Lot 315: 1961 Austin Healey 3000 Mk. II 2+2

The big Healeys are amongst the most magnificent British cars ever to have been rallied, capturing public imagination and international recognition alike. They were big, powerful, brutish, but what is more, they delivered the goods. It was in the late Fifties that Austin Healey really began to make its presence felt in international rallying. At first there were the Sprites but the 'Big Healey', in the hands of both private owners as well as works drivers, came to the fore. In the first summer of rallying, in 1959, a Big Healey was second overall in the German Rally and second in category in the Alpine. The cars won numerous class and team awards in that first year and continued to do so for the next few years, heralding the dawning of the golden age that British rallying was to enjoy in the Sixties, the fast, hairy-chested, good-looking cars paving the way. For instance, in 1960 a Healey was first overall in the 84 hour, Liege-Rome-Liege Marathon de la Route, second in the Alpine Rally and second and third in the RAC Rally. The results continued on into the following year; the Morley twins won the Alpine outright and were awarded with the only Coupe des Alpes, while other major results included a second in the RAC Rally and in 1962 another outright victory in the Alpine. The trend continued on into 1963 and in 1964 when a Healey won the Marathon for the first time, the last one held as a road event, as well as coming home first on the Tulip. Originally supplied to the home market and complete with correct the Heritage Certificate, this extremely fine specimen of Austin Healey's Big Healey was specified to include a heater, overdrive, disc brakes and an adjustable steering column. It has had just three owners recorded from new, the first of whom kept the car right up until 2002. He restored it back in the late 1990s/early 2000s but decided to sell it, with 90% of the work completed, to the second owner in March 2002. Mr Francois Cherrier then picked up the baton, completed the restoration and sold it to the vendor, Mrs Julia Howorth. Old MoT test certificates dating back to 2002 accompany the car as well as a current one valid to April 2008. Additional refinements include wire wheels, a tonneau cover and a soft top, while a file of invoices detail what is a sound and well presented Austin Healey.