John Turney said:
Yes and yes. It also means we don't have to straighten and rechrome them.
I don't care about lightening too much (I'm not trying to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the thing), but mainly for aesthetics, and the fact that you don't have to hassle with re-chroming is a nice bonus.
Something else to consider. Back then, in the olden days of car design, designers sketched bodies without bumpers. Bumpers then became a design-interrupting add-on, a compromise, a distraction. Oh sure, some bumpers are graceful and pleasing, but generally speaking, a Healey without them is pure and looks better, in my opinion.