Austin-Healey

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Austin-Healey 3000

Austin-Healey was a British car brand.

overview

Born in Perranporth / Cornwall , Briton Donald Mitchell Healey (1898–1988), also called DMH by his colleagues, won his first race in 1928, the RAC rally. In 1931 he won the famous Monte Carlo Rally . After the Second World War , 1945, Healey founds the Donald Healey Motor Company . After various development work ( Nash Healey etc.) and victories in smaller races, the Healey 100 is the star of a British motor show in London's Earls Court. This vehicle is sold by Donald Healey both in performance data (100 miles per hour) and in price between the already older MG T and the more modern Jaguar XK and geared towards the booming American roadster market. BMC President Leonard Lord (1896–1967) becomes aware of Healey's new model; On the eve of the Healey 100 (1952) presentation to the public, Lord and Healey agree to work together under the umbrella of BMC . The first 20 Austin-Healey are built in Warwick. 1957 the production is relocated to Abingdon. Series production is stopped in the USA in 1967 due to stricter safety and emissions standards; production continued until 1972.

Donald Healey had already left the company in 1968 when BMC ( British Motor Corporation ) was taken over by British Leyland .

After the rights to Austin via the purchase of MG Rover's assets in July 2005 fell to Nanjing Automobile Group (NAC), the latter was able to work with HFI Automotive as the developer of a new Austin Healey 3000 and Healey Automotive Consultants (HAC) as Healey naming rights holders agree to jointly revive the Healey and Austin Healey brands. The development of the new Austin Healey 3000 was previously planned by HFI alone; However, the acquisition of the necessary rights failed due to the objection of the NAC.

The Healey became famous for its countless successes in racing and rallying , for which it was predestined due to its construction (light body, large, high-torque engine). This contrasts with the involvement of Lance Macklin's Austin-Healey 100S in the Le Mans catastrophe in 1955 .

He gained much of his fame through rally driver Pat Moss , one of the first women to be taken seriously in motorsport, sister of Stirling Moss and wife of Saab rally legend Erik Carlsson , who drove the works car she drove with the nickname "The Pig" ("The Pig") provided. The reason for this designation is its unpredictable driving behavior, especially the tendency to break out of the rear, which is difficult to control even for professionals. Many of the Healeys, which were produced in small numbers anyway, came to an early end, because the species-appropriate use of the car requires an experienced and knowledgeable hand, a sensitive accelerator and a trained " popometer ".

In addition to these vehicles, the Austin-Healey Sprite was produced from 1958 to 1970 , a smaller sports car with a distinctive self-supporting body. Its headlights placed on the bonnet quickly led to the nickname "Froschauge" ("frogeye" in England, "bugeye" in the USA). From 1961 the Sprite received a modified body with headlights that were integrated into the fenders. Also with this model (or its largely identical sister model MG Midget ) many successes in racing and rallying were achieved. The production of the Austin-Healey Sprite ended in 1970, whereby in 1971 a number of 1,022 vehicles were still being produced as the "Austin Sprite".

  • Healey Silverstone (according to "pure teaching" not as Austin-Healey) (1950)

  • Austin-Healey 100 (1953)

  • Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II Convertible (1962)

  • Austin-Healey Sprite built in 1964

  • Cabin and dashboard of an Austin-Healey 3000 MK I.

  • Austin-Healey Sprite (1958)

  • Austin-Healey 3000

  • Austin-Healey 3000 MK I (1959)

Models

BN1

  • Austin-Healey BN1 (100), 1952–1953, 94 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN1 (100), 1953–1954, 4,424 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN1 (100), 1954–1955, 5,348 cars built

BN2

  • Austin-Healey BN2 (100M / 100-4), 1956, 4,748 cars built

BN4

  • Austin-Healey BN4 (100six), 1956–1957, 5,541 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN4 (100six), 1957, 329 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN4 (100six), 1958, 2,794 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN4 (100six), 1959, 1,118 cars built

BN6

  • Austin-Healey BN6 (100six), 1958, 3,821 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN6 (100six), 1959, 329 cars built

BN7

  • Austin-Healey BN7 (3000 Mk I), 1959, 1,691 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN7 (3000 Mk I), 1960, 1,085 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN7 (3000 Mk I), 1961, 49 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN7 (3000 Mk II), 1961, 214 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BN7 (3000 Mk II), 1962, 141 cars built

BT7

  • Austin-Healey BT7 (3000 Mk I), 1959, 4,762 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BT7 (3000 Mk I), 1960, 5,920 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BT7 (3000 Mk I), 1961, 143 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BT7 (3000 Mk II), 1961, 3,155 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BT7 (3000 Mk II), 1962, 1,941 cars built

BJ7

  • Austin-Healey BJ7 (Convertible Mk II), 1962, 2,581 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BJ7 (Convertible Mk II), 1963, 3,532 cars built

BJ8

  • Austin-Healey BJ8 (3000 Mark III Phase 1 / Mk III P1), 1963, 344 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BJ8 (3000 Mark III Phase 1 / Mk III P1), 1964, 1,046 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BJ8 (3000 Mark III Phase 2 / Mk III P2), 1964, 3,828 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BJ8 (3000 Mark III Phase 2 / Mk III P2), 1965, 3,947 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BJ8 (3000 Mark III Phase 2 / Mk III P2), 1966, 5,495 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BJ8 (3000 Mark III Phase 2 / Mk III P2), 1967, 3,051 cars built
  • Austin-Healey BJ8 (3000 Mark III Phase 2 / Mk III P2), 1968, 1 car built

JH

  • Austin-Healey JH (Healey 4000), 1968

ON

  • Austin-Healey Sprite AN5, Mark I 'Frogeye', 1958–1960, 48,987 cars built

Was delivered with an engine of 948 cm³. Due to the arrangement of the headlights (a certain height had to be maintained for export to the USA) and the radiator grille, it is also often referred to as "frog eye" (in the United Kingdom as "Frogeye" and in the United States as "Bugeye" ).

  • Austin-Healey Sprite (H) AN6 and (H) AN7, Mark II, 1961–1964, 31,665 cars built

Extensive changes to the body, including now with the front headlights integrated into the fenders. Motor with 948 cm³ (AN6) or 1098 cm³ (AN7).

  • Austin-Healey Sprite (H) AN8, Mark III, 1964–1966, 25,905 cars built

Motor with 1098 cm³.

  • Austin-Healey Sprite (H) AN9, Mark IV, 1966–1969, 20,357 cars built

Motor with 1275 cm³.

  • Austin-Healey Sprite (H) AN10, Mark IV, 1969–1970, 1,411 cars built

Motor with 1275 cm³.

  • Austin Sprite (A) AN10, Mark IV, 1969–1970, 1,022 cars built

Motor with 1275 cm³.

ID

  • The chassis number and the body number are on metal plates attached to the right inner wing. Exceptions: For BN1 models up to September 1954, the chassis number is attached in the footwell on the driver's side, for AN models on the left inner wing.
  • The engine number is stamped on the right side of the engine block on BN1 and BN2 models and on AN models, on the other hand on the left side of the block on BN4 to BJ8 models.

Motorsport

  • 1964 SPA SOFIA Lounger

See also

literature

  • Anders D. Clausager: "Austin-Healey, 100-100 -Six, 3000" , Heel Verlag 1994, ISBN 3-89365-390-2 .
  • Gary G. Anderson, Roger L. Moment: "Austin-Healey 100 / 100-6 / 3000 Restoration Guide (Authentic Restoration Guide)," Motorbooks International 2000, ISBN 0-7603-0673-7 .
  • Bill Piggott: "Austin-Healey, A Homage to the British Sports Car Classic" , Heel Verlag 2003, ISBN 3-89880-209-4 .
  • Graham Robeson: "Big Healey's: Collector's Guide" , Motor Racing Publications 1981, ISBN 0-900549-55-6 .
  • Bill Emerson: "The Austin Healey Book", A Complete History of the Healey Marque, Coterie Press Limited 2002, ISBN 1-902351-04-5 .

Web links

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