donald healey
donald healey has played an important role in the development of English sports cars. Besides Austin Healey, the name is found again in Nash-Healey and Jensen-Healey. The Donald Healey Motor Company was founded shortly after the war and made exclusive sports cars - cars that are probably worth a fortune today. It was from this company that the collaboration between the Austin division of BMC and Healey started. Austin-Healey was founded in 1952 to produce sports cars. Two model series were made, one called Big Healey based on 3 models, Austin-Healey 100, 100-6 and 3000. The little Healey was Sprite which also went by the nickname Frogeye.
Big Healey
The development of the new sports car was based on Austin's prestige model A90 Atlantic. This resulted in the Austin-Healey 100 from 1953. From 1956, the model had an increased wheelbase, 6-cylinder engine and air intake on the bonnet. The engine was taken from the big car Austin Westminster - an engine that was probably actually developed by Morris. From 1959 came the model that has garnered the most recognition – the Austin-Healey 3000. It was produced in 3 series – all with the same engine, a 3-litre straight six based on the 2,6-litre engine in the 100-6. The model also received front disc brakes. Similar in appearance to its predecessor. The Mk2, which came in 1961, had the rib pattern in the grill changed to vertical ribs. It also received a performance upgrade to 132 HP through new carburetors. From 1964, the mk3 had increased performance to 150 HP through new carburettors and a sharper camshaft. The last year of production was 1967.
Visual characteristics
One of the surest characteristics is vertical ribs in the grill. Then the car is a mk2 or later from 1. Until the autumn of 961, all the cars had been fairly simple roadsters. From model year 1962, they got a proper canopy - the sports cabriolet - which, in addition to the canopy, is visible through a different design of the windscreen, slightly curved framed by chrome - also in excess. Another characteristic is that cars from 1963 had front indicators separated from the marker lights. All models could be delivered either as 1965 seats or 2+2 seats.
About the pictures
The two red-over-white cars in the main picture were photographed during a drive-out to Hadeland Glassverk. The car on the left is a roadster while the one on the right is a convertible. The blue-over-white car is pictured in a residential area in Fornebu. The car in full front has separate indicators and marker lights and is from 1965 or later. It is also photographed at Hadeland Glassverk. The car with UK electric car registration number 'ETL 209C' is pictured outside the London Olympia Hall in 2023. This is an electric car converted by London Electric Cars. The blue-over-white car with a leather strap over the bonnet is an Austin Healey 100M with a 2660cc inline-four – a predecessor to the Austin Healey 3000. The car is photographed in Céret, France, 2023. The all-red car with side air vents is a 1962 mk1 Austin Healey 3000.
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See
Austin A-90 Atlantic
An Austin tailored for the US, but the Americans didn't like it - because it looked like an American car. American sports car buyers preferred wagons that looked more European…
Austin Healey Club Norway