NEC classic car show UK - 3 works Healey 3000s on AH club stand

[Jeepster]

I visited the NEC classic car show this Friday in Birmingham UK.

One of the highlights were the three works BMC rally 3000s on the Austin Healey club stand that club somehow managed to organise. They also had members of the BMC works team and drivers.

These cars competed in the 1964 Liege rally which was won by Rauno Aaltonen and Tony Ambrose.

I was lucky enough to gain access to the stand and have a good look around the cars in some detail so thought I would post a few pics.

 

[Jeepster]

More pics

 

[Jeepster]

I also spotted "Kit" the knight rider car driven by " the Hoff" and the " back to the future" Deloreon.

 

[catfood]

I was there on Friday as well. Highlight for me was the 'Jaguar' SS1 that had been in the same family since 1937...

and a pair of superb Austin Atlantics....

JME also had a bodyless BN1 on their stand which was a great opportunity for me to take a few pictures of where the wiring loom and electrical bits and bobs are properly positioned.

 

[simon1966]

Steve, thanks very much for posting these photos. I am especially interested in the naked 100 as I will soon be embarking on my restoration of a right hand drive car in blue no-less. I would love to see the additional photos if you are willing to share them? I can send you my email address via PM if you are willing.

Thanks very much
Simon

 

[catfood]

Simon,

Feel free to drop me a PM and I'll send them through.

 

[Gliderman8]

Steve- Thanks for posting those pics. I've never seen an Austin Atlantic before..... what a stately car!

 

[AUSMHLY]

Wow, what a treat today. Thanks Jeepster and catfood for posting those photo.
I've always been interested in the works cars. Seems there were different models. Example, Jeepster's 7th photo, notice the large flare/lip on the front wings.

 

[DerekJ]

I think that ARX 92B is actually in the configuration in which it was prepared for the 1968 RAC Rally. It was running in the prototype class and that is why it has minilites and various other unusual modifications. It also had a full aluminium engine. The event was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease so the car never competed in this state.

 

[stuntflyr]

I love that spoiler boot lid, always thought it incongruous for the vintage of the design and that made it cool. The hardtop looks like it's from outer space too. It's a wild looking car with the Bugeye headlight add-on's, and is that center light directional? Too much.
Chris...

 

[catfood]

The Austin Atlantic was the reason we have Big Healeys. Austin built it for the American market but you guys didn't like it and it flopped. This left Austin with a warehouse full of engines with no car to put it in. Luckly Donald Healey needed a cheap and available supply of engines for his new Healey 100. The rest is history...

 

[HealeyRick]

I love that spoiler boot lid, always thought it incongruous for the vintage of the design and that made it cool. The hardtop looks like it's from outer space too. It's a wild looking car with the Bugeye headlight add-on's, and is that center light directional? Too much.
Chris...

Not a spoiler, Chris, but an extension so they could fit two spares in the boot. Racers do what they gotta do, kind of like the trunk on the FIA Cobra that was modified because FIA mandated a trunk be able to fit a designated size suitcase:

 

[HealeyRick]

Thanks as well to Jeepster and Catfood for posting these great pics. Here's a link to a slideshow of 17 more pics of these cars that was posted on the mail list:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/1126454...6082617063475907250&oid=112645469514922080772

 

[CLEAH]

I think that ARX 92B is actually in the configuration in which it was prepared for the 1968 RAC Rally. It was running in the prototype class and that is why it has minilites and various other unusual modifications. It also had a full aluminium engine. The event was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease so the car never competed in this state.

Derek, do you know if ARX still has its aluminum engine? I read that its engine was removed at one point because it is not suitable for daily driving with finicky warm up procedures. Also, it must have gotten its ARX reg back, as it had been changed a few times I think.

 

[BBH]

Looking very closely at the picture of BMO, this is the first time I have seem headlight washer jets on a works car.

 

[blueskies]

Thanks as well to Jeepster and Catfood for posting these great pics. Here's a link to a slideshow of 17 more pics of these cars that was posted on the mail list:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/1126454...6082617063475907250&oid=112645469514922080772

Healey Rick, or anyone else - what is the color designation of the cars in these 17 pics? Is this Colorado Red or ??

 

[DerekJ]

The aluminium engine still exists but is not in the car at the moment, I've forgotten the reason why, whether it is just to preserve it or whether there are other issues. I'll ask Paul Woolmer the next time I see him. He maintains the car, which is usually at the Goodwood Festival of Speed every year doing demonstration runs on the Rally Stage that Goodwood has created.

 

[HealeyRick]

Healey Rick, or anyone else - what is the color designation of the cars in these 17 pics? Is this Colorado Red or ??

I'm afraid I don't really know, but since they're BJ8s, I'm guessing it's Colorado Red. If no one answers here, try posting your question on the UK forum, you might find someone with a connection to the cars: https://healey.hyperboards.com/

 

[simon1966]

According to the Austin-Healey 100, 100-6, 3000 Restoration Guide By Gary G. Anderson"Most works rally cars were painted Signal Red or later Tartan Red, which was less orange than Colorado Red, but these shades weren't used on production cars" which makes perfect sense as these colors were BMC works colors not AH colors.

 

[Jeepster]

According to the Austin-Healey 100, 100-6, 3000 Restoration Guide By Gary G. Anderson"Most works rally cars were painted Signal Red or later Tartan Red, which was less orange than Colorado Red, but these shades weren't used on production cars" which makes perfect sense as these colors were BMC works colors not AH colors.

I seem to remember the works mini coopers were all tartan red so I imagine that was the same colour for the 3000s.

Came across a Bonhams auction web page from 2005 listing BMO selling for £100,000. I wonder what it's worth today when you consider that some standard BJ8s have an asking price of near that?