Lot 210: 1957 Austin-Healey 100-6 Roadster

Some have called the Austin-Healey “a stunt plane for the road” inasmuch as its designer Donald Healey was both a successful automobile racer and a veteran WWI RAF pilot as well as an employee of the Sopwith Aviation Co. famed for their Sopwith Camel airplane. When first debuted in London at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show, Healey’s new car concept, the Healey Hundred, was a major hit. It happened to be powered by an Austin A90 four-cylinder engine.

Healey approached the already well-established Austin Motor Company with his new design as Austin was seeking a car to penetrate the lucrative U.S. market. Austin had been building cars since 1905 and in 1912 had success with the Austin 7, a small, inexpensive vehicle that appealed to a mass market. In 1952 Austin merged with the parent company of Morris to form the British Motor Corporation with Leonard Lord in charge. Having seen and been impressed by the car at the Earls Court show, Lord chose Donald Healey’s concept for a new sports car and a new marque was born, the Austin-Healy.

The first Austin-Healey, the 100-4, utilized the existing plentiful supply of Austin four-cylinder A90 engines, while the next generation, the 100-6, was powered by a 2,634 cc ohv six-cylinder. The 100-6 would gain status as the finest expression of the line, a true sports car. Donald Healey would add to the luster of the Austin-Healey when he recorded a speed of 142.636 mph at Bonneville in the process setting several records in a streamlined version of the car. As of 1957 the street model’s performance benefited from a new a six-port cylinder head and aluminum intake manifold.

Seen here, dressed in white with red leather interior, is a 1957 deluxe model 100-6 that in 1996 underwent a complete frame up restoration and since then has recorded less than 3,000 miles, remaining, as the owner reports, in good condition. Of particular note is the careful attention paid to both the six-cylinder engine compartment and undercarriage. Features include chromed wire wheels shod with Dunlops and an overdrive four-speed manual transmission.

Along with British Motor Industry Heritage Trust documentation, its provenance includes an impressive list of awards including three First Place wins at the Newhope concours. All in all, this car is decidedly “show and go,” a winner both on the show circuit as well as when enjoyed on public roadways.