1954 Austin Healey 100/4 Roadster
The Austin-Healey 100 is a sports car that was built from 1953 until 1956.
14,634 Austin-Healey 100s were produced Based on Austin A90 Atlantic mechanicals, it was developed by Donald Healey to be produced in-house by his small Healey car company in Warwick.
Healey built a single Healey Hundred for the 1952 London Motor Show; the design impressed Leonard Lord, managing director of Austin, who was looking for a replacement for the unsuccessful Austin A90.
The Body styling was by Gerry Coker, and Barry Bilbie designed the chassis. Leonard Lord negotiated a deal with Donald Healey to build it in quantity; Jensen Motors made the bodies, Austin mechanical components were used and assembled at Austin’s Longbridge factory.
The car was renamed the Austin-Healey 100. The “100” was named by Healey for the car’s ability to reach 100 mph (160 km/h); its successor, the better known Austin-Healey 3000, was named for the 3000 cc displacement of its engine. Apart from the first twenty cars, production Austin-Healey 100s were finished at Austin’s plant alongside the A90 and based on fully trimmed and painted body/chassis units produced by Jensen in West Bromwich.
This particular Austin Healey 100/4 was delivered new to the USA in 1954 and was subject to an under bonnet fire, so the car was garaged and never used.
The original 2660cc straight 4-cylinder engine has been repainted and sits in a tidy engine compartment. It is unclear if the motor was rebuilt during restoration, however it makes good power and the seller guess that it has been rebuilt at some point. The 4 speed transmission with the factory overdrive works properly and the steering is reported to be very responsive. The seller has noted that one or two of the brake cylinders are dragging slightly, and that one of the lever shocks needs rebuilding. In addition, the kingpins are said to have a bit of play, and there is a very slight drip from one of the carburetors.
The interior was also refurbished during the restoration process and features a period-correct banjo steering wheel and gauges. The soft top shows some signs of wear and needs replacing, while side curtains are said to be in very good condition. The side curtains however are in very good condition.
The black leather seats are in good condition with no tears evident. The carpets appear taut and in good condition overall, and aluminum door sills and trim are in good shape as well.
Fitted with highly sporting coachwork, Austin-Healeys were and still are extremely attractive. With their sleek folding windshields, these roadsters had the look of great touring cars, which consequently they were by almost every definition. Spartan interiors created a racy atmosphere in the cockpit and the engine, though a modest four-cylinder, provided ample power that few complained about.
If one were to look up “Trailer Queen” in a dictionary of automotive terms, this car would be listed under ‘antonyms’ of that definition. Built on the last day of August, 1954 and finished in Old English, the 100 was delivered new to the United States.
