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…
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…
By Dave Ramstad I wear the ‘colors’. I believe it’s compulsive. Dudley Haines, writing from Juneau for the February Healey Highlights, states a fact known to all of us. The bonafide Austin-Healey lover is distinguished by the trait that he must have his beloved machine somewhere nearby at all times. Many others have proclaimed the…
I’d like to share with you some of the other fixes I’ve made over the years to my 100 to prevent it from leaking precious fluids. In previous articles I concentrated on the engine. This time I want to talk about everything else that can leak that refined Cretaceous crude. The BN1 three-speed gearboxes all…
(This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Donald Mitchell Healey, and as such, we would like to present an interview with him which Paul Chudecki undertook in 1986, and which gives an insight into the man responsible for those magnificent machines. Paul traveled down to Perranporth, Cornwall, to interview Donald just…
As I spent so many years playing with Sprites, folks think I have something against the “Big” Healey, but in reality, nothing could be further from the truth. I started motorsport around the time of the Healey 100’s introduction, and as many of the enthusiasts of the day, coveted one of these great-looking sports cars….
The offerings from Gooding & Company typically represent an outstanding cross-section of collector cars and the selection at the 2014 Scottsdale auction ranged from MGAs to a Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet that sold for $6.1-million. British cars were in abundance and these are some of the more interesting selections that were offered. …
The thought of hurling across the salt lakes of Utah at 200 mph is terrifying to most. There was a time when land speed record holders were kings and those speeds were not for people with weak bladders. Heroes like these were living out the dreams of little boys who plowed their toy cars through…
From Moss Motoring 1984 By Dave Ramstad Just three dozen short of 72,000 Big Healeys rolled out of the BMC works at Longbridge, and later Abingdon, between 1952 and 1968. Donald Healey’s “Hundred” hit the United States like a bombshell. Its fresh, sensational lines, ample power, and very attractive price created overnight queues of eager…
Raise your hand if you have a story like this. The first (or second, or 37th for that matter) car I ever bought, an Austin Healey 100, is awaiting restoration. It’s been 25 years and counting. When I bought my Healey, friends advised against it. MGAs were more plentiful and parts availability was far superior….
