1959 Austin-Healey 3000 MK I Deluxe Roadster

The original four-cylinder Austin-Healey 100 made its debut in 1952, and the six-cylinder 100-Six arrived in 1956. In 1959, the British Motor Corporation launched the 3000, a car that would become the defining model of the range. Its three-liter engine delivered 124 and BMC undertook an ambitious competition program to demonstrate its prowess in circuit racing and in the European road rallies. Pat Moss, sister of Sir Stirling Moss, drove to a 1st place overall victory in the 1960 Liège-Rome-Liège Rally, and she won the Coupe des Dames at the Geneva Rally in 1960 and the Ladies Cup at the Tulip Rally the following year. The Morley brothers, Don and Earl, scored an outright victory in the 1960 Alpine Rally in a two-seat 3000. Another factory team car finished 2nd in class in the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring.

Production of the Mark I (3000) began in March of 1959, and a total of 13,650 examples were built.

The 2912cc overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine with dual 1¾-inch SU carburetors delivered 124 horsepower. It was paired with a four-speed manual transmission with Laycock de Normanville overdrive, and front Girling front disc and rear drum brakes provided the stopping power. The wheelbase measured 92 inches.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2025