1955 Austin Healey 100 BN1

After one failed attempt in 2016 to buy a 4 x cyl Healey from one time Austin Healey and Mini racer Don Holland who at the time was undertaking a large restoration on a BN1, it was sold unfinished to the Healey Factory in Melbourne who completed the restoration and offered for sale … but this car pictured below is NOT Don's old car

BN1227125 as purchased by me from the Healey Factory May 2018 (no plates not included)

Don’s car was subsequently offered for sale at $125,000 and two similar cars at this time (2018) were also available for sale from Classic Throttle Shop ($155k) and the Gosford Car Museum ($125k) and all three cars were Carmine red and all had BN2 gearbox updates (4 speed) and front disc brakes fitted which I don’t consider necessary and the early Healey’s 100’s are a touring sports car and are all have overdrive when built which effectively gives the 3 speed gearbox multiple ratio’s.

However I still had a strong desire to own one of these most desirable 1st series 4 x cylinder cars in a condition as close as practical to standard factory specifications as possible so after considerable research I came up with chassis number BN 1227125 in Melbourne which was recorded as built in July 1955 according to the Heritage Certificate and was for sale as traded in at the Healey Factory who are Australia’s leading used Healey dealers who said the car was subject to an earlier restoration but not by them and a few little things required attention … no problem for me.

I shipped it to Sydney, removed the luggage rack - changed the steering wheel for a new 15" Motolita period woodrim to see the guages and tidied up a couple of other little things including a new clutch and linkages - new rear springs as it was sagging a little bit … a brand new spare tyre and changes to the lights so the front parking lenses became amber indicators and the rear reflectors became amber indicators (the previous factory system was dangerous) and fitted a late model Japanese starter motor plus another few little bits and pieces icluding re-shaping the exhaust pipe end after removing the chrome tip.

Luggage rack and earlier leather steering wheel have since been removed but still available if car is sold

Mechanically the car is 100% helped by a couple of inconspicuous later specification modifications including power assisted brakes, transistorised ignition, multi blade cooling fan, ceramic plated exhaust extractors, alternator and a late model Japanese starter motor which is a definite improvement plus a louvered 100M Le Mans spec bonnet with period strap but otherwise the car is factory specification including drum brakes and 3 x speed O/D gearbox (overall 5 x gears ratio's) and these updates are sensible.

Cylinder block exchanged for later BN2 block at the lrecent rebuild as the engine is 100% and appears to be more powerfull so maybe some internal modifications were done as well

It is my understanding from the Healey Factory the car was a full back to chassis and back to metal respray including underbody etc and a mechanical rebuild a few years ago but has done very few miles since..

I have added a larger MotoLita wheel to view the instruments

BRIEF HISTORY

• 1955 sold in UK as a personal export car to Melbourne’s John Roxburgh who toured Europe in it briefly before shipping it to Melbourne but it was never raced
• Roxburgh was a well-known car racer in the 1960’s and he became President of CAMS 1977-82 in his later years
• Unknown history until 1980's but presume Roxburgh then purchased by David McIntyre and owned by him for a long time and he eventually had it totally restored
• Car now re-registered in NSW on Historic number plates which are non transferable
• Insured with Shannon’s agreed value $95,000 and after my recent improvements I am considering raising this value more realistically
• Original red hard cover Healey 100 BN1 Owners Service manual
• 5 stud rear axles … a well known upgrade
• Car also has near new hood, side curtains and a full tonneau cover all in very good order and 12 volt cigar lighter plug under the dash for a portable GPS or phone charger etc
• Heritage Certificate number 2018/2293 issued to me by British Motor Industry Heritage Trust – Certified copy of factory record