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1956 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN2

The British Motor Corporation built the Austin-Healey 100 sports car between 1953 and 1956. Developed by Donald Healey, it was produced in-house by Healey's small car company in Warwick and based on Austin A90 Atlantic mechanicals. A single 'Healey Hundred' was built for the 1952 London Motor Show, and the design impressed showgoers, including Leonard Lord, Managing Director of Austin who struck a deal with Healey to build it in quantity at Austin's Longbridge factory. The car was renamed the Austin-Healey 100 and the first 100s (series 'BN1') were equipped with the same 90 horsepower engine and manual tranmission found in the A90, but the transmission was modified to be a three-speed unit with overdrive on the top two gears. 11-inch Girling drum brakes provided the stopping power and the front suspension was independent using coil springs. In the back was a rigid axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. The steering was by a cam and lever system.

1956 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN2 photo
Sport Roadster
After Austin-Healey's 100 debut at the 1952 Motor Show, the 'Works' had entered two mildly modified cars in the 1953 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, with one placing 12th and the other 14th place. Accordingly, the name 'Le Mans' was chosen for a bolt-on tuning kit offered through Austin-Healey dealers. This allowed private owners to modify their 100's up to a specification approaching that of the works entires. The kit included a high-lift camshaft, stronger valve springs, a distributor with an alternative ignition advance curve, and a pair of 1¾-inch SU HD6 carburetors plus a special inlet manifold and cold air box.

The conversion was available from October of 1955 from the factory on the successor BN2 model in the form of the 100M. Along with the Le Man's kit, it added high-compression pistons, special Armstrong front dampers, a louvered bonnet, and a stiffer front anti-roll bar. Power rose to 100 bhp, and with the windscreen folded flat, was capable of achieving 120 mph top speed. 1,159 examples, mostly BN2s, were built or subsequently modified to 100M specifications between 1955 and 1956. Of these, approximately 640 were completed at the factory, some 544 of which were exported to the USA.

The Austin-Healey 100S ('S' for Sebring) developed 132 horsepower at 4,700 RPM. The factory had produced five development (test) cars during 1953 and 1954 with the 'SPL' chassis number prefix. One example won its class at Sebring in 1954, thus the 'S' designation. Fifty production examples of the 100S were hand-built by the Donald Healey Motor Company at Warwick, with deliveries between February and November of 1955 and wore the 'AHS' chassis number prefix.

1956 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN2 photo
Sport Roadster
Among the modifications made to the 100S, included replacing the cast iron cylinder head with a Weslake designed aluminum one, Dunlop disc brakes fitted at all four corners, and the overdrive unit was not installed. Thus, the 100S became the world's first production car to employ disc brakes in the front and rear. Along with improved performance, the weight of the 100S was reduced by the removal of the bumpers, the windscreen was made of plastic, and the grille was reduced in size. Approximately 200 pounds were shed in the process, complementing the increased performance of the engine.

Most of the Austin-Healey 100S wore two-toned white with Lobelia Blue side paint schemes. A few examples wore solid Spruce Green and red paintwork. A single example was finished in black.

The Austin-Healey succeeded at being a low-cost, high-performance, limited production sports car aimed at the United States market. The provided 100-mph performance, dramatic styling, and thrilling open motoring at a fair price.


by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021

Related Reading : Austin-Healey BN2 100-4 History

The Austin Healey 100 was introduced in October of 1952 at the Earls Court Motor Show. The first Austin Healey 100s were known as 100-4 or BN1. The name 100 came-about by being able to break the 100 mph barrier. The BN also had meaning. The B represented the engine class which meant it had between 2000 and 3000 cc. The N represented the body-style configuration, two-seat and open-top. The 100 was....
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1956 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN2 Vehicle Profiles

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Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

1956 100-4 BN2
$3,280-$16,795
1956 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN2 Price Range: $2,995 - $3,280

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Other 1956 Austin-Healey Models

BN2 100-4

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
5,083
90.00 in.
4 cyl., 162.20 CID., 90.00hp
$2,995 - $3,280

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