by Jake Voelckers I grew up with all sorts of British cars and tons of stories from the shop. My dad, Mark, started and ran British Auto out in western New York in the early 1970s until he died in 2011. Moss Motors has been part of my life for a long time. Currently, I’m…
As an automotive designer, Freeman Thomas has styled some of the most iconic designs of the past several decades. The guiding hand behind the original Audi TT, the striking Volkswagen New Beetle, the imposing visage of the Chrysler 300C and the resurrection of the Ford Mustang, Thomas honed his skills at Porsche, Audi, VW and…
The Austin A40 Sports evolved from a series of joint venture projects between Austin and Jensen Motors. Inspired by the Jensen Interceptor, Austin’s Chairman Leonard Lord wanted to sell a Jensen bodied touring car using A40 mechanicals that would serve as a “halo” car for the entire A40 model range. The car was designed by…
The Demola Healey was constructed by Carosserie Demola in Belgium for a minor noble named Barron Van Assche. The body was attached to BN1 chassis number 150649 and reportedly took four months to build. The car was presumably sold later on to an individual that fitted a blower to the engine and installed Alfin brake…
Last year we asked you to determine the greatest British sports car of all time and after spirited voting the Jaguar E-Type – not unexpectedly – emerged victorious ahead of the Austin-Healey 3000 and Triumph TR6. This time we changed the call of the question: name your favorite British sports car manufactured since the end…
The question is asked of us quite often, “what’s my British sports car worth?” The easy answer, like most things in life, is it depends. British sports car values depend on many factors. What does it depend on? Largely, it hinges on condition, and then is followed by lesser contributing factors like color, timing, trim…
The original Austin-Healey 100 was successful from the start through the winning combination of the inimitable styling penned by Gerry Coker and the surfeit of torque provided by the Austin A90 engine. Not content to rest on his laurels – and aware that challengers like the Triumph TR2 were real threats in the marketplace –…
With the moniker of Mr. Big Healey, John Chatham has earned his status as one of the storied marque’s most legendary men. Across four decades, Chatham piloted DD300 – an Austin-Healey 3000 – on tracks around the world and became famous as one of the fastest drivers of the era. Chatham’s father purchased a garage…
Among the early acolytes to the Healey faith – and certainly among the most well known at the time – Jackie Cooper was an ardent admirer of Donald Healey and his machines. From the first introduction of the iconic 100 in 1953, Cooper used the car for both transportation and competition in an era when…
Then as now, the places available to drive a sports car flat out are few and far between. As automotive production resumed following the cessation of hostilities in 1945, manufacturers were keen to gain publicity that could be used to push sales (particularly in the increasingly important North American market). During the Thirties, the press…
