London 2013
1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 BN6 Roadster
From the Maat Collection
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£38,080 GBP | Sold
| London, United Kingdom
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- Offered from the Maat Collection
- The purest form of Austin-Healey enjoyment
- Equipped with overdrive for easy touring
117 bhp, 2,639 cc overhead-valve straight six-cylinder engine with dual SU HD6 carburettors, four-speed manual transmission with overdrive, independent front suspension, live axle rear suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic brakes. Wheelbase: 2,286 mm
Donald Mitchell Healey was born in 1898 in Cornwall. He served with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, but he was invalided out in 1917 after crashing. In the early 1920s, he became involved in motor sport and joined sports car manufacturer Invicta in 1930. In 1931, he won the Monte Carlo Rally whilst driving for Invicta. Healey subsequently worked for Riley and Triumph. He formed the Donald Healey Motor Company, in Warwick, in 1945 and became a manufacturer.
By 1952, Healey was looking for an engine supplier who could provide a large volume at a reasonable cost. He built a prototype car using the Austin A90 engine, had it bodied by Tickford, and put it on display at the London Motor Show, and there the Healey 100 was born. Leonard Lord, head of the British Motor Corporation, liked the car sufficiently enough to adopt it virtually on the spot. Production was moved to Longbridge, and there it became the Austin-Healey 100. The Austin-Healey 100/4 was followed by the 100/6 in 1956, which then evolved into the 3000 series.
Interestingly, Healey achieved great success in competition, particularly with the 100S, and later with the 3000. In 1956, a supercharged, streamlined version of the 100S, with Donald Healey driving, achieved 192 mph at Bonneville, whilst a similarly tuned 100/6 reached over 203 mph. The 100/6 is seen by many purists as the epitome of the Austin-Healey concept.
The Healey 100/6 BN6 Roadster offered here is finished in blue and has been trimmed in crème vinyl with matching crème carpets. This 100/6 has the benefit of having been fitted with overdrive, which is ideal for continental touring, making the ride that much more comfortable. The dashboard features all the correct Healey 100/6 instrumentation, and it has also been re-trimmed in vinyl. Upon inspection, it is apparent that a recent detailing of the engine bay has been undertaken, whilst the odometer shows 7,551 miles. The car is a left-hand drive example, and it appears to have had a recent repaint in navy blue, which complements the interior nicely. Sitting on chrome wire wheels, the streamlined features of the 100/6 are the epitome of a late 1950s British sports car.