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Austin Motor
Company discovered the Healey day before the opening of the "Earls
Court Motor show" in the year 1952 at the show-booth of the Healey
Motor Corporation.
Leonard Lord, Austin Motor Corporation chief contacted Donald Healey
immediately and bought the car's production-rights before the show was
opened...
Donald Healey built the Healey with Austin parts which was ideal for the
step Austin took. Austin Motor Co. saw the Healey as the perfect answer
on Triumphs successful TR sports car which sold very well in the United
States.
The 100 was the first Austin Healey (also named 100/4 after the
100/6 six cylinder appeared on the market). This extremely well looking
car was equipped with a 2660 cc. four-cylinder engine. This engine was
used in the Austin Atlantic. The 100 models built up to the year 1955
were equipped with a 3-speed gearbox with optional double overdrive. The
latter models were offered with a 4-speed gearbox with optional
overdrive on the top-gear.
In 1955 and 1956 a special Austin Healey 100/ M version was made
available to the public. The car was fitted with a high compression
cylinder head, thus increasing power from 90 bhp. up to 110 bhp. The
100/ M can be recognized by it's bonnet with louvers, it's special two
position windscreen and the Lucas 24 heures du Mans headlamps (Be
warned: many recently "M" converted standard 100/4's are
around! The real thing is worth about 30% more!). The Austin Healey
100/M was built 1159 times.
Top off the line Healey 100 was the 100/S, this was a full bred racing
car with a full aluminum body, engine tuned up to 132 bhp., disc brakes
all round and a top speed of 135 mph. (215 km/h.) Only 55 100/S were
built so it is a scarce and expensive classic nowadays.
The Austin Healey has a special place in car history; it is one of the
most important sportscars made in Britain.
Nowadays the Healey's from the first 100/4 up to the last "Big
Healey 3000" are very popular classics...
Technical
data
4 cylinder
engine
cylinder capacity: 2660 cc.
carburettors: 2x S.U.
capacity: >110 bhp. at 4500 rpm.
top speed: 112 mph. - 180 km/h.
gearbox: 4-speed manual + overdrive
weight: 940 kg.
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