1958 Austin-Healey 100-6

The Donald Healey Motor Company was formed in 1945 in Warwick. By 1952, Mr. Healey was searching for a supplier who could provide a large volume of engines at a reasonable price. A prototype was built wearing a Tickford body and powered by an Austin A90 engine. It was displayed at the London Motor Show where it caught the attention of Leonard Lord, head of the British Motor Corporation. Production was soon moved to Longbridge, and there it became the Austin-Healey 100.

The original Austin-Healey 100-4 was offered as a two-seater roadster. When the British Motor Corporation redesigned the car and introduced it in mid-1956 as the 100-Six, only a 2+2 passenger configuration was available. After customers demanded a strict two-seater model, BMC responded in April of 1958 with the BN6 Series 100-Six. Approximately 20 percent of 100-Six models were true two-seaters. The BN6 was the final development of the 100/6 before being replaced by the 3000 (BT7) in 1959.

The Healey achieved much success in competition, and in 1956, a supercharged, streamlined version of the 100-6 with Donald Healey himself driving achieved 203 mph.

For 1958, the Austin-Healey 100-6 received a six-port version of the engine which brought horsepower from 102 up to 117 horsepower. It had a new cylinder head with six separate ports for intake and exhaust, and a new cast-aluminum intake manifold. The two-seater bodies were the BN6 and the 2+2 versions were the BN4. Changes were minimal to the bodies, and standard equipment included disc wheels. The Deluxe models had wire wheels, tonneau cover, overdrive, heater, telescopic steering column, and turn signals. A hardtop was offered for approximately $240.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020