70-486: Donald Healey Motor Company Limited was a British car manufacturer. The business was founded in 1945 by Donald Healey , a successful car designer and rally driver. Healey discussed sports car design with Achille Sampietro , a chassis specialist for high performance cars and Ben Bowden , a body engineer, when all three worked at Humber during World War II. Healey's new enterprise focused on producing high-quality, high-performance cars which were inevitably expensive. It
140-508: A Riley live axle with coil springs. The suspension design allowed soft springing to be combined with excellent road holding. Lockheed hydraulic brakes were used. When it was introduced in 1948, the Elliott saloon was claimed to be the fastest production closed car in the world, timed at 104.7 mph over a mile. The aerodynamic body design was the work of Benjamin Bowden and unusually for
210-499: A design consultancy in 1955, one of the results was the Austin-Healey Sprite which went into production in 1958. The production arrangement with BMC ended in 1967. In 1970 Healey became chairman of Jensen Motors with the enthusiastic backing of key US based Austin-Healey distributors. This was a long and fruitful relationship for Healey, in part because Jensen had been making body shells for Austin-Healey since
280-649: A director of Jensen Motors in the late 1960s and a result of this was the Lotus -engined Jensen-Healey which appeared in 1972. Donald Healey Motor Company was finally sold to the Hamblin Group, although Healey Automobile Consultants and the engineering parts of the company remained in the hands of Geoffrey and Donald Healey. There is one club worldwide who cater for (pre Austin) Healey cars - The Association Of Healey Owners Donald Healey Donald Mitchell Healey CBE (3 July 1898 – 13 January 1988)
350-534: A dynamo. This was also the first year that reclining seats were fitted. A facelift was carried out for the 1970 model year (beginning in September 1969) after Austin-Healey (and MG) became part of British Leyland . These largely cosmetic revision were to update the appearance of the car (now 10 years old) and minimise the difference between the Sprite and Midget versions to reduce production costs; both cars now had
420-690: A lower state of tune than that of the Mini-Cooper 'S'), the Mark IV and its cousin the Mark III MG Midget had several changes which were more than cosmetic. Most notable is the change from a removable convertible top, which had to be stowed in the boot, to a permanently affixed, folding top of greatly improved design, which was much easier to use. Separate brake and clutch master cylinders were fitted, as car manufacturers' thoughts began to turn to making their products safer. On US market versions
490-606: A model name which had been a great success for the MG Car Company in the 1930s and again as the T-type Midget in the period from 1945 to 1955. The Midget was to prove more popular with the public than the Sprite and by 1972 had completely supplanted it within the BMC range. In October 1962, both Sprites and Midgets were given a long-stroke 1098 cc engine (engine code 10CG), which was also fitted in single carburettor form to
560-514: A project to build air/sea rescue inflatables. He demolished the concrete covering of the beach of Polgwidden Cove (a D-Day invasion launch-pad) and used the salvaged material to surface a steep track from the house to the beach. (Hibbert, 2005). He sold Trebah in 1971. His son, Geoffrey , born in 1922 and a former pupil of Warwick School , wrote several books about the cars and one about their partnership (see below). Donald Healey died in Truro at
630-466: A purchaser to specify various choices of engine, transmission suspension, paint and trim. Keith Brading started Frogeye Car company on the Isle of Wight in the 1980s. The first examples of these cars were restoration kits which used a ladder frame chassis to do away with the often rusted-out original body shell. Brading was known to Geoffrey Healey through a mutual friend and because he, at one stage, owned
700-467: A rigid structure to an open-topped sports car was resolved by Barry Bilbie, Healey's chassis designer, who adapted the idea provided by the Jaguar D-type, with rear suspension forces routed through the bodyshell's floor pan. The Sprite's chassis design was the world's first volume-production sports car to use unitary construction, where the sheet metal body panels (apart from the bonnet) take many of
770-630: A small rotund man with a flashing smile and that he kept himself immensely fit, and had been, in his day, an expert water skier. Austin-Healey Sprite The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 until 1971. The Sprite was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, two days after that year's Monaco Grand Prix . It
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#1732786788992840-726: A streamlined body, built in Birmabright alloy at Healey's Warwick workshops by Bill Buckingham and Terry Westwood. These cars were powered by BMC's Courthouse Green's tuned engines and eventually produced a reliable 110 bhp, which enabled a top speed of around 150 mph on the Mulsanne Straight . One-off gearboxes were also made at Courthouse Green, with MGB gearboxes modified with an externally mounted 5th gear and overdrive in some cases. BMC works entries recorded class wins at Sebring with drivers including Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren and Steve McQueen, as well as competing in
910-510: Is often stated) they moved again into the former Warwick Cinema at Coten End. Both these premises have now been demolished: a block of flats has been built on the cinema site, called – much to Geoff's disgust – 'Healey Court'. The cars mainly used a tuned version of the proven Riley twin-cam 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine in a light steel box-section chassis of Healey design using independent front suspension by coil springs and alloy trailing arms with Girling dampers. The rear suspension used
980-484: Is still owned by Keith Brading. Another “engineering superstar” who also contributed to the Healey Frogeye development was John Ackroyd who designed Thrust2 , which held the world land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 25 September 1997. The Frogeye Car Company was a sideline to Keith Brading's main business, and no cars have been manufactured since 1998. On 24 May 2008, the official UK golden anniversary of
1050-582: The Donald Healey Motor Company . There was no direct successor, as BL's extensive range already contained the MG Midget, which was identical to the Sprite except for badging, and the similarly dimensioned and priced Triumph Spitfire . The Sprite (and its MG Midget sibling) have been successful club level race cars since their launch and continue to race in various events to the present day. International events were entered throughout
1120-579: The Nash-Healey , using a Nash Ambassador engine with SU carburettors and Nash gearbox. Initially the Ambassador's 3848 cc engine was used, but when in 1952 body construction was transferred from Healey to Pininfarina the larger 4138 cc engine was fitted. The final Healey car of this era was the G-Type, using an Alvis TB21 engine and gearbox. This was more luxurious (and heavier) than
1190-574: The "frogeye" in the UK and the "bugeye" in the US, because its headlights were prominently mounted on top of the bonnet, inboard of the front wings. The car's designers had intended that the headlights could be retracted, with the lenses facing skyward when not in use; a similar arrangement was used many years later on the Porsche 928 . However, cost-cutting by BMC led to the flip-up mechanism being deleted. Therefore,
1260-535: The (Morris) Riley unit. His new factory, Cape Works, could not supply the demand so instead the Austin-Healeys were manufactured under a licensing arrangement by British Motor Corporation at their Longbridge works. A total of 74,000 Austin Healey 100s were built, more than 80% for export. At that time Nash and Austin were working together on the project which became their Metropolitan Donald Healey formed
1330-561: The 1100 cc Spiders. The Innocenti Spider originally sold well in Italy, with production running at 13 cars per day in 1962, but it had a hard time competing against the cheaper Sprite in export markets. As more modern competitors arrived and as the British-built Sprite was modernised, sales dropped precipitously, with only 63 cars built in 1965. Thus, Innocenti presented the reworked Innocenti Coupé in September 1966, still with
1400-735: The 1952 demise of the similar Austin A40 Sports . Healey's first project with a Jensen was re-engineering the Jensen 541S with a V8 engine in 1961, the resulting car being a personal favourite of Healey's. Ten years later, Healey helped design the Lotus engined Jensen-Healey together with Lagonda designer William Towns , to replace the Austin-Healey, which BMC were discontinuing. He designed this new Jensen-Healey using Vauxhall running gear and prototyped it using Vauxhall and Ford engines, which either had insufficient power, did not fit
1470-406: The 1960s and surprisingly good results were achieved, including a 12th-place finish at Le Mans in 1965. The works cars began with use of a commercially available fibreglass-bodied Sprite (with a Falcon body) before utilising lightweight body panels of standard appearance. By the mid-60s, use was made of the wind-tunnel at Longbridge. Barry Bilbie (the chassis designer) utilised the results to produce
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#17327867889921540-427: The 5.20x13 size, although later frogeyes shipped to North America wore 5.60x13 Dunlop crossplies. There were no exterior door handles – the driver and passenger were required to reach inside to open the door. There was also no boot lid, owing to the need to retain as much structural integrity as possible, and access to the spare wheel and luggage compartment was achieved by tilting the seat-backs forward and reaching under
1610-571: The American Tom Tjaarda, then working at Carrozzeria Ghia. The Innocenti 950 spider and later 1100 spider were produced from 1961 until 1968. A car with hardtop tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1961 had a top speed of 85.8 mph (138.1 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.0 seconds. A fuel consumption of 43.5 miles per imperial gallon (6.49 L/100 km; 36.2 mpg ‑US )
1680-607: The Austin A40 and Morris Minor 1000 (which nevertheless remained the Minor 1000). A strengthened gearbox with Porsche (baulk-ring) synchromesh was introduced to cope with the extra power – 56 bhp. Front disc brakes were also introduced at the same time and wire wheels became an option. 31,665 Mark II Sprites were made. Innocenti also produced their own version of the Sprite, using the standard production underframe (initially shipped out from England), but with Italian styling by
1750-594: The Austin-Healey Sprite was developed into a formidable competition car, assuming many variants by John Sprinzel , Speedwell and WSM. Many owners use their Austin Healey Sprites in competition today, fifty years after its introduction. The Mark II announced at the end of May 1961 used the same 948 cc engine (engine code 9CG), but with larger twin 1 1 ⁄ 4 inch SU carburettors, increasing power to 46.5 bhp. A close-ratio gearbox
1820-545: The Healey Elliot, a saloon with a Riley engine, developed by Dr J.N.H Tait. Following his Triumphs it won the 1947 and 1948 alpine rallies and the touring class of the 1948 Mille Miglia . Next was a high-performance sports car, the Silverstone which appeared in 1949 and was so successful it led to an agreement with an American company Nash Motors. In 1949, Healey established an agreement with George W. Mason ,
1890-475: The Italian market, slotting nicely between the smaller Fiat 850 Coupé and the bigger Fiat 124 Sport Spider . Only 794 were built when production ended in 1968. The Lenham Motor Company of Kent, founded in 1960, was, and still is, one of the once many "cottage industry" automotive companies providing specialist conversions based upon commercial brand platforms. Best known for its Spridget coupé conversions and
1960-547: The Mk. II Sprite was introduced in 1961 it was joined by a badge-engineered MG version, the Midget , reviving a model name used by MG from the late 1920s through to the mid-1950s. Enthusiasts often refer to these later Sprites and Midgets collectively as "Spridgets." The MG-badged version of the car continued in production for several years after the Austin-Healey brand ceased to exist. The Sprite quickly became affectionately known as
2030-649: The Riley engined models, and performance suffered. Healey judged a cheaper sports car marketable in large numbers was needed to save the business, one that would fit between the MG and Jaguar cars then selling so well in USA. Working with his eldest son Geoffrey in the attic of the family home, Healey designed a two-seat roadster employing numerous low-cost Austin components, the Healey Hundred . Austin chief Sir Leonard Lord
2100-726: The Targa Florio and Mugello sports car races. Sprites were imported into Australia in completely knocked down ( CKD ) kit form and assembled by the Pressed Metal Corporation at Enfield , in New South Wales . Models assembled in Australia included the Mk 1, 2, 2A, 3 and 3A. At the 1960 Turin Auto Show, BMC's Italian partner Innocenti showed a small Spider built upon Sprite underpinnings. The car
2170-710: The age of 89. A memorial window in St Michael's Church Perranporth was provided by the Austin-Healey Club of America. The Austin Healey Club has also placed a small monument, in the form of a sports car, and an inscribed plaque, as a memorial to Donald Healey, next to the Visitor Centre in the garden of Trebah which is now open to the public. His obituary in The Times reported that Healey was
Donald Healey Motor Company - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-638: The big-Healey based Lenham Healey (a replica of the Healey Silverstone), the firm also produced hard-tops for Jaguar E-types, Triumphs, the Jensen-Healey, the Lotus Elan and for the MGB. The Tifosi Rana Frogeye Sprite replica retains a significant amount of the character and appeal of the original version by using the MG Midget as its basis. As the MG Midget traces its roots directly back to
2310-496: The era but these features were expensive to produce and unpopular with buyers so only around 20 cars were produced before these reverted to the original polished metal appearance. 22,790 Mark IV Sprites were made. Engine: The Healey connection was discontinued in 1971, so the final 1,022 Sprites built were simply Austin Sprites. This was a cost-cutting move of Donald Stokes ', enabling British Leyland to stop paying royalties to
2380-693: The garage to prepare cars for competition. He first entered the Monte Carlo Rally in 1929 driving a Triumph 7 but in 1931 Donald Healey won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a 4½-litre Invicta and was 2nd overall the next year. Now in demand as a competition driver he sold the garage business, moved to the Midlands to work for Riley but soon moved to the Triumph Motor Company as experimental manager. The next year he
2450-432: The headlights were simply fixed in a permanently upright position, giving the car its distinctive "cute" feature. The body was styled by Gerry Coker, with subsequent alterations by Les Ireland following Coker's emigration to the US in 1957. The car's distinctive frontal styling bore a strong resemblance to the defunct American 1951 Crosley Super Sport. A total of 48,987 "frogeye" Sprites were made. The problem of providing
2520-472: The highly regarded and collector coveted 3-litre Austin-Healey 3000 , and the diminutive 950cc Austin-Healey Sprite , known affectionately as the "frog-eye" or "Bugeye" was also manufactured. Commenting on the 3000 after Donald Healey's death The Times observed: "The big Healey's brutally firm ride, heavy steering and engine so close it would roast a driver's feet never detracted from the superb, timeless styling and classic proportions." Donald Healey became
2590-485: The introduction of squared-off rear wheel arches to retain enough metal in the rear structure to give good rigidity. The result was a much less eccentric-looking sports car, though at the expense of some 100 lbs extra weight. In contrast to the 'frogeye', the later cars are often collectively referred to as square-bodied Sprites by enthusiasts. An MG version of the car was introduced in May 1961 as 'the new Midget,' reviving
2660-654: The introduction of the Austin Healey Sprite, "Spridget 50 – The Big Party" was held at the British Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon , Warwickshire. Up to 1000 Sprites, Midgets and derivatives were in attendance – a record number. The event was jointly organised and promoted by the UK's Midget and Sprite Club, Healey Drivers Club, MG Owners Club, Austin Healey Club and MG Car Club – the first time an event of this size has been supported by all of
2730-401: The larger engine sacrificed some of its performance from 1968 on, through the use of smog pumps and other modifications to comply with federal emission control requirements. 1969 was the final year the Sprite was exported to the US. At the same time reversing lamps were made a standard fitment and the cars' electrical system was switched to negative earth and powered by an alternator rather than
2800-472: The nearby Brooklands aerodrome and racing circuit. Barely 16 when WW1 started, he volunteered in 1916 (before the end of his apprenticeship ) for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and earned his "wings" as a pilot. He went on night bombing raids and served on anti- Zeppelin patrols and also as a flying instructor. Shot down by British anti-aircraft fire on one of the first night bomber missions of
2870-446: The option of the seats, door trim and floor carpets in beige rather than the standard black. 1970-model year Sprites were fitted with new cast-alloy looking ventilated wheels although they were still made of steel although the option for wire-spoke wheels remained. As launched the 1970 Sprites had their windscreen frames and windscreen wiper arms painted 'anti-dazzle' matt black as was popular on modern American muscle cars and rally cars of
Donald Healey Motor Company - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-520: The original Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’, the Tifosi replica perhaps merits the sobriquet "Spridget" even more than the originals. They are supplied and/or built by Halls Garage near Bourne in Lincolnshire, home of the now defunct BRM Formula 1 racing cars. The Tifosi Rana replica has a fibreglass body with upgrades such as external door handles and wind-up windows as standard. A "Custom package" allows
3010-466: The other remaining Healeys have been converted into Silverstone replicas. These cars had numerous competition successes including class wins in the 1947 and 1948 Alpine rallies and the 1949 Mille Miglia . Government planning and controls in this time period required any substantial expansion of production to be for the export market alone. So in 1950 Healey entered the North American market with
3080-529: The passenger compartment mean the shell is not a full monocoque . The front sheet-metal assembly, including the bonnet (hood) and wings, was a one-piece unit, hinged from the back, that swung up to allow access to the engine compartment. The 43 bhp, 948 cc OHV engine (coded 9CC) was derived from the Austin A35 and Morris Minor 1000 models, also BMC products, but upgraded with twin 1 1 ⁄ 8 inch SU carburettors . The rack and pinion steering
3150-690: The premises as works manager for H M Hobson making aircraft engine carburettors for the Ministry of Supply. Later in the war he worked with Humber on armoured cars. Donald Healey was keen to begin making his own cars, planning post-war sports cars with colleague and chassis specialist Achille Sampietro. In 1945 he formed with Sampietro and Ben Bowden the Donald Healey Motor Company Ltd basing its business in an old RAF hangar at Warwick . Their first cars were expensive high quality cars. Healey's first car appeared in 1946,
3220-477: The president of Nash Motors to build Nash-engined Healey sports cars. The first series of the 2-seaters were built in 1951 and they were designed by Healey with styling and aerodynamic input from Benjamin Bowden. The same all-enveloping theme was used by Bowden on the Zethrin Rennsport one year later. The Nash-Healey 's engine was a Nash Ambassador 6-cylinder, the body was aluminium, and the chassis
3290-412: The rear deck, a process likened to potholing by many owners, as the space available was dark but cavernous. Engine: A car was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958. It had a top speed of 82.9 mph (133.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.5 seconds. Fuel consumption of 43 miles per imperial gallon (6.6 L/100 km; 36 mpg ‑US )
3360-478: The same 1100 engine as seen in late Spiders. The badging on the car simply read "Innocenti C". The Coupé's all-new bodywork designed by Sergio Sartorelli was wider and longer than the Spider's, and the wheelbase was extended by 150 mm to 2,180 mm (85.8 in). The floorpan was reworked to allow for the seats to be mounted lower than in a Sprite, making the cabin less cramped. It was competitively priced in
3430-505: The same cosmetic features, differing only in their badges. Alongside a new range of body colours, both cars now had the same grille, based on the plainer square-mesh design of the MkII-onwards Sprite but now finished in satin black with the addition of a chrome embellisher. The body sills were painted satin black with a chrome strip between them and the upper bodywork and the name "SPRITE" was applied in chrome capital letters on
3500-431: The sill just behind the front wheelarch (MG Midgets had their own badge in the same style). Slimmer bumpers were fitted, with those at the rear changing to two quarter-bumpers with the gap in the middle filled by a square number plate . Rubber-capped overriders were standard fitment front and rear. The seats were now a slimmer, flatter design with a more modern upholstery pattern. Some body colours could now be ordered with
3570-456: The sloping bonnet, or were unable to comply with the emission standards set in place in USA. Ultimately, he settled on the all-aluminum 4-valve, twin overhead cam Lotus 907 He resisted offers from Saab and Ford to produce a new sports car. He bought the 27 acres (11 ha) Trebah Estate, near Falmouth, Cornwall in 1961 and carried out many ambitious projects there, including the building of commercial greenhouses to grow orchids and
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#17327867889923640-473: The structural stresses. The original metal gauge (thickness of steel) of the rear structure specified by Bilbie was reduced by the Austin Design Office during prototype build, however during testing at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) distortion and deformation of the rear structure occurred and the original specification was reinstated. The two front chassis legs projecting forward from
3710-535: The time it was tested in a wind tunnel to refine its efficiency. This was the start of Healey's aerodynamic styling for reduced drag, that culminated in Bowden's last UK offering, the Zethrin Rennsport. In 1949 the most sporting of all the Healeys, the Silverstone, was announced. It had a shorter chassis and stiffer springing and was capable of 107 mph. It is now a highly sought after car, and many of
3780-414: The two prototype 3000 coupes. Geoffrey Healey notes that Brading's re-design of the "Frogeye" was shortly to receive approval from Donald Healey, calling the concept "brilliant", and after some modifications, "just the vehicle to carry the Healey approval". The last sports car to have his father's approval benefited from Geoffrey Healey's direct input until his unexpected death in 1994 and the car he used
3850-530: The upper links fitted to the quarter-elliptic models being deleted. Though scarcely sybaritic, these changes helped the Sprite and Midget compete with the recently released Triumph Spitfire. 25,905 Mark III Sprites were made. Engine: The next upgrade was presented at the London Motor Show in October 1966. Besides receiving the larger 1275 cc engine (which disappointed enthusiasts by being in
3920-827: The war, after a further series of crashes he was invalided out of the RFC in November 1917 and spent the rest of the war checking aircraft components for the Air Ministry. After the Armistice he returned to Cornwall, took a correspondence course in automobile engineering and opened the first garage in Perranporth in 1920. Donald Healey married Ivy Maud James (she died in 1980) on 21 October 1921 and they had three sons. Healey found rally driving and motor racing more interesting than his garage and its car hire business and used
3990-548: Was a Healey Silverstone . However, Pininfarina restyled the bodywork for 1952 and took over the production of its new steel body. A Nash-Healey was driven by Donald Healey at Le Mans in 1950. Team members Duncan Hamilton & Tony Rolt's car finished 4th overall after suffering serious mechanical damage when hit from behind by a brakeless Delage. Donald Healey also drove a Nash-Healey in the Mille Miglia 1950 to 1952. He finished 1st in class in over 2000cc open category and
4060-680: Was a noted English car designer, rally driver and speed record holder. Born in Perranporth , Cornwall, elder son of Frederick (John Frederick) and Emma Healey (née Mitchell) who at that time ran a general store there, Donald Healey became interested in all things mechanical at an early age, most particularly aircraft. He studied engineering while at Newquay College . When he left his father bought him an expensive apprenticeship with Sopwith Aviation Company in Kingston upon Thames , Surrey and he joined Sopwith in 1914 continuing his engineering studies at Kingston Technical College. Sopwith had sheds at
4130-663: Was derived from the Morris Minor 1000 and the front suspension from the Austin A35. The front suspension was a coil spring and wishbone arrangement, with the arm of the Armstrong lever shock absorber serving as the top suspension link. The rear axle was both located and sprung by quarter-elliptic leaf springs, again with lever-arm shock absorbers and top links. The road wheels were 13" and all cars were invariably fitted with Dunlop crossply tyres, usually their Gold Seal model in
4200-409: Was fitted. The bodywork was completely revamped, with the headlights migrating to a more conventional position in the wings, either side of a full-width grille and a conventional bonnet. At the rear, styling borrowed from the soon-to-be-announced MGB gave a similarly more modern look, with the added advantages of an opening boot lid and conventional rear bumper bar. The addition of the boot lid required
4270-471: Was initially based in the premises of Benford Ltd (who made cement mixers and dumpers) at The Cape in Warwick , but soon moved into an old aircraft components factory on the adjacent Millers Road Industrial Estate. There Healey was joined by Roger Menadue from Armstrong Whitworth to run the experimental workshop and subsequently by his son Geoffrey, who had qualified as an engineer. On 3 July 1963 (not 1961 as
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#17327867889924340-461: Was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war Austin Seven . The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company , with production being undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon . It first went on sale for £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down. When
4410-445: Was introduced with hinged quarterlights and wind-up side windows. Exterior door handles were provided for the first time, with separate door locks. Though the car could now be secured, with a soft-top roof the added protection was limited. The rear suspension was modified from quarter-elliptic to semi-elliptic leaf springs, which gave a more comfortable ride for a near-negligible weight penalty as well as providing additional axle location,
4480-409: Was introduced, this also had front disc brakes to cope with the extra power. The 1100 has 58 hp (43 kW) and could also be fitted with a removable hardtop. The Spider wasn't a mere reshelling, as the entire bulkhead was moved forward to provide longer doors and a more modern look. Unlike the spartan Frogeye, the Spider also had wind-up windows. 4,790 of the 950 Spiders were built, and 2,074 of
4550-486: Was made technical director and responsible for the design of all Triumph cars. He created the Triumph Southern Cross and then the Triumph Dolomite 8 straight-eight sports car in 1935 following his class win, and 3rd overall, in the 1934 Monte Carlo Rally in a Triumph Gloria of his own design —the previous year a train demolished their Dolomite on a foggy level crossing miraculously sparing Healey and his co-driver. Triumph went into liquidation in 1939 but Healey remained on
4620-500: Was presented with the Franco Mazzotti Trophy Coppia Del Mille Miglia. Co driving with Nash. So far the Healeys had all been expensive. Donald Healey wanted to produce a comparatively inexpensive sports car with 100 mph performance. He developed the Austin-Healey 100 using an Austin instead of the Tait developed Riley 2.5-litre engine and gearbox displaying it first at the October 1952 Earls Court motor show in London. The Morris-Austin merger had brought on BMC's decision to phase out
4690-505: Was recorded. The test car cost £678, including taxes of £223. The BMC Competitions Department entered Austin Healey Sprites in major international races and rallies, their first major success coming when John Sprinzel and Willy Cave won their class on the 1958 Alpine Rally . In 1959, the Sprite was introduced to the US market by winning its class in the 12-hour race at Sebring, Florida. Private competitors also competed with much success in Sprites. Because of its affordability and practicality,
4760-485: Was recorded. The test car, which was to de-luxe specification cost £705 including taxes of £208. Engines: The Sprite Mark III was announced in March 1964. It was also marketed as the MG Midget Mark II. Differences between the two were again restricted to minor trim detailing. Although still 1098 cc, the engine had a stronger block casting, and the size of the crankshaft main bearings was increased to two inches (engine code 10CC). A new (slightly) curved-glass windscreen
4830-399: Was so impressed when he saw it on the Healey stand at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show he offered to make it in his own factories under the name Austin-Healey 100 . The result was a 1953 a joint venture which created the Austin-Healey marque with the British Motor Corporation manufacturing the cars and the Healey company doing the designs and running racing operations. The 100 evolved into
4900-402: Was the first design of Tom Tjaarda 's, drawn for Carrozzeria Ghia . Ghia's partner firm OSI built the bodyshells, when the car entered production in early 1961. The original Innocenti 950 Spider had the Frogeye's 948 cc engine with 43 hp (32 kW), 624 of these were built. Later in 1961 an uprated 46.5 hp (35 kW) was installed. In February 1963 the 1098 cc "S" model
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