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

[Ray Bell]

Looks like this one was well-prepared...

[Roger Dowding]

Photos of Ross Jensen at speed - again photographer not known - I got it via Rainer Jordan an overseas AH enthusiast.

Results from the 1954 NZ Grand Prix - the GP race

- disregard the long comment on the photo image - new laptop seems to have merged notes - or Operator Error - more likely ..

There was much discussion at the time about the results as Gould believed he had Won - he was awarded 4th - and the lap counters had made a mistake .. but the above is how the finished up - Officially.
Both Wharton 2nd and Gaze 3rd were also disappointed and protested the results - to no avail.
I understand that for 1955 the Time Keeping and other Officials procedures were improved.

[Milan Fistonic]

The three Austin Healeys also ran in the Redex Handicap, a five lap race for unlimited capacity sports cars.

Ross Jensen won the race from Ray Archibald (Jaguar XK120) with Laurie Powell third in his Ford V8 Special and Keith Roper fourth

[Roger Dowding]

An important event for the Austin Healey Team - 3 works cars entered SMO746, SMO744 and URX727.

SMO746 #66 driven by John Gott [ A Senior Police Officer in the UK ] with the Reverend Rupert Jones as his co-driver / navigator.
SMO744 #42 driven by David Seigle-Morris with Vic Elford
URX727 #76 driven by Pat Moss and with Ann Wisdom as co-driver / navigator.

URX727 won the Rally and the were 1st in class, also picking up the Coupe des Dames - first lady team
SMO744 came 5th overall and 2 in class
SMO746 came 10th overall and 3rd in class.

The cars before the event being loaded onboard the Cross Channel Aircraft.
Looks like Pat in the drivers seat Car #76 with door partly open !

The Cars and Team at the finish of the Rally.

URX727 on the left with Pat and Ann leaning against the car.

[Roger Dowding]

A slot car enthusiast, David Sty, has created a series of Austin Healeys and other Sports Cars using plastic kitset 1;32 [ I believe ] scale fitted to slot car chassis ..

A TR, and a Jaguar E Type with, just to be different, Porsche 356

[Roger Dowding]

EVV106 a well known 100S when owned by Tony Sinfield's father back in 1960 - 1961.


At a Hill Climb

At Riccall which may have been an airfield circuit ERC or Oldfart may know.

Clas Arleskar recently went to the European Healey Meeting in Norway in his Rally 3000.

Hope to find some photos of the event ..

[Ray Bell]

I've been holding out on you, Roger!

One day I was working at Port Macquarie, on the North side of the river (an area reached by car ferry) and a man I interviewed got involved with me in a discussion about racing. He gave me several slides he'd taken back in the early sixties and this one taken at Catalina Park is relevant here:


Le Mans start, early 1963. David Fletcher got a tremendous start in this event in his Austin-Healey 100S.

[Ray Bell]

Now I have to correct myself...

This race, over just four laps, was in August, 1962, and saw David Fletcher finish second to Bill March, Lorraine Hill being third. Both of them were in Lotus 7s, March can be seen in fifth place in the start picture and, as Lorraine Hill's car was black, I think she must be back there near the white MGA.

It's hard to understand how Fletcher could have got such a good start, it must have fired up very quickly. There was only a tenth of a second between first and second, which would indicate that March only took the lead in the last corner, while Hill was nine seconds behind.

[Roger Dowding]

A series of photos of the famous Works Rally Car have emerged - many are recent as car fully restored but a few are Historic, including Advertisements which used the car by Austin and BMC the parent company by then.

From " Austin Healey Owners and Enthusiasts " Facebook page - by ..C Eusebio ..

These are the Historic photos ..

Austin Motor Company - advertisement from Motorsport May 1961

BMC Advert from Autosport June 1st 1962

Photo autographed by Vic Elford another works driver - not sure if in URX727 or the 3000 behind it ..SMO744.

Pat Moss driving in 1960 - Photo used in the BMC advert ..

The painting as used in the Austin Motor Company advertisements above.

[ERC]

Re John Gott. He was guest speaker at an NSCC (Nottingham Sports Car Club) awards dinner.

He told the story of being stopped for speeding (yes, he was chief constable of Northamptonshire I believe) by a young cop who obviously had no idea who he was. He had a wicked sense of humour.

The young cop asked why he was speeding.

"I was needing a shithouse."

"Well sir, you've just found one..."

-*-

“In his youth, he was a keen rally driver and his interest in cars remained throughout his life. Gott sat on many Home Office Committees concerned with traffic laws and was known for his outspoken views on the wearing of seatbelts and speed limits. Gott was racing his car at a racing circuit when tragically he had a heart attack at the wheel and was killed instantly,”


"With some reluctance the car was rebuilt after the fatal accident with the condition from his wife that the car never be shown in public during her lifetime. The car then entered a private collection and I do not know of its current situation."

[Roger Dowding]

Notes and photo from Rainer Jordan

" Sebring 12 Hours 1956 Date: 24.3.1956
#29 Macklin / Scott-Brown Donald Healey Motor Co. Ltd. (GB) Austin-Healey 100 S BMC S3.0 FIA Class 9 DNF Starter OON 440
#30 Jackson-Moore / Forbes-Robinson Donald Healey Motor Co. Ltd. (GB) Austin-Healey 100 S BMC S3.0 FIA Class 9 DNF Engine NOJ 391
#31 Stiles / Huntoon Ship & Shores Motors (USA) Austin-Healey 100 S BMC S3.0 FIA Class 9 11th 3rd in Class AHS 3804
#64 Brewster / Rutan William Brewster (USA) Austin-Healey 100 S BMC S3.0 DNF Clutch AHS 3506 "

The notation BMC S3.0 is i presume in connection with the " FIA Class 9 "
The photo.

[Roger Dowding]

Notes from the photo - by Roland Nancarrow this event on the weekend August 2023 .. thanks to photographer and AH Owners page ..

" Phil Case who took out two trophies at yesterday's Cairns Swap Meet and Car Show with his BN1. Unfortunately it was a rainy day but Phil had made it some 4+ hours drive from his home in Townsville. "

Going back in time ..

Racing at Winton in 1978 - a 100 grid - Paul Bradley photo.
details on the photo ..Jim McConville, Graeme Marks, Neil Shields NS104 and others ..

[Roger Dowding]

AHS3905 the 100S was originally owned by the Radio personality Jack Davey, it then passed to Sam Miller who raced it with #22.
Sam was from Gunnedah in rural New South Wales and competed in Hill Climbs and Race meetings cross the state.

Some images and the results from a Hill Climb at King Edward Park, Newcastle, NSW - 18th August 1956.

The car was dark green with cream trim including the painting around the grille - which was removed when competing.

With a group of cars - with notes on the event.

The car beside a Triumph TR2 or 3.. This at a different event and the car now has white side panels but still with Race #22

At speed .. believe at the same Newcastle event run by the MG Car Club ..

Results from the event - thanks to Tony Parkinson for the archive - images.

[Roger Dowding]

Notes and photo from Allan Dick..

" It is, I think, Peter McFarlane from Clydevale in South Otago competing in the sports car race — or perhaps practice — at the wet and tragic Dunedin Road Race in 1962. "

[Milan Fistonic]

Notes and photo from Allan Dick..

" It is, I think, Peter McFarlane from Clydevale in South Otago competing in the sports car race — or perhaps practice — at the wet and tragic Dunedin Road Race in 1962. "

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Yes it is 1962.

Entry list

Official results

[Roger Dowding]

In 1953 the Donald Healey Motor Company at The Cape Factory in Warwick built 4 Special Test Cars under the AHX Build series.
They were NOJ391 chassis SPL224B, NOJ392 SPL225B and NOJ393 SPL226B which were Road Registered in 1953, additionally SPL227B was built as a Record Car - for the up to 24hiour endurance record sessions.

Here is NOJ391 with its Le Mans 1953 Team Mate NOJ393.. NOJ393 was the spare car for Le Mans 1953, NOJ391 and NOJ392 being the Le Mans entries Race #33 [ 391 ] and #34..

There is a long and convoluted story about these two cars as one became the other after NOJ391 was damaged and became NOJ393. Will add to the story later - meanwhile the photos from various archives as collected by Rainer Jordan.

Donald Healey [ DMH ] showing The Duke of Edinburgh [ HRH ] the car NOJ391.

looking at the Engine

The story goes that the Duke was interested in buying an Austin Healey, but needed something with more cabin space - perhaps to hold his hunting guns ??

[Roger Dowding]

From a magazine titled New Book of Motorsports published in 1975 or '76. Don't know who or where except that it is from Australia.

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Note from Ray Bell " Peter Hopwood at Amaroo Park ",

Post from April 2019.

A couple more photos of this car have appeared recently - now to find them

[Milan Fistonic]

Not sure if I've already posted this photo. The caption has the driver as Barry Birh but that could be a misprint for Birch.

It's from another magazine titled New Book of Autosports.

[Roger Dowding]

The original, and before the Austin tag was added ..

Leonard Lord with Donald Healey in the car - " Healey 100 " badge on the car - first day of the Motor Show.

Another photo of the pair in the car - can't see the badge but it is after the agreement was signed and the car became the " Austin Healey 100 ". the sign beside the car states that ..

[Roger Dowding]

AHS3601 was the lowest chassis number to come to New Zealand, AHS3908 the Seabrook Fowlds - Ross Jensen car one of the highest chassis numbers.

The car these days is a Recreation and chassis is AHS3601 R [ replica ] as built by Steve Pike in the late 1990's in Australia.
Car is owned by a New Zealander living in Queensland Alister Rayner, car currently in the UK.

A photo - page of the Brochure that was written in around 2012 when the car was purchased by Derek Mayor from Clas Arleskar and the car came to England.

The car - well some of it is visible - in a transport trailer recently - photo from Alister Rayner - the current owner.

The AHCCNZ Register details written around 1975 by Jim Reece as Big Healey Registrar for the Club.

We now have the details that while P H Vickery Lt - Vickery Motors owned the car it was raced a R Barney Giller.
Car then went to Jack Grieve as owner, in February 1957, then Max Richards in 1958, then via Shelley Motors in Wellington to Peter Lawson, back to Shelley Motors then sold on to Grady Thompson in 1961 and to John Egden in 1964 - who crashed it badly in the outskirts of Wellington on the 9th July 1967
- the day before Decimal Currency started - As an aside.