Description
Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
Viewing: Tues 20th May from 12pm
Auction: Wed 21st May from 9am
Location: St John's Rd, Buxton SK17 6BE
1954 Austin-Healey 100/ 4 'M'-spec
Entered from the Loch Lomond Collection
Estimate
£40, 000 - £50, 000
Comprehensively restored and uprated to 'M' specification
Purchased into the collection in 2018 for some £63, 000
Offered with a large history file including over 200 photographs of the restoration
Entered from the Loch Lomond Collection, a collection made up of excellent examples of predominantly 1950s, 60s, and 70s classics
Donald Healey’s prototype two-seater sports car displayed at the 1952 London Motor Show was based on Austin A90 Atlantic mechanicals with a sleek body designed by Gerry Coker and built by Tickford. Dubbed the 'Healey Hundred' (chosen to reflect the car's ability to reach the magic 100mph), there was a suitably encouraging response and Healey planned to produce it in-house at his Warwick factory. As things transpired, not only did the Ice Blue prototype impress the public, but also Austin's Managing Director, Leonard Lord, who struck a deal to build the car in volume at Longbridge. The early examples (code-named BN1s) were equipped with the same 90bhp 2660cc engines and manual four-speed transmissions as the A90 though Austin modified the gearbox to operate as a three-speed unit with overdrive on the top two ratios. A 1953 BN1 tested by Motor magazine hit 106mph and achieved 0-60mph in 11. 2 seconds. A total of 10, 688 BN1s are believed to have been produced between 1953 and 1955 (the vast majority of which went overseas).
More information following shortly.
