G'day
The is something awry with the last message I sent so I will bore you
again. If you have already seen it please forgive. If not please send
$$$$$$$$.
I suspect that sometimes while we are so deeply involved with our
wonderful Austin-Healeys we tend to forget the similarly wonderful
Healey cars that were produced between 1946 and 1954.
When you look back and read carefully through the various books that are
out and about for our cars it's possible to start to get some idea at
how incredibly adept at motor vehicle design the Donald Healey Motor
Company really was. The Healey back in 1946 was the fastest production
saloon car in the world. No mean feat when you think about it. Equally
the record of Healey cars is something to impress, especially at Le Mans
with a 4th in 1951, 3rd in 1952 and 11th in 1953 in front of the new
Austin-Healey.
Donald Healey besides being a noted designer of motor cars was also a
shrewd businessman and sold his cars to an exclusive niche of the
market. The Silverstone for instance was pitched at the sporting
motorist who wanted to go racing on the weekend. It filled the bill
perfectly and I would recommend "Racing a Sports Car" by Charles
Mortimer if you wanted to know more.
The Sportsmobile is rather an acquired taste but was a very advanced car
for its time and also horrendously expensive which probably explains why
not so many were sold.
I know that I am very enthusiastic about Healeys and Austin-Healeys but
I am also just as interested in the history of the Donald Healey Motor
Company and I would to say to you all is to think past your
Austin-Healey at the other delightful cars that came out of that very
small factory in Warwick, England.
Oh yes in case you're interested in how come Vintage Wiring Harnesses
make a wiring loom for a Sportsmobile there is an example in Australia
that received a big bucks restoration a few years back. So the cost to
research, design and make the harness was really incidental to the
overall cost. What that does of course is to allow other Healey owners
to piggy back on someone else's work.
On to another subject that I am interested in and that's how Austin
played such a big influence on Nissan/Datsun during the late 1940s and
early 1950s. Nissan produced a little sports car called the SPL212/213
that certainly has some Austin-Healey styling connections.
Have a look at http://www.acmefluid.com.au/larry/austinnissan.html as
it's an interesting little article and extremely well written if I do
say so myself.
Hoo Roo
Patrick Quinn
Sydney, Australia
1947 Healey Duncan Saloon
1954 Austin-Healey 100 BN3/1
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