Donald Healey
Donald Mitchell Healey (born July 3, 1898 - January 13, 1988 ) was an English rally driver and automobile engineer.
Career
Healey took an early interest in technical things, especially airplanes . After leaving school, he joined Sopwith Aviation Company , a British aircraft manufacturer, from where he applied for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). During the First World War he served in anti- Zeppelin units and was a flight trainer.
On one of the first missions Donald Healey was hit by the British air defense and left the RFC at the age of 18. He returned to his native Cornwall , took a correspondence course in automotive engineering and opened a workshop in his native Perranporth.
In 1931 Donald Healey won the Monte Carlo Rally on an Invicta . He had previously taken part in the rally in 1929 . In 1932, 1934 and 1936 he took places in the top eight.
He also gained a reputation as an engineer and designer and was appointed director of the Triumph Motor Company in 1931 . There he developed the Southern Cross and Dolomite 8 models.
During the Second World War , Donald Healey was instrumental in the development of an aircraft carburetor for the Department of Supply and worked on armored cars for the automobile manufacturer Humber .
In 1945 he founded Donald Healey Motor Company Ltd, which was based in a former hangar of the Royal Air Force in Warwick . The company developed Austin Healey and Austin Healey Sprite vehicles between 1952 and 1959 under a license agreement with the British Motor Corporation (BMC). When BMC was taken over by British Leyland in 1966 , he switched to Jensen Motors and developed the Jensen Healey in a joint venture .
Donald Healey died on January 13, 1988 at the age of 89.
Awards
- 1962 Médaille de l'Éducation Physique et des Sports (1ère Cl.)
- 1973 Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 1996 International Motorsports Hall of Fame
- 2004 Automotive Hall of Fame
Exhibitions
The world's only Healey Museum is located in Vreeland near Amsterdam . There are u. a. Vehicles from Healey, Nash-Healey, Austin-Healey and Jensen-Healey on display.
statistics
Individual results in the sports car world championship
| season | team | race car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4th | 5 | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Donald Healey | Austin-Healey 100 |
 BUA
|
 SEB
|
 MIM
|
 LEM
|
 RTT
|
 CAP
|
| DNF | ||||||||
| 1955 | Austin-Healey 100 |
BUA
|
SEB
|
MIM
|
LEM
|
RTT
|
TAR
|
|
| DNF |
Web links
- Automotive Hall of Fame : Donald Healey (accessed January 14, 2016)
- Healey Museum (English and Dutch) (accessed March 14, 2019)
Individual evidence
- ^ Automotive Hall of Fame: Donald Healey
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Healey, Donald |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Healey, Donald Mitchell (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English rally driver and automotive engineer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 3, 1898 |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 13, 1988 |