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

[Ray Bell]

the racingsportscars.com site lists them as entered by 'British Motor Corp' along with three MGA Twin Cams...

The best result was for Geitner and Spencer in No 20, 15th outright on 167 laps (the winning Porsche covered 196) and second in class, the class winner being a Ferrari 250GT California from Scuderia Serenissima which covered 179 laps.

No 18, driven by Riley and Sears, finished well down. They did 141 laps and were 33rd outright and 6th in class while No 19, driven by Colgate and Spross, was put out by an accident after 54 laps.

Donald Healey Motor Co entered one Sebring Sprite for Sprintzel (sp?) and Lumkin, this completed only 62 laps and was 41st and last of the runners.

BMC had a 'T' car for the Healeys, driven by Riley, Sears, Colgate and Spross, while it appears their spare MGA Twin Cam didn't see the circuit. For the record, the factory-entered MGAs finished 24th and third in the GT 1.6 class with 160 laps, 29th and 2nd in class with 148 laps as they competed for honours against Porsche Carreras. The third car retired after just three laps with a broken valve. A lap time comparison shows the best of the Healeys on 3:54.4 and the MGAs on 3:58.5. The Sebring Sprite did 4:03.03.

[Alan Hyndman]

Donald Healey Motor Co entered one Sebring Sprite for Sprintzel (sp?) and Lumkin, this completed only 62 laps and was 41st and last of the runners.

BMC had a 'T' car for the Healeys, driven by Riley, Sears, Colgate and Spross, while it appears their spare MGA Twin Cam didn't see the circuit. For the record, the factory-entered MGAs finished 24th and third in the GT 1.6 class with 160 laps, 29th and 2nd in class with 148 laps as they competed for honours against Porsche Carreras. The third car retired after just three laps with a broken valve. A lap time comparison shows the best of the Healeys on 3:54.4 and the MGAs on 3:58.5. The Sebring Sprite did 4:03.03.

That'll be John Sprinzel, who talked about this race in his book "Spritely Years" - including pushing the car 2 miles back to the pits when the head gasket burnt through between number 3 and 4 cylinders.

[Ray Bell]

Yes, I thought the name was misspelled on that site...

That sounds like one almightly long push. But then, recall that Jack Brabham pushed his Cooper about a mile to get it home and win his first World Championship on the same circuit.

[Roger Dowding]

Came across these which may be of use to some;
Source of the Book they were in is not stated.

AH 100 SIX - models BN4 and BN6,
AH 3000 Models BN7 BT7 BJ8

[Roger Dowding]

Looking back over the thread and post #1130 from 1st May 2021 - or 05-01-2021 in American V bulletin format .

The post was entitled
" AHS3707 - The ex-Fred Cohen car- 1982 being restored - some more recent photos "
The photos disappeared and now realise I put on post #1134 a bit later, so will not repost.

A Clas Arleskar photo of the car in recent times.
I saw the car at Snowmass Colorado in July 1982.

Will post about the Carrera Car [ below ] in a few weeks as will be away from Internet [ apart from my phone ].

Will post some recent finds about the 1954 Carrera Panamericana Austin Healey 100S that Carroll Shelby drove and crashed.. there are stories of the car being rebuilt, but believe it will be a replica as the Chassis was junked by Donald Healey Motor Company. The mists of time have elaborated on the story of the car - a 1954 Special Test Car - SPL 256 BN.

There is almost no mention of the Carrera exploits in any of Geoff Healeys 3 books and Donald Healey's own book " My World of Cars " briefly mention the car in a comment about Carroll Shelby.

More to come ..

[Roger Dowding]

Was sent this by John Windelburn, who raced from the mid 1950's into the 1990's.
John was in the Sports Car Races at Wigram in 1960 in his Lotus 11 Climax - he placed 2nd behind Angus Hyslop and First in Class.

There were 4 Austin Healey cars in the event.
E D [ Ed ] Candy in the ex Arthur Kennard AH 100 Healey Corvette.
Fred Losee in the Austin Healey 100S AHS3802 that was later owned and raced by Joss Tims [ E Tims ].
E Tims [ Joss Tims ] in an Austin Healey 100 that he owned prior to the 100S.
and a T Johnston also in a Healey, unsure if a 100 or a 100 Six.. as no cc ratings in the listing.

Ken H, will borrow the Levin - Cabbage Tree Corner [ John Climo ] photos of the Austin Healey's in the thread.
Cheers

Roger

[Roger Dowding]

" Borrowed " these from John Vevers a BMC / BL Guy I know.

BMC Range as advertised in I am guessing 1962 or 1963 - as the AH Sprite is a Mark two, but with side screens not wind up windows that came in 1964/65.
Note the MGB that was released in 1962 too !! ...

The bigger - in price and generally in size [ The Mini Cooper " S " is the exception ].

How big do want your Princess .. 3 litre Saloon or " 4 litre Saloon or Limousine ".

" THE BRITISH MOTOR CORPORATION LIMITED "
Birmingham and Oxford

[Roger Dowding]

Not a Race but the Timed runs at Daytona Beach, Florida on 22nd February 1956.

Philip Stiles and his 100S [ Chassis Number not known ] in the " staging area " with other cars including a Studebaker Coupe, a Ford Thundebird, but what is just behind the Austin Healey ? .

Certificate of achievement for the best run of the day for the car.Note it is a two way average, so may have gone -------faster one way >>>>.... or the other <<<< ...

The Century Club Certificate - 128 miles per hour ..

See who signed the Certificate William H France .. well known in NASCAR Circles [ pun intended ]

[GregT]

My guess for the car behind the Healey is Allard Palm Beach.

[Roger Dowding]

My guess for the car behind the Healey is Allard Palm Beach.

GregT .. I would say Spot On - the Mark One model made 1952 - 55, later models had more rounded noses.

This from Webbs Auctions - they must have auctioned one in New Zealand recently.

A 100S on a brochure for comparison ..

[GregT]

For about a year around 59 - '60 I rode my bike past one on the side of the road in ChCh. I knew what it was and told the old man it was there. He even rode his BMW round to look at it. Came back and said "it's only a bloody Palm Beach" Not interested in following it up.
I've never been able to work out from Vercoe which one it was. It was pale blue from memory.
Just wasn't there one day.

[Roger Dowding]

A Random Photo form Peter Preston archives - Peter raced a Buckler at the time - early 1960's with a De Joux body.

This from Wigram and show Joss Timms [ E Joss Tims ] in his 100 - before he acquired the Fred Losee 100S,
Ed Candy's Triumph TR3 and Syd Candy with the Arthur Kennard -Healey Corvette.

Photo posted like this -

Photo - reversed to correct way -numbers and number plate can be read and Joss is on the right of the car.
- corrected by Mark D..

Think it could be this event - the John Windelburn report on Wigram 1960. reposted.

Pressed Steel Company Ltd, of Cowley - advert from around 1960. - They mention what they hope to achieve in 1962.
They made bodies for many cars, as noted.
Big Healey bodies, however, were made by Jensen of West Bromwich.

[Milan Fistonic]

From an article on Carroll Shelby published in the December 1954 Road & Track magazine.

[Roger Dowding]

From Peter Preston archives - Peter was a racer and ran Buckler 90/3 in the early 1960's.

Here from Wigram.

Fred Losee in the AH 100S AHS3802, Ivan Bennett, Morgan, behind the 100S obscured Barry Cottle Buckler and further back Jaguar D Type of Angus Hyslop and the C Type of David Young.

[Roger Dowding]

The Big,

Ross Bond and his 3000 - [ exact date not known ] but as advised by Larry Varley who had the pictures in his archives.
*** now known to be at Sandown in 1968.
This is before the huge flares were fitted to the car - Ray Bell may know more ..

Coming off the trailer - as seen from the front of the car..

from the rear..

Austin Healey 100S in the USA AHS3907 - originally sold through Austin, Melbourne Australia - the chassis number before the Seabrook Fowlds Ross Jensen car.

Appears to be around 1960 as roll bars have appeared on the cars. details of the driver I will try to find out.
A Time / Life archive photo.

Another 100 [ not an S ] and another lady Barbara Walters the Television News personality in the USA in the late 1950's - 1960's and on.
Had not seen or heard of the Magazine published by " Mechanix Illustrated

"

- I did have some Popular Mechanics back in the 1960's though.

Pat Moss and a Poem again from a magazine.

For the small - A guy who should be on a Motorcycle and Sidecar Combo - by the looks - what do you think "jw" ?
- where ? I think Europe
- when ?? around 1960
- who - ???
- why - ????.

[ERC]

Well, he does have 'Norton' on his helmet.

Maybe he got the wrong event?

Should've gone to Spec Savers?

[Roger Dowding]

Well, he does have 'Norton' on his helmet.

Maybe he got the wrong event?

Should've gone to Spec Savers?

When " Norton " was a real piece of machinery, not some computer antivirus ..!!

Cheers
Roger

A bigger Healey ...and is it a Nota NOT A " Norton..??
No ; It is a Centaur

** Notes from Ray Bell
" Centaur is either Will Charlton or John Campbell. " - Centaur's were built in Queensland by Tim Harlock "
- more information

[Ray Bell]

That pic is from Lakeside...

Lakeside is in Queensland where Tim Harlock built the Centaur ciubmans. They were pretty rare in that they had that rounded nose.

Once again we see that the roll bar on the Bond Healey varied from time to time, the previous pic is apparently earlier (by the size of the flares) yet the more modern style of roll bar is in use.

[Roger Dowding]

That pic is from Lakeside...

Lakeside is in Queensland where Tim Harlock built the Centaur ciubmans. They were pretty rare in that they had that rounded nose.

Once again we see that the roll bar on the Bond Healey varied from time to time, the previous pic is apparently earlier (by the size of the flares) yet the more modern style of roll bar is in use.

Ray Bell, thanks for the notes.. so Not A " Nota :.

These appear to be from the same meeting - they were posted on
" The Healey Museum "
- back in 2016 and recently reposted by Joe Armour, on an Austin Healey page on Fb. .
** details from Ray Bell,
The Lakeside meeting April 18th 1971.

** Steve Booker in the MGB.

Bit of an oops - can't get rid of the duplicated image..

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Roger Dowding
.....These appear to be from the same meeting - they were posted on
" The Healey Museum "
- back in 2016 and recently reposted by Joe Armour, on an Austin Healey page on Fb. .

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]73954[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]73956[/ATTACH]

Bit of an oops - can't get rid of the duplicated image..

These would be from the April 18 meeting in 1971...

Steve Booker is the MGB driver, the Centaur is either Will Charlton or John Campbell.

The colour pics of the Healey being unloaded is at the bottom end of the pits at Sandown, but I can't for the life of me find Bond mentioned in a race report at that circuit. It would seem (by the roll bar) to have been prior to May, 1970.