The Nostalgia of Forgotten Gods: Austin-Healey, UK, 1952-1972

The story of the Austin-Healey brand begins in 1952 when Leonard Lord, president of the Austin Motor Company, decided to partner with Donald Healey, a driver and engineer who had attempted to produce cars under his own name after World War II. The goal was to create quality small sports cars at a relatively affordable price, a dream made possible by the industrial support of the BMC - British Motor Corporation - owner of Austin. A 20-year agreement was signed.

The first car from the newly established Austin-Healey brand is the 100. A pure and simple little sports car that becomes a great success.

The first car that was born was the 100, embodying a pure sports spirit with a weight of just over a ton and a detailed design with a sleek body, often painted in two-tone, leather interiors and optional leather hood straps. Initially, the engine was inherited from the Austin A90, a 4-cylinder 2660cc, while in 1956 with the introduction of the 100-6, a new 2639cc 102hp 6-cylinder engine debuted. The characteristic three-speed transmission with overdrive made it effectively a six-speed. Hence the name 100 (one hundred miles per hour)and six gears.

In 1956, the version with a 6-cylinder engine called the 100-6 debuted, where 100 represents the top speed in miles per hour and 6 the number of gears thanks to the overdrive.

A few years later, in 1958, the second model of Austin-Healey was born: The Sprite, very small and nicknamed "Frog Eye" for its front end that resembles a smiling frog. Derived from the mass-produced Austin A40, it was offered at a low price and targeted at young people. A true spartan roadster with a 948cc 44hp 4-cylinder engine. Healey's sporty spirit also led to the debut of a 100hp sporty coupe version, thanks to the adoption of a Weber carburetor, stripped down and stiffened with a roll bar: A real little beast that also raced at Sebring and Le Mans.

In 1958, the small Sprite debuted. Derived from the Austin A40, it was targeted at young people with an affordable selling price.

The following year saw the light of the most powerful model in Austin-Healey's history, the 3000, named for its 3-liter 150hp engine. Probably thanks to the increase in displacement, the doors to the USA were opened where the car was particularly appreciated, so much so that almost 90% of the little more than 50,000 produced were exported and sold overseas. But the success was not destined to last. Donald Healey left the company in 1968 due to the absorption of BMC by British Leyland and only four years later, in 1972, production ceased. The oil crisis and the end of the twenty-year agreement wiped out Austin-Healey in an instant, which still remains one of the most sought-after cars by collectors today. A brand that deserved a different fate.

The Austin-Healey 3000, the new model with a 3-liter 150hp engine introduced in 1959, was particularly appreciated in the USA where most sales were concentrated.