Another dealer installed 100 Le Mans!!

[DerekJ]

This one puts out 250bhp - according to the seller that is! Which, quite frankly, is absurd.:highly_amused:

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C614210

 

[HealeyRick]

Ad says "lightweight camshafts." Twin-cam head must be the secret to 250 hp.

 

[red57]

Looks can be deceiving but that sure doesn't look like a $35000/250hp motor to me.

 

[pan]

250 hp on H4 SUs!! What is his secret?

 

[bighealeysource]

Like to have seen the "national concourse (his spelling) winning car valued at 200,000 pounds" or about $320,000. Think he meant $200,000 and never understand why someone would spend that much money to build up an obviously nice 100 LeMans and not stick with at least an original color combo. Oh well, was the owner's money so he be the one to pick out his color combo !

 

[Michael Oritt]

Pan asked: "250 hp on H4 SUs!! What is his secret?"


Go over to the "Racing Healey Page" and you'll see discussion about a 100-6 for sale that came with an "Overhead Cam" engine.

/www.classicdriver.com/en/car/austin-healey/bn6/1958/329491

This car must obviously have installed the 4-cylinder prototype of that engine--hence all the HP.

 

[andrewss]

With all due respect... even with HD8's he would never get 250HP !!!! but as they say 'one is born everyday' so I guess it will sell !!!

 

[DerekJ]

Overhead cam! So funny, I missed that in the ad. It is a nice car though. (the lobelia blue car).

The fastest racing 100s here in the UK are putting out around 160bhp - 170bhp I believe.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Just relocate your camshaft to where the rocker shaft is currently located, get rid of all those unnecessary pushrods and rocker arms and you will immediately double your HP.

 

[busybrit]

I been wondering how much power my Healey has, and now I know. 250hp not bad eh,,

 

[HealeyRick]

It's now on Bring A Trailer: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1954-austin-healey-100m-lemans-bn11/

 

[HealeyRick]

It's now on Bring A Trailer: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1954-austin-healey-100m-lemans-bn11/

Only reached a bid of $48,750. Hard to tell if the price was hurt by its non-original colors or hyperbolic (thanks, CLEAH) description. The comments are worth a read. As BaT says about its auctions: [h=2]The community vets each listing[/h]

There’s an open commenting system on each listing, backed by a deep community of experts. It’s hard to sneak things past our readers, which means bidders know just what they’re buying.


​

 

[CLEAH]

Rick,

I was happy when this auction finally ended because the longer it went, the weirder it got. Unfortunately the seller seemed to be winging the descriptions, and even when corrected he went on to make more zingers, culminating in his claim that a dealer of million dollar Astons and Ferraris said if it was on his lot, he would ask $150k. Bizarre.

 

[Editor_Reid]

The high bid achieved - $48,750 - was at least market correct for a "nice driver" BN1, and for one in peculiar colors such as this one, it was actually a bit generous.

It is yet another example of the folly of painting one in non-original color(s). I cringe every time I read someone advise an owner to "Paint it whatever color you want - after all, it's YOUR car!" Those who indulge themselves in this way and paint their Healey a non-original color(s), often regret following that pseudo wisdom, and they're frustrated when it comes time to sell and the market speaks.

Choose an original color that you like, and you'll thank me later.

 

[Gearhead_Garage]

What I want to know is how that car won a 3rd place at Gettysburg. I have been told that the purist police are quite strong there and this car was far from stock. Additionally, it had some obvious flaws that I could see in the auction pictures.

The car is very nice and the maroon paint is striking. That counts for local shows but for the Healey Club Concours where I would presume the best of the best would attend, I would not have expected that car to be in the top 3.

And yes, BAT gave him the business but there are some people that just beg for it. The seller apparently bought the hype that some restorer sold him and was unwilling to listen to logic or the better informed community.

And BAT needs to hire a real car guy to vet their auctions. That would help prevent these turkeys from getting basted.

 

[DerekJ]

Glenn,

The Healey 'concours' in which he came third is just a popularity contest. Nothing to do with originality. Everybody there gets a vote. There is a totally separate section where a few individual cars are scrutinised in great detail by the experts. That is run by the North American Concours Committee and results in Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. Or nothing at all.

 

[Healey 100]

Looks like many of you don't remember this little Healey sale a few years ago: https://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1962-austin-healey-3000-mk-ii-bn7-tri-carb/ . So much for presenting one in original colors. Kurt Tanner has also sold quite a few examples of pricey non-original color Healeys.

I'm not sure auction sales indicate much of anything about the real market values of collector cars, it all depends on who happens to be in the audience at the moment and the visual appeal of the car. A couple of rich old guys in the room with younger trophy wives who like the car can bid anything out of the park.

I prefer original colors myself, though I think the burgundy/white combo works fairly well. I have seen it on a few other Healeys.

 

[DerekJ]

Oh dear. $200,000 for that car. Somebody is sitting on a big loss unless they can find two rich old guys even more stupid than they were.