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Austin-Healey
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| Defunct |
Austin-Healey was a brand of sports car.
The marque was established through a joint venture arrangement set up in 1952 between Leonard Lord of the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and Donald Healey, a renowned automotive engineer and designer.
Austin-Healey produced cars until 1972 when the 20-year agreement 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 BMH) was merged into British Leyland.
Incidentally, the name Austin is now owned by Nanjing who bought the assets of MG Rover Group (British Leyland's successor company) out of bankruptcy in 2005. After Donald Healey sold his original business, Donald Healey Motor Company, the Healey brand was registered to a new firm, Healey Automobile Consultants, which the Healey family sold to HFI Automotive in 2005.
Models built
There were many production models of 'Big' Healeys
- Austin-Healey 100
- 1953 - 1955 BN1 Austin-Healey 100
- 1955 Austin-Healey 100S (Extremely limited production of aluminium bodied race-prepared cars)
- 1955 - 1956 BN2 Austin-Healey 100M (Limited production high performance)
- 1956 - 1957 BN2 Austin-Healey 100-4
- 1956 - 1957 BN4 Austin-Healey 100-6 (2+2 seats)
- 1957 - 1959 BN4 Austin-Healey 100-6 Change to 1 3/4" SU Carbs (2+2 seats)
- 1958 - 1959 BN6 Austin-Healey 100-6 6 Cylinder motor (2 seat)
- Austin-Healey 3000
- 1959 - 1961 BN7 Mark I (2 seat), BT7 Mark I (2+2 seats)
- 1961 - 1962 BN7 Mark II (2 seat), BT7 Mark II (2+2 seats), BJ7 Mark II (2 seat)
- 1962 - 1964 BJ7 Mark II (roll-up windows)
- 1964 - 1967 BJ8 Mark III
- Austin-Healey Sprite
- 1958 - 1960 AN5 Mark I 'Bugeye - US' 'Frogeye - UK'
- After the Bugeye, the AH Sprite was a badge engineered twin to the MG Midget (hence the term 'Spridget'). The MG was aimed slightly upmarket.
- 1961 - 1964 AN6 - AN7 Mark II
- 1964 - 1966 AN8 Mark III (roll-up windows)
- 1966 - 1969 AN9 Mark IV
- 1969 - 1971 AN10 Mark V (UK Only)
Notes
- In 1953 a special streamlined Austin-Healey set several land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.
- The first car for Mattel's 'Barbie' Doll was an Austin-Healey (pink with teal interior).
- Tears for Fears featured an Austin-Healey in their music video Everybody Wants to Rule the World. In that video, singer Curt Smith is featured driving an Austin-Healey through the California desert.
- One of the Taylor's cars on the TV show, Home Improvement.
See also
- Donald Healey Motor Company for the models made by the independent Healey company.
- Nash-Healey for a pre-Austin sports car by Donald Healey.
- Jensen-Healey for a later Donald Healey designed sports car.
