Austin-Healey Car And The History Of It Parts 1

picture Austin Healey

Austin Healey was a British sports car maker. 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.

Picture Austin Healey 100

In the early 1950s, Donald Healey was hand-manufacturing a few cars in a small workshop. He showed a car, called the Healey 100, at the Earl's Court Motor Show, where it was seen by Leonard Lord, head of British Motor Corporation's Austin division. When he saw how well the Healey 100 was liked by the public, he approached Healey with a proposal for Austin to manufacture the car in larger quantities. The result was the Austin Healey 100.

Picture Austin Healey 100

With the introduction of the Austin Healey 100, the joint venture was off to a good start. The original design was manufactured from 1953 to 1955. In 1955, minor cosmetic and performance changes were made to the original 100. 1956 and 1957 saw some other cosmetic changes, including the conversion to a 2+2 seating configuration and a change to a larger carburetor. 1958 saw the introduction of a six-cylinder Austin Healey 100.

Picture Austin Healey 3000

The first Austin Healey 3000 was built in 1959. Although it was a four-seater stock, it could be bought as a two-seater as well. It sported a 2912cc six-cylinder engine, and came with an overdrive gearbox and innovative front disc brakes. The Healey 3000 had a top speed of around 115 mph and could reach 60 mph in 11.7 seconds. Because it was so lightweight, it got 21.6 miles per gallon of fuel.

Picture Austin Healey 3000

The 1950s also saw a down-market version of the MG Midget, introduced as the Austin Healey Sprite. This small car was very simple, not terribly fast, but fun and very easy to maintain. 

 

Source: http://austin-healey-cars.blogspot.com/2010/04/austin-healey-cars-and-history-of-it.html