1954 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN1 Sport Roadster

The Healey 100 was introduced at the 1953 International Motor Sports Show in New York. It was built at Austin's factory and soon became the Austin-Healey BN1. It had an aggressively styled silhouette, tilt-back windshield, and knock-off wire wheels. The Healey 100/4 weighed 2,015 lbs and sold for $2,995. Between 1953 and 1955, the company produced 10,688 examples, with more than half being sent to the United States.

Powering the Healey 100/4 was the 2660cc, four-cylinder engine from the Austin Atlantic. The powerplant produced 90 horsepower and gave the Austin-Healey a top speed of 110 mph, and a zero-to-sixty time of just 10.5 seconds. The BN1 had a three-speed gearbox with overdrive on the top two gears, which was replaced by a four-speed gearbox in 1955's BN2.

In late 1955, the factory introduced its 100 M model, with an additional 20 horsepower. The zero-to-sixty time now took just 9.6 seconds and the top speed rose to 120 mph. Performance was boosted by a higher 8:1 compression ratio, bigger SU carburetors, improved manifolds, and high-lift camshafts. The front springs were stiffer and an anti-roll bar was added. The louvered hood was given leather straps, completing its signature and sporty appearance.

A total of 1,159 examples of the 100 Ms are estimated to have been built, with 640 being factory built, all of them BN2 models. Other 100/4 BN2s were equipped with the dealer-installed Le Man's package which had a 100 horsepower engine, and contained exactly the same equipment as the factory cars except for the factory high-compression pistons.

This 100/4 BN2 Le Man's model was built on August 23rd of 1955. It was shipped from Longbridge, England, to the Hambro Trading Company, which managed US Austin distribution through selected dealerships. The car has had just a few owners, two of those being long-term owners. The original buyer in Minnesota kept the car for 3 decades before selling it to Thomas Bunch in 1987. Mr. Bunch retained the car for 25 years, repainting it in its original Carmine red, and changing the interior from black to tan.

This BN2 Le Mans was purchased by BMC Classics in New Smyrna Beach, Florida in 2012, and the company undertook an 18-month, frame-up restoration. During which the BN2 was acquired by the current caretaker. The restoration was completed in January of 214 and has covered less than 300 miles since that time.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2014