Register page for AHS3601 as compiled by Jim Reece after the accident as seen in the notes.



The car when delivered to P H Vickery in 1955 [ posted before - ignore the date on the picture was as noted when I acquired it ]



A picture from late 1950's of the car - on the 1956 -61 New Zealand Plates. Owner at the time Max Richards the 4th owner.



AHS3802 is the Fred Losee, Jos(h) E [ Ernest ] Tims car which Fred brought to New Zealand and raced before selling it to Josh [ Ernest ] Tims ; the car was sold at some stage to Australia and is now in the USA.

The Jim Reece " Register " page and other notes on the car.





A For Sale article - I think from the Austin Healey Car Club magazine " Healey Torque " being sold by N MacFarlane as detailed in the Register pages



The above details are as I know them - any corrections or other information is most welcome.

[Roger Dowding]

A bit more on the ex USA, NZ Australia and now USA car.

The MacFarlane for sale advert with the car the right way;



The car in NZ when with Fred Losee


The car, now Red in 1992 - believe when in Australia



The car recently back to the two tone - original colours - " Ivory " White over " Lobelia " Blue



Have also got from Jim Reece the " duplicate " registration papers for this car from 1975 which have the details going back to Fred Losee and its arrival in NZ in 1958.
Another piece of the cars History will post later