[Healeys] 3000 Mk III cloisonne front badge

[Earl Kagna]

Interesting.

My BJ8 – also a Golden Beige Metallic car / black trim, (late October ‘67 build),  very likely had a painted front badge as well.  The reason I say likely is that when I bought the car (in 1981) it had a cloisonne badge on it. The problem was that it was a 3000 MK II badge!  I guess a previous owner did not like the ‘cheap’ look of the painted badge and grabbed what he could find.  The badge was an original part – not a repro, and was in excellent condition.  Since I also owned a MK II tri-carb at the time, the badge was a welcome addition to the parts stock when I replaced the BJ8 badge with a not-too-bad reproduction.

When the car underwent it’s recently completed full restoration, a new repro (cloisonne) badge that was sourced from AH Spares approximately 6 –7 years ago was installed.  This badge is an excellent reproduction, and seems to be holding up quite well.

I guess it all depends when and where these things are sourced.  Who knows.

Earl Kagna
Victoria, B.C.
BJ8, BT7 tri-carb

From: Deejay2650 . 
Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2016 7:10 AM
To: healeys at autox.team.net 
Subject: Re: [Healeys] 3000 Mk III cloisonne front badge

Greetings from "Down Under"

G'day,

I don't want to appear as the 'fly in the ointment here', but would like to share my experience with you all.

My car was a mid 67 build (May '67) BJ8, Mk3 Phase 2, finished in 'Golden Beige Metallic', black interior, with a bonnet badge finished in orange paint....and told this was the original finish for the period, as some were finished in cloisonne and some were in fact painted in late 1967. (Source:The Original Austin Healey...Anders Ditlev Clausager)

To be blunt, I hated it....I thought it detracted from the overall look of the vehicle, and sought to look for a nicer solution....The badge on the car may or may not be the original bonnet badge (It will go with the Healey if I ever sell it) but I wanted a cloisonne badge to be seen as a celebration of the marque (Like Benson and Hedges...."When only the best will do, and isn't that all the time"?) as Stuart Wagstaff used to say in the TV ads, back in the cigarette days of advertising....


I purchased a cloisonne bonnet badge from AH Spares in England and it is just perfect and looks brilliant on the car, I couldn't recommend a better badge, the attention to detail is faultless; the chrome plating, perfect,and the fit....exactly the same as the original badge fitted..Price-wise, expensive, with the OZ exchange rate...yes, but worth every penny!  

Darryl Ross

'67 Austin-Healey BJ8 Mk 111, Ph2
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