1954 Austin-Healey 100/4 – Project Profile

The Austin-Healey was a hugely important and influential car, which would go some way to explaining why it’s such a sought after classic today. And it was a car that came to be almost by accident. Donald Healey wanted to make a sports car, so he… well, he made a sports car. Based on the oily bits of the Austin A90 Atlantic, Donald had big plans for it and as such, had Tickford build one single car that he could then exhibit at the 1952 London Motor Show. You know, put it out there, gauge interest, see if people wanted it. People did, especially Leonard Lord of the Austin Motor Company. He liked it so much that, what with the Atlantic mechanicals, it made sense to work out a deal and offer it en masse. And thus, in 1953, the Austin-Healey 100/4 was born.

It was the perfect coming together. Healey got to build his car with the support of a massive company, while Lord got to add a sports car to the roster. Furthermore, in doing so, Austin found a use for the A90 Atlantic’s mechanical parts, as even though the car itself was a flop, its engine and drivetrain was excellent. And in the Austin-Healey, that engine could push it to over 100mph from its four cylinders, hence the name Austin-Healey 100/4, to differentiate it from the later 100/6 cars with, you guessed it, six cylinders.

What is it?

What we have here is a 1954 Austin-Healey 100/4 that, as you can see, needs a little bit of work. It’s a very special car though, due to being one of the earlier BN1 cars. This was how the chassis numbers started on the early cars, and they’re sought after as a result. This one has a heritage certificate to back that up. Also, while the car has come from America, it was actually bought new in Bristol in June of 1954, hence it being a UK specification right-hand drive model. It does need to be re-registered with the DVLA though, but all of the UK duties and VAT have been paid, and it has the aforementioned heritage certificate so doing so should be no issue. Yes, it’s a bit down at heel, but it’s a rare four-cylinder, early car that – had it remained unused in the UK – would no doubt be a far less viable proposition.

Why is it a project? 

Well, the pictures should tell you that this Austin-Healey 100/4 is in need of more than a service and a jet wash. It’s a complete restoration project. The engine, while the original 2,600cc unit, hasn’t been started for a great many years. The dry American climate has taken its toll on the interior fabrics, leaving them pretty much entirely past tense, and the body has no shortage of issues and the odd hole here and there. But, don’t be put off. If it’s done right, this car could easily be worth £50-£60,000, if not more. If you’re good on the spanners, this car is actually very easy to work on – the only real cost is going to be sorting the body. Or maybe don’t sort the body? Maybe do the mechanical stuff, fit a new interior, new wiring, and then embrace the patina? Whatever you do, it will be worth it.

What should you look for? 

This 1954 Austin-Healey 100/4 is, happily, currently on Car & Classic auctions, meaning there are hundreds of high-resolution pictures for you to pore over, as well as a detailed description. As such, you can bid in confidence. Plus, the project status of it means that really, you just need this car to do nothing more than exist and match up on the paperwork. Which it does, as you can see from the listing.

What should you do with it? 

As we suggested earlier, whatever you do, it’ll be worth it. You could go down the route of a full factory style restoration. There are plenty of specialists and parts suppliers out there who can help you in the pursuit of making this Austin-Healey 100/4 purr again. Or you could use the condition of the car as an excuse to do something different, maybe build it into a period race car or something along those lines. The world is very much your oyster, so have fun with it!