Austin Healey. 1955.

Austin-Healey

Austin-Healey was a british manufacturer of sports cars. The brand was established through an agreement of joint venture, formed in 1952 between Leonard Lord of the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Healey Motor Company Donald , a renowned engineering company and design cars.

Austin-Healey cars were produced until 1972, when the agreement of 20 years between Healey and Austin came to an end. Donald Healey left the company in 1968 when British Motor Holdings (BMC had merged with Jaguar Cars in 1966 to form EQUIPMENT) was merged with British Leyland . Healey joined Jensen Motors who had been making bodies for the " big Healeys "since their inception in 1952, and became its president in 1972.

Models built

Austin-Healey 100

Main article: Austin-Healey 100

• 1953-1955 BN1 Austin-Healey 100
• 1955 Austin-Healey 100S (production-50 race cars prepared Limited)
• 1955-1956 BN2 Austin-Healey 100 and 100 million

Austin-Healey 100-6

Main article: Austin-Healey 100-6

• 1956-1957 BN4 Austin-Healey 100-6 (2 +2 roadster)
• 1957-1959 BN4 Austin-Healey 100-6 Change to 1 ^3/4 - inch SU carbs (2 +2 roadster)
• 1958-1959 BN6 Austin-Healey 100-6 6-cylinder (2-seater roadster)

Austin-Healey 3000

Main article: Austin-Healey 3000

• 1959-1961 BN7 Mark I (roadster 2-seater), BT7 Mark I (2 +2 roadster)
• 1961-1962 BN7 Mark II (roadster 2-seater), BT7 Mark II (2 +2), BJ7 Mark II roadster 2 seater)
• 1962-1964 BJ7 Mark II (convertible)
• 1964-1967 BJ8 Mark III (convertible)

Austin-Healey Sprite

Main article: Austin-Healey Sprite

• 1958-1960 AN5 Mark I (US: "Bugeye"; Uk: "Frogeye")
• After the Bugeye, the AH Sprite was a badge double designed for the MG Midget (hence the term "spridget"). The MG was aimed slightly upmarket, and as there was no midget bugeye, the numbers of "dial" is offset by 1, for example, with the exception of the shields and price a fully optioned Mk II Sprite was identical to a base level Mk I Midget.
• 1961-1964 AN6-AN7 Mark II
• 1964-1966 AN8 Mark III (windows roll-up)
• 1966-1969 AN9 Mark IV
• 1969-1971 AN10 Mark V (Uk only)

Racing

The Austin Healey was extensively raced by the Donald Healey Motor Company in Europe at Le Mans and in Sebring in the U.S., at the rallies classic by the department of competitions of BMC, and was recognized from the beginning by the Club Sports Car of America (SCCA) . Models Healey competed in racing club in D, E, F, and production classes, winning national championships in both D and E Production. The last big Healey to win a National Championship SCCA was the class E Production Austin-Healey 100-6 driven by Alan Barker at the Daytona ARRC in 1965.

In 1953, a special streamlined Austin-Healey set several land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.UU..

Successors

The name Austin is now owned by Nanjing who bought the assets of MG Rover Group (successor company to British Leyland) out of bankruptcy in 2005. After Donald Healey sold his original business, Donald Healey Motor Company , the mark Healey was registered in the name of a new firm, Healey Consultants of Automobiles , that the family Healey sold to HFI Automotive in 2005.

In June 2007, Nanjing and Healey Automobile Consultants / HFI Automotive signed a collaborative agreement that aims to recreate the tents Austin Healey Healey and along to MG of NAC. No timeline has been given as to when the marks and Healey Austin-Healey will return, although MG will be back in the market of China and the Uk at the end of the year.