1953 Austin-Healey 100 Sport Roadster

Donald Mitchell Healey was born in 1898. He apprenticed with Sopwith and he served in World War I as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps. When the war came to a close, he set up his own garage business in Cornwall, and early successes in rallying led to a role with Riley. Among his victories included a win in the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally with an Invicta S-Type Low Chassis Tourer.

In 1933 Donald Healey moved to Triumph as Development Engineer and later Technical Director. Stints with Claudel-Hobson and Humber during World War II helped shape his future and in the post-War era, he became a sporting car designer and manufacturer. His company would achieve international success with circuit and road racing, as well as rallying. The cars that carried his name would hold earn multiple titles as a speed and endurance record breaker.

At the Earls Court Motor Show in London in 1952, the Healey 100s made their international debut. These were low-cost, high-performance, limited-production sports car primarily aimed at the United States market. The Healey 100 sourced many of its components from the Austin A90 Atlantic saloon. After Austin boss Leonard Lord negotiated the rights to the design with DMN on the launch day, the car was re-badged as the 'Austin-Healey 100'.

The four-cylinder Atlantic 2660cc engine offered 90 horsepower but when installed in the lighter Austin-Healey 100, it was a genuine 100 mph-plus car capable of racing from zero-to-sixty in under 11 seconds.

Part of the agreement stated that Austin would support a development and test program by Donald Healey. The early result of this agreement were two lightly tuned Special Test Cars that achieved 12th and 14th at the 1953 LeMans 24 Hour Race. Following this success, a team of drivers led by Donald Healey and George Eyston set several national and international AAA speed records at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats driving stock and modified versions of the 100. Their accomplishments included a maximum speed of 142.626 mph and 1,000 kilometers at 127.00 mph achieved by the modified 100. An AAA selected stock example averaged 104.3 mph over 24 hours.

The Healey 100 earned its name for its top-speed capability. They frame was comprised of a pair of steel rails that ran the length of the chassis about 17 inches apart, passing beneath the live rear axle and below the front lower wishbones. The body was comprised of alloy and steel, and was supported by brackets extending outward from the main rails. The Austin 90 long-stroke four-cylinder engine offered 90 horsepower at 4000 RPM and 144 foot-pounds of torque at 2000 RPM. The engine was backed by a three-speed manual unit with floor shift, enhanced by a Laycock de Normanville overdrive on second and third gears.

This particular example is the 68th Austin Healey built. It was constructed on June 30th, 1953. It left the factory finished in Healey Grey over blue leather with a blue dashboard, and was delivered new to J.R. Hawkins of Willoughby, Ohio, in September 1953. This car was among the first 25 BN1s imported into the United States.

Mr. Hawkins retained the car for only a short period of time, selling it to Charles Irish Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio on June 21, 1954, for $2,590.95. Mr. Irish would keep the car for nearly six decades.

In 2011, the car was given a comprehensive restoration. The work was completed in 2014. It has been driven fewer than 400 miles since the work was completed. The current owner acquired the car in 2015.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2016