Austin-HealeyÂ’s and the Austin Healey Car Club of NZ and Others

[Kwaussie]

Here is one from the Roaring Season files - note the vent in front of the rear wheel arch.

[Roger Dowding]

Here is one from the Roaring Season files - note the vent in front of the rear wheel arch.

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They are the same type of vent that Ross Jensen put on the scuttle of his 100S .. saw them on an early photo of the Healey Corvette that was posted
Thanks Kwaussie

[Kwaussie]

Today this truck was advertised on a well known site.

[Roger Dowding]

Donald Healey sitting on a 100S - with a large group of AH3000's the RR powered AH4000 and 100's plus other cars - Jaguars too !!.
The AH4000 is between the two 100's Reg AH 409
from the Austin Healey Historical Pictures Fb page - which has the link to " AustinHealey100S.com.au " as below

For more on this car go to this link ;

" https://www.austinhealey100s.com.au/ "

[Ray Bell]

Yes, I well remember that 4000...



Owned by John Grey in Melbourne, he had thoughts (serious? I don't know...) about putting a 4-cyl version of that engine into a 100. With an alloy block it would have handled better, he reckoned. They were used in Austin Champ military versions.

[Roger Dowding]

Yes, I well remember that 4000...



Owned by John Grey in Melbourne, he had thoughts (serious? I don't know...) about putting a 4-cyl version of that engine into a 100. With an alloy block it would have handled better, he reckoned. They were used in Austin Champ military versions.

Ray, Thanks, and I see your own story in the magazine " Racing Car News ".

[Ray Bell]

Oh, that was just my day job...

[Roger Dowding]

1/2 scale model by Colin Bule in Australia popped up on Facebook today - on at least 4 Fb pages -sharing is caring !!

The real car at a meeting in England - Early 1960's photo from Jerry Luidahl

and a bit of Nostalgia - outside 88 Sarsfield St, Herne Bay in 1991. There is a Healey there !!
and an MGB GT my stepson and his Mum " My " wife in the " T Bucket " ..

[Roger Dowding]

BMC BOY's 1959 Austin Healey 3000 - was at Caffeine and Classics on Sunday - a couple of photo's by John Vevers that appeared on BLENZ facebook page - borrowed with permission.

[ ignore the typo on the photo Reg is HL3000 obviously - HY3000 is a white 1966 BJ8,owned by the Nelligan family since new I believe ].

The car in a line with other " British " makes including a Buckler.

There was also a Black over Red Big Healey, must find the photo of John's from C and C .

[Roger Dowding]

Year: 1959
Make: AUSTIN
Model: HEALEY
Colour: Black
Second Colour: Red
Body Style: Sports Car
VIN: 7AT00T07X18472154
Plate: LGE325
Engine No: COVERD
Chassis: HBT7L267

A photo of the car - has been at C and C before - think it is a North Shore car ??
Ray Green ERC posted a photo of it at C and C in early 2018 when it first arrived in NZ from Germany

[bill hollingsworth]

Healey 100s. https://youtu.be/ORiAaLua4HA

[Roger Dowding]

Potted History of NZ Number Plates from Richard Armstrong - a some time Motorsport Competitor in the 1970's was a member of Hamilton Car Club and a Vauxhall enthusiast !!
Richard writes ;
" Until 1941, New Plates were issued every year, In 1941 due to steel shortages caused by WWII the period was increased to 5 yearly until the last issue in 1961. The dates I've noted elsewhere of when plates were replaced with Permanent plates which stayed on the vehicle until it was de-registered or replaced with a personalised plate. If a Personalised plate is removed the vehicle is often re-registered with a new issue permanent plate, in some instance's the original permanent plate may be able to re-issued "

The period when Austin Healey's were built - 1952 - 1968 [ 1970 for Sprites ]

Permanent Plates ;
Richard writes again ;
" The permanent plates were introduced first on July 1st 1963 when all Motorbike's & trailers were required to display them. Then one year later in 1964 private motorcars got them again from 1st July when around 685,000 of the new full size permanent plates were delivered to Post Offices around the country beginning with AA1000 - AC9000 to Southland the progressively up the South Island then AV4801 - AX3950 to Northland and down the North Island ending with CI886 - CQ5600 distributed to the bottom of the North Island. Further plates were sent out in 1965 for the registration of Light & Heavy Trucks as well as Buses to display from 1st July 1965. After final large distribution plates were sent to Post Offices as required and there are no known records of what area got what plate numbers but they were not in any sort of sequence like the initial distributions."

My fathers 1963 Zephyr came out on the Yellow and Black plates and changed to BL927 in 1964.
My first car a 1960 Austin Seven [ Mini ] was AW309 and reputedly from Northland - Whangarei from memory, would have had the previous issue on when new.

Permanent plates were phased in over 1964-65 for cars but over all types from 1963 - 1966, the Aluminium " Silver ' [ brushed Aluminium ] and Black plates - from AA to MZ, then in 1987-ish the Black on White plates starting with NA - a change of letter style in recent years.

In mid 1987 purchased a brand new Fiat UNO 70SL which had the plate NG4909 and was in the new Black numbers white background style - similar to the pre-permanent plates in style.

There a website link on NZ Number Plates that is not totally accurate, and much information was lost as new Computer systems were introduced around 1990 and archives not retained.

A Healey with a permanent plate - early style - before you could get proper personalised plates you request a plate that going to be issued and then wait - the usual reason for the replacement was that the plate was damaged - taken to with a hammer before going to the local Post Office where you had requested it be made available.
Plate was acquired in 1984 from memory;

with its previous plate on ;

in the background part of the Triumph 2.5 PI that was the daily driver - TR4A under restoration at the time 1983

Photo's in the same place, our house in Herne Bay 1980- 1995 [ had been in the family since 1929 - when built ] picket fence shortened as Carport built and the shrubs have grown in the LX100 photo from around 1987-88 - LX100 had been repainted too !!

[Oldfart]

I believe the last black on yellow dating to not be correct. Letter I have from LTNZ would confirm my belief, that 66 is not right.

[Roger Dowding]

I believe the last black on yellow dating to not be correct. Letter I have from LTNZ would confirm my belief, that 66 is not right.

"Oldfart " the plates were phased in from mid 1963 - Motorcycles and Trailers, then Cars [Private] in 1964, followed by Commercial vehicles, Buses Trucks etc 1965 " to be displayed by July 1965 " [ precis of information from Richard Armstrong ], so the last old style plate would have been replaced sometime in the vehicles 1965-66 licencing period.
That is probably why the description is as posted.

Official records are not that complete, as in lost or destroyed as not important once vehicles were re-registered.
You cannot find out registration details prior to the current records which has Permanent Plate details and even those do not often have previous plates even when registration was continuous apparently.
This is probably why Carjam is unreliable too !!

Just checked LX100 my old Austin Healey pictured above was ID9783 [ also pictured ] previously and I kept reg current from purchase with those plates in 1982 to new plates in 1984 LX100 which is on Carjam - no details of the previous plate now.
May 1977 would be when the car was Registered as ID9783 after being returned to the road - it had been in New Zealand for many years before then.

Plates History

" Plate Effective Date
LX100 20-May-1977
Registration

Registration Status: Get Full CarJam Report
Plate: LX100
Plate Type: Standard
Origin: NZ New
Used as: Private Passenger vehicle
Cause of Latest Registration: New
NZ First Registration: 20-May-1977 "

[Roger Dowding]

Start of the 1955 Australian Grand Prix, Port Wakefield, SA. Reg Hunt Maser A6GCM and stan Jones Maybach 3, on the front row left and RH side. Jack Brabham and Doug Whiteford, Cooper Bristol and Lago Talbot respectively on row 2, the race won by Brabham

The photo :

Some " British " nostalgia
- had a Tee Shirt once that said " The British drink warm beer because they have Lucas Refrigerators " .. ummm !!

[Milan Fistonic]

[quote="Roger Dowding"]Start of the 1955 Australian Grand Prix, Port Wakefield, SA. Reg Hunt Maser A6GCM and stan Jones Maybach 3, on the front row left and RH side. Jack Brabham and Doug Whiteford, Cooper Bristol and Lago Talbot respectively on row 2, the race won by Brabham

The photo :

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That is actually the start of the third qualifying heat, held on the Saturday before the Grand Prix on Monday. The Healey behind Brabham is driven by Greg McEwin and the one behind that is Clem Smith's.

[Ray Bell]

Beside McEwin is the Wilcox Dodge... after it was fitted with a Ford V8, behind it is the car which came fourth in the Australian Grand Prix the previous year, having travelled from Adelaide to the Gold Coast with a trailer carrying the jungle juice Eldred Norman brewed up for the supercharged high-compression motor. It first won a sports car race with a decompression plate fitted.

And then there's the stonemason, Steve Tillett in the MG TC with which he took out the handicap honors in the '51 AGP at Narrogin.

[Allan]

One has got to admire the spectator facilities and safety barriers.

[Ray Bell]

And if you were there...

You would be admiring the ability of the circuit's founders to find a place so flat and featureless. And so far from town.

As time went on there were amenities added, these were all transferred to Mallala when it was opened. Only half as far from town.

[ERC]

One has got to admire the spectator facilities and safety barriers.

Not to mention the lack of roll over hoops, safety cages, balaclavas, fireproof suits, HANS devices and fire resistant underpants, gloves and socks...