This 100M’s accompanying British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate shows that it was despatched on 16th June 1956 to the USA and confirms that it left the factory as a genuine 100M (or 'Le Mans') model. The car was located for the vendor at The Healey Werks of Lawton, Iowa. It was shipped back to the UK in 2002 and converted from left- to right-hand drive when restored by MPH Ltd of Blockley, the rebuild being completed in June 2004.
MPH completely stripped the Healey and restored it from the chassis upwards. The original shade of Reno Red was found beneath the right-hand drive steering column aperture blanking plate, which ensured the colour was correct when repainted.
Records are available of all the work done in restoration and subsequently on the car, which has been regularly maintained, with any major work done by Denis Welch Motorsport or John Chatham Cars, both of whom are recognised Austin-Healey specialists.
Most recently, the car was serviced at John Chatham Cars in September 2021. New 6V batteries were fitted in 2021. The car has always been garaged and in winter is stored in a Carcoon inside the garage.
The car is described by the vendor as in excellent condition. The vendor has had a great time both using and working on the car over the years, but recently poor health has made it impossible for him to drive the car regularly. He says:
‘I had a job away from home which paid well and as it was running up to my retirement I decided to buy a classic car. The Austin Healey was British, had no wood in its construction, was ‘large’ where a Midget is ‘small’. And it was powerful and fast enough for regular use. I sought a 100M if I could find one.
‘I have suffered poor health since I had a heart bypass operation in January 2020 and have been unable to drive the car any distance as a result. and I can no longer work on it. Its mileage has been negligible since and the car does not do well to stand idle. I would like to think that it will be moved on to someone who will enjoy using it. It was never an investment, it was always for fun both looking after, to improve drivability and of course driving.
‘It came back to the UK complete with a lot of rust and some bullet holes! In 2002 it was the only 100M that we could find at the time. The car was fully restored on its return from the USA, the restoration took two years. After having to be mended after a fire which took place on its first run around the route routinely used by new Healeys built at the Cape Works it went straight off for the first of three visits to Classic Le Mans. It took part in the Parade Des Pilotes on the Friday before the race in 2006.
‘The reason the carburettor overflows are not piped into the cold air box is because the float valves were kept open by debris and pumped fuel into the air box where it ignited due to a spit back caused by an ignition fault. Fuel filters have since been fitted before the fuel pump and before the carburettors in order to stop any dirt getting into the float chambers.
‘However my wife was made nervous by the fire and we decided to direct any overflow to ground from then on. The original overflow pipes are in the spares box and the risk is virtually nil that the same thing could re-occur, but just in case there are two fire extinguishers in the car which have never had to be used of course! The record of spending is in the documents box as is the photographic record of the restoration.
‘The car is in great condition after use over my 20 years of ownership during which it has been kept dry in winter in a Carcoon inside a garage and has been regularly serviced. There are one or two blemishes as you might expect as the car has been used up until three years ago.
‘A record of all the work done on the car is in the documents file. I have recently had the radiator re-cored after it sprung a leak due to the mounting of the Kenlowe fan – something that has been corrected during a thorough service at John Chatham Cars in September 2021. The batteries have been replaced since and the car is running beautifully and everything works as it should. I have always reacted to a problem to keep the car functioning 100%.
There is a list of the modifications that have been made in the documents with the car, all of which improve its usability. Good front disc brakes, side exhaust outlet to stop the tailpipe hitting the ground, large radiator and Kenlowe fan to stop engine overheating, Michelin XAS radial tyres, and heat insulation make it comfortable even on a hot day, the 60 spoke wheels prevent the problem of 48 spoke wheels breaking up and were a period option.
‘The engine that came back with the car is not original and is in fact older. Engine components that have changed include the pistons, the cylinder head, the camshaft, the rocker and sump covers and the exhaust. The oil pipe to the oil pump and the oil gauge have been replaced with braided pipes to minimise risk of breaking and leakage. A spin-on oil filter, an alternator, quieter five bladed fan, and a split steering column.
‘There is a 3.9:1 ratio back axle. The vacuum advance was removed and the advance mechanism locked to ensure correct ignition timing over the full range of engine revs. That was done on the advice of a Jeremy Welch at Denis Welch Motors who provided most of the parts and work on the car before we moved to Bristol, and it cured a problem with pinking and overrun after switching off. The carburettors are original – there are no ticklers so that the pressure in the air box could be equalised by the overflow tubes.
‘All Austin Healeys are special. We made sure that the original paint colours were used and over my years of ownership all the work done on the car has made it better than the original specification. It can be an everyday car – as long as it is not raining too hard! The hood leaks rain in along the top of the windscreen – every 100 is the same in that respect. It is a great drive and the extra power of the Le Mans version with the raised compression ratio gives quite a kick!
If the car is looked after properly it will look after you. It has proved reliable and usable for me.’
