1966 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII Phase II

We know from a British Motor Heritage Trust certificate that this originally LHD car was completed on 22.4.66 and, on 30.5.66, it was exported new to Compton, California.

It was ‘Ivory White’ with a black hood and black ‘Ambla’ trim, and it came with wire wheels, overdrive, an adjustable steering column, a laminated windscreen, road ‘speed’ tyres, and a heater.

By 1992 it was back in this country and registered with the DVLA.

There are plenty of invoices and bills attesting to work carried out from the early-to-mid 2000s, but we can’t find anything that points to an exact time and place when the car became a RHD version.

It is being sold by the last owners daughter, as part of his estate, and this we think partly explains why neither we nor the family have been able to track down all of the car’s history over the years.

That said, it should be evidently clear to anyone who sees this car in the flesh (or in the photography section) that it is in very good condition indeed, as befits a vehicle that spent the first 26 years of its life blissfully unaware of such abject horrors as snow, sleet or salt.

We know that it has been stored for a considerable amount of time and that, today, the 5-digit odometer reads 3,742 miles (which may or may not suggest an actual mileage of 103,742).

In 2006, it was recorded as reading 2,416 miles.

Clearly, then, it’s been leading a pretty sedentary life in recent years.

The car starts on the button and goes, handles and stops as you would hope and expect of a properly curated and cared-for example.

The car presents very well indeed and the bodywork is free of any dents, creases, warps or other faults of note that we can see anywhere.

The black vinyl folding roof looks to be in very good order, fits snugly and goes up and down as it should. The roof storage compartment cover and tonneau are equally good.

There is a barely perceptible shallow dink towards the base of the o/s/r wing.

The shut lines and panel gaps are as crisp and consistent as anything than came out of Abingdon in the 1960s, although the driver’s door requires a firm hand to close properly.

The car’s chrome-work is mostly OK, but it’s not perfect.

The nearside headlamp surround is foxed and pitted, and the rear bumper has a few spots here and there, too.

The chromed wire wheels look pretty good to us and the matching Fulda Y-2000 tyres appear to have a decent amount of tread left in them.

There are a couple of cracks to the paint around the air intake grille on the bonnet and a little paint has rubbed away just below the chrome door capping on the driver’s side.

The after-market door-mounted wing mirrors (their positioning helps preserve the long lines of the bonnet as well as offering a decidedly handy safety feature) are in fine fettle, as are the lights, lenses, badging and other exterior fixtures and fittings.

The rubber trim beneath the windscreen is cracked in a few places.

The black upholstery with red piping looks really very well-preserved, front and back.

Save for a few scuffs on the driver’s seat outer bolster, there are barely any creases in evidence let alone any ingrained patina of the sort you might expect to find in a car of this vintage.

The passenger seat squab is loose and needs re-attaching.

The carpets and mats look untroubled by the passage of time, except in the driver’s footwell, where they are chiefly notable by their absence.

Reassuringly though, the painted metal exposed where the carpets and mats would normally be looks solid and sound.

The wood veneers on the dashboard look rich and glossy – and they’ve bravely resisted the usual temptations to crack or shed their lacquer.

The steering wheel, handbrake, switches, dials, instruments, knobs, levers and toggles all look fine and, as far as we know, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

The rubber gaiter at the base of the gear lever has come adrift and will need looking at.

The boot is as good as the rest of it and contains some tools, a spare wheel and various covers.

The engine bay is particularly fresh-looking.

All seems to be in its right and proper place, and everything looks clean and dry.

A fair few shinier, newer (well, newer than 1966 at any rate) parts can be seen.

The undersides of the car look pretty solid from what we can see, and we’ve not encountered anything that’s prompted us to tut or shake our heads.

Clearly, you’ll want to see for yourself and reach your own conclusion.

There are plenty of receipts, bills and invoices with the car attesting to work carried out over the years and proving that its fine condition today is no accident – it’s been properly looked-after.

It seems that a fair bit of restorative work was undertaken around 20 years and, in 2007, the gearbox was stripped down, overhauled and entirely rebuilt.

The car comes with various manuals, guides and handbooks, full sets of keys, an array of old MoT certificates and tax discs, a recent, clear HPI report and a V5C.

Yes, there are some incomplete parts to the car’s history, and not least because we have no idea what it was doing in the US for 26 years (besides avoiding unpleasant weather or anything that might threaten it with oxidisation).

The BMIHT certificate is certainly reassuring, as is the two-owner provenance during its time in the UK.

Most reassuring of all, however, is the obvious fact of its condition, which is by any reasonable and relevant measure... absolutely excellent.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £30,000 - £35,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.