∙Beautifully rally-ready Big Healey
∙Original RHD Car with Dunlop disc brakes
∙Amazing provenance
∙Fully restored in 2000s

Launched in 1956, the Austin-Healey 100/6 was the second of the ‘Big’ Healeys and the first to feature the BMC C-Series six-cylinder engine in place of the original Healey 100’s four-cylinder unit.

The 2.6-litre unit developed 102bhp, but was increased to 117bhp in 1957 at the same time as production was moved to the MG factory in Abingdon. 

It was a well-received car, albeit one that was a bit of a handful to drive with heavy steering and a mechanical gear shift that needed to be driven properly – the Big Healey wasn’t a car from wimps! Indeed, its hairy-chestedness and raw sports car appeal made it a more desirable car than the Jaguar E-Type to the type of person who valued the thrills that the Healey could offer. 

It was a successful competition car, too, in both circuit racing and rallying, in part due to its rugged reliability and also because of its highly tunable engine and ability to be stripped back and made lighter. Indeed, the Healey’s competition history has a direct link to this car – we’ll come to that.

WLE 665 is a competition-prepared 100/6 with FIA-approved harnesses and rally equipment, including a roll cage, map light and fire extinguisher and while not especially hardcore, it’s perfectly eligible for most road rallies and other trial-based competitions. It was converted in the early 2000s, with the competition modifications being carried out on a car that had previously been restored to road specification. 

The owner adores it, but recognises that with imminent retirement it needs to go – a very reluctant sale. 

While WLE 665’s very early history is a bit sketchy, the engine and chassis numbers match and the registration plate is original giving it spectacular provenance – a fact backed up by the presence of a British Motor Heritage dating certificate showing it leaving the production line in Abingdon in January 1959 and supplied via the CG Norman dealership in South-West London on February 9th the same year. 

It was originally Healey Blue over Ivory, but a selection of old V5s that come with the car show that it has been red since the early 1980s at least. There’s also a random photo of the car in its history file taken in 1988, showing it in red over black. 

The more recent history is a lot more comprehensive and rather fascinating. It was bought in 1989 by a Mr Mundy from  Sheffield, who spent a small fortune having it fully restored between 1989 and 1990 and then used it for a number of shows and events. In 2000, the car was sold in 2001 to Mark Garnier, who went on to become MP for Wyre forest in Worcestershire. Garnier spent a huge amount of money converting the Healey to rally specification, converting it to rally spec, during which it was discovered that the 100/6 was one of only 50 pre-Healey 3000s to leave the factory with four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes. 

The connection is a fascinating one, as Garnier’s father – Peter – was a co-driver to legendary racer Jack Sears on several occasions, winning the 1959 Tulip Rally GT Class and competing in the 1958 Liège-Rome- Liège rally among others. His son wanted to create a replica of the famous PMO 201 Healey in which his father and Sears had won multiple competitions. 

When Garnier became an MP in 2010, the Healey was sold via Bonham’s auctions to an owner in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, who sold it privately to the current owner in early 2017. The vendor has enjoyed the car on a number of private events but has never rallied it. 

There are stacks of papers and bills with WLE 665, from the original dating certificate to a pile of old MOTs. There are also some bills for ongoing repairs and maintenance during the 1980s, and an absolute pile of bills relating to its 1989-90 restoration under Mr Mundy’s ownership.  

There are a number of past sales receipts, a series of letters exchanged between Mark Garnier and Mr Mundy about the car’s history and maintenance record at the time he purchased it and a correspondence between him and the company that did the rally conversion, some handwritten and others as printed-out emails. 

Most of the bills for the car since the late 1980s are included in a substantial folder, while it also has a few old V5s, MOT certificates and club documents and magazine articles, along with a printout of the 2010 Bonham’s auction listing. 

It’s fairly basic inside the 100/6’s cabin, but the black leather seats (re-trimmed in the early 200s) and carpets are in good order, as is the original four-dial dash. The three-spoke steering wheel is a non-original competition item, while there’s also a supplementary ammeter fitted though this doesn’t currently work.

Rally modifications include Paddy Hopkirk high-grip pedals, a straight-shift gear selector, OMP racing harnesses, a map-reading light, a heavy duty fire extinguisher and an electrical cut-off switch, operational from both inside and outside the car. There’s also an aftermarket roll cage which is designed to fit within the profile of the car’s hood. The hood and side screens are in excellent condition, as is the tonneau cover, which is tailored to fit over the steering wheel.

Finished in Tartan Red, the Healey is absolutely breathtaking to look at. Knock-on wire wheels (with matching spare) are shod with nearly new tyres (a receipt for which is in the history folder), while the paintwork is largely superb with a deep and lustrous shine. It was painted in the mid-2000s and still looks fabulous, though up close there are a couple of small bubbles – one below the passenger door near the exhaust pipe outlet and a couple under the paint between on the top of the driver’s side wing – barely noticeable, but the owner is keen to not have anything to hide. 

He reports that the underside is excellent, with no visible rust and has been frequently Waxoyled. 

Although we do not recommend going into the gravel traps, for your peace of mind, the car is fitted with 'T' handles on the O/S wing vent, so the marshalls can rescue you easily.

There are no notable dents or marks, though very close inspection will reveal signs of ageing on some of the chrome, one headlamp peak and at the top of the grille – again, though, these are barely noticeable and will only bother you if you expect perfection. It’s an absolutely beautiful car that will pass any scrutiny and these are very minor details.

The twin-carb six started on first turn after several weeks of sitting idle over the winter and showed good compression on test, while it soon warmed up and settled to a steady idle,. It was last service in 2020 with fresh oil and coolant, with the engine showing good oil pressure whether running hot or cold.

The engine is the car’s original and was rebuilt when the car was first restored in the 1990s. The steering and suspension components were all replaced and upgraded during the car’s conversion to a rally car in the early 2000s, since then it has been cherished and garaged by all three subsequent owners.  The car has a reconditioned overdrive unit, and coupled with the side-exit stainless steel exhaust, the car is sounding fantastic . For gear changes, these are achieved through a competition straight cut gear box.

The seller has stated that the amp-meter does not show a state of charge when engine is running, but it does show a discharge when lights and other related items are operational. The engine has been converted to an alternator, and charges the two new twin batteries recently fitted, perfectly - Something the seller can personally guarantee.

Whether you want a classic rally car or just a really, really lovely Big Healey, this car has stacks of appeal. It’s an absolute stunner to look at, it has been properly and professionally rebuilt and it comes with remarkable provenance. It’s a wonderful car, and one that will most likely prove as much of an investment as it will a source of enjoyment.

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