Background
Inspired by a BMC-sponsored competition for an all new sports car using Austin-based mechanical components, Donald Healey presented his “Hundred” roadster to great acclaim at the 1952 Earl’s Court (London) Motor Show. With its sleek envelope-style body designed by Gerry Coker, chassis by Barry Bilbie, and engineering led by Geoff Healey, the new roadster attracted the favor of BMC’s Leonard Lord. Quickly renamed “Austin-Healey 100,” series production of the new car commenced early in 1953 and it immediately took place as an unqualified sports car legend, especially in the crucial North American export markets.
While awaiting the start of “Hundred” production by BMC, Donald Healey commissioned a small batch of pre-production examples for motor shows and high-profile racing events to generate additional excitement. In particular, the four BN1 models race-prepared by Donald Healey and Roger Menadue were the first Austin-Healeys ever prepared for international competition. Following an ill-starred Mille Miglia, where a broken throttle linkage forced a Healey’s early retirement, four cars entered the 1953 24-Hours of Le Mans. While mildly prepared and even retaining their factory bumpers and windscreens, two of the Austin-Healeys finished the grueling race 12th and 14th overall – an outstanding achievement for such a new car in the face of an armada of much more powerful competitors including Cunningham, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Talbot-Lago.
Healey’s four 1953 Le Mans works-entered cars were also designated “special test cars” and predated the all-out 100S competition cars. They also influenced the 640 units of BN2-based 100M “Le Mans” models produced in 1955 and 1956 in celebration of the Austin-Healey’s Le Mans debut. A rakish, cut-down windscreen and a beautifully louvered bonnet secured by a genuine Le Mans-regulation leather retaining strap visually distinguished these factory-produced cars, while mechanical upgrades included a high-lift camshaft, larger 1 ¾-inch SU carburetors, high-compression pistons, a free-flowing intake manifold, a cold air intake box, and a special ignition distributor. As modified, output of the 2.6-liter inline-four rose from 90 to 110 factory-rated horsepower, which exploited the lightweight, race-bred Healey chassis, while the addition of larger anti-roll bars delivered noticeably sharper handling in 100M form.
A constant threat in British and European racing from launch, the Austin-Healey and its more potent variants were a constant threat at Sebring, placing highly there during the 1950s in the hands of Stirling Moss, John Colgate, and Canada’s Ed Leavens. In American SCCA competition, the early-production Austin-Healey 100 and its variants were constant threats in D-Production, with the cars remaining in front-line use long after many of their on-track foes had already retired.
