Descrizione
The Healey Silverstone is a sports car that was produced by the Donald Healey Motor Company between 1949 and 1950 in just over 100 units. It takes its name from the Silverstone circuit, equipped with a 2. 4-liter in-line Riley engine with 106 HP, 4-speed gearbox plus reverse gear, designed to be suitable for both street and track racing, weighing less than a thousand kilos.
Rear-wheel drive, 0-100 acceleration in 12 seconds and top speed around 180 km/ h.
The specimen we propose is from 1949 and has an interesting historical past. In 1951 at Silverstone he reached the finish line 19th with Peter Simpson at the wheel (race won by Stirling Moss on a Jaguar), who in the same year finished 6th on the Isle of Man, and probably this car seems to have participated in the 1000Miglia. In 1955 and 1956 he participated in Goodwood, and more recently he took part in about fifteen re-enactments of the 1000Miglia.
Peter Simpson was the owner of the car from 1950 to 1967, then he went to the USA until 1983, to return to England in 1989 where he remained until 1996, before arriving in Italy.
Healey Silverstone has had a rich racing career in the hands of private drivers both on the track and in rallies. In fact, after a 6th place at his debut at the Silverstone International 1949 with Louis Chiron he won his own class of the 1949 Coupe des Alpes driven by Donald Healey himself and Ian Appleyard and in 1950 the Silverstone of Tommy Wisdom and Anthony Hume finished 16th overall and 4th class at the Targa Florio. Also in 1950 three cars took part in the Mille Miglia, two retired while the one from Mosters - Castelbarco finished 38th overall. A special Healey Silverstone equipped with a Nash 6-cylinder in-line engine driven by Tony Rolt - Duncan Hamilton took part in the 1950 Le Mans 24 Hours, finishing 4th overall.
In 1951 new victories came, Peter Riley and Bill Lamb won the Liège - Rome - Liège and Edgar Wadsworth and Cyril Corbishley won the Coupe des Alpes again, followed by other important placings such as Peter Simpson's 6th place overall in the Cup on the Isle of Man.
