Description
74 years ago, Austin's Leonard Lord needed a new car to replace the A90 and something sporty was needed. At the same time, Donald Healey was looking to get into the high-volume market of sports cars.
The first Healey 100 had been built for the 1952 London Motor Show and it was here that it caught the eye of Lord, managing director of Austin. They struck a deal and production began in 1953. Their coming together resulted in the 100, the first of the so-called "Big Healeys" - named after its ability to reach 100mph. When two largely factory specification Austin-Healeys finished the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans 2nd and 3rd in their class, coming home in 12th and 14th place overall, outpacing and outlasting many purpose-built competitors, suddenly the world woke up and took notice.
The Austin-Healey 100 was built from 1953 to 1956, a relatively short production timeframe, with the Austin A90 Atlantic providing many of the mechanicals with Jensen building the body before the car was trimmed and painted by Austin at its Longbridge factory. The first 100s were known as the series BN1 and a total of 10, 030 were built until being replaced by the BN2 model in 1955. A high-performance 100M model was also introduced in 1955 with larger carburettors, a cold air box to increase engine airflow, a high-lift camshaft and 8. 1:1 compression pistons. 640 100Ms were built by the factory.
This early 1953 Austin Healey 100/ 4 BN1 was supplied to JME by a previous owner in 2017 as a poor restoration project. The customer commissioned JME to restore the car to his own personal specification. The car was assembled onto a new chassis and new front bulkhead. An alloy body was specified with retaining the cars original steel doors and painted in the customers chosen colour of BMW Cool Blue.
Fitted with uprated front & rear suspension, new steering box & JME spec suspension bushes all round. The original engine was rebuilt with a full steel bottom end. Fully lightened and balanced. High compression pistons, DWR 4 camshaft, full race aluminium cylinderhead. H6 carburettors and gas flowed inlet manifolds. JME race spec tubular exhaust manifold and large bore side exit silencer system. 123 Distributor, Aluminium radiator & Revotec cooling fan. Fitted with a BN2 gearbox and uprated overdrive. Dunlop front disc brakes with rear alfin drums along with uprated half shafts. 72 spoke x 5” black MWS wheels fitted with Avon CR6ZZ tyres.
Fully tailored black interior with 100S seats and short tonneau cover. Fitted with correct 2-piece dashboard. 100S windscreen fitted along with original screen feet.
Supplied with Current UK V5C registration document, Heritage certificate, full photographic record of build and a detailed itemised breakdown of restoration costs. The car also retains its original chassis plate and engine plates. A recently restored car in superb condition and with only 400miles on the clock, this car is being sold on behalf of the current owner. It would be difficult to find a better fast road 100/ 4 for sale on the market at this time and not possible to replicate for the asking price.
£84, 500. 00
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