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Joe_Healey
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1952 Nash Healey Lightweight
- Thread starter Joe_Healey
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Looks like one of the Le Mans cars.
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This is from a letter Roger Menadue wrote me about this car:
"The Specials are nearly all cars that I made for Donald. I made about 300 cars in all; the prototypes of all the cars that went into production during the 30-odd years that we [the Donald Healey Motor Company] existed. I also made all of the race cars and the record breakers, including the Salt Flats cars. When I say I made these cars, I had a young Scots lad as my assistant as a lot of work on building a car requires two people.
"I was always interested in cars, so I did a seven-year apprenticeship in a garage, and when I finished I went on to Coventry, and in the 1920s Coventry was the centre of the British car industry. There I was employed by Triumph as a road tester. After 3 years I went to "5.5. Cars," also as a road tester. They are now known as Jaguar. I then did two years with Armstrong Siddeley Aircraft working on bombers, and the war came on and I was "frozen" - I wasn't allowed to leave. Towards the end of the war, Donald and I made our first car in our spare time.
"In 1950, Donald asked me how would I like to make a car for Le Mans. I replied that I would love to make a car for Le Mans. We would not win Le Mans, but we would give the opposition an awful fright and that was exactly what we did. In a field of 62 cars, we finished in fourth place. [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey driven by Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton, beating all but two Talbots and an Allard.]
"The following year, 1951, we finished in 6th place [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey Coupe, again driven by Rolt and Hamilton.] This was still good for Le Mans, to finish is something of a feat. I believed that you had to study a car when you were building it, and that paid off. I have, on several times when things got a little tense at some race or other, in the pits said to the other driver or Geoff Healey that I was not at all worried. That my car was not going to let me down and they would not, they have any say in the building, either. They had been built with understanding, and this one learns during apprenticeship and paying attention.
ā"In 1952, I was able to do what everyone said was impossible. I built a Le Mans race car to replace the car that I had prepared for the 1952 Le Mans 24 hour race and that Donald Healey had completely written off. With less than 2 weeks to go, I said that I could make another car, body and all. Donald and Geoffrey both said, "Impossible," nobody could build a Le Mans race car complete with body in less than two weeks. I said, "Maybe not but I can.ā They said āDonāt be ridiculousā I said. āYou two will not have any say in the building, either. I canāt have people arguing, it will never get done.ā They knew they couldnāt argue with me and had to give in. They were furious especially Donald, and more so when I had that car ready on time. But worse was to follow. In the race, my car beat every other car in the race including one of the 3 works Mercedes. I beat the Ferraris, the Jaguars, Aston Martins, Cunninghams, Talbots, you name them. I beat them and Donald was furious. He wouldn't allow a picture of that car in any Healey book. [Editor~ note: This was again a Nash Healey, driven this time by Leslie Johnson and Tommy Wisdom, and finishing third overall behind only two factory-entered Mercedes.]
"The Specials are nearly all cars that I made for Donald. I made about 300 cars in all; the prototypes of all the cars that went into production during the 30-odd years that we [the Donald Healey Motor Company] existed. I also made all of the race cars and the record breakers, including the Salt Flats cars. When I say I made these cars, I had a young Scots lad as my assistant as a lot of work on building a car requires two people.
"I was always interested in cars, so I did a seven-year apprenticeship in a garage, and when I finished I went on to Coventry, and in the 1920s Coventry was the centre of the British car industry. There I was employed by Triumph as a road tester. After 3 years I went to "5.5. Cars," also as a road tester. They are now known as Jaguar. I then did two years with Armstrong Siddeley Aircraft working on bombers, and the war came on and I was "frozen" - I wasn't allowed to leave. Towards the end of the war, Donald and I made our first car in our spare time.
"In 1950, Donald asked me how would I like to make a car for Le Mans. I replied that I would love to make a car for Le Mans. We would not win Le Mans, but we would give the opposition an awful fright and that was exactly what we did. In a field of 62 cars, we finished in fourth place. [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey driven by Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton, beating all but two Talbots and an Allard.]
"The following year, 1951, we finished in 6th place [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey Coupe, again driven by Rolt and Hamilton.] This was still good for Le Mans, to finish is something of a feat. I believed that you had to study a car when you were building it, and that paid off. I have, on several times when things got a little tense at some race or other, in the pits said to the other driver or Geoff Healey that I was not at all worried. That my car was not going to let me down and they would not, they have any say in the building, either. They had been built with understanding, and this one learns during apprenticeship and paying attention.
"In 1952, I was able to do what everyone said was impossible. I built a Le Mans race car to replace the car that I had prepared for the 1952 Le Mans 24 hour race and that Donald Healey had completely written off. With less than 2 weeks to go, I said that I could make another car, body and all. Donald and Geoffrey both said, "Impossible," nobody could build a Le Mans race car complete with body in less than two weeks. I said, "Maybe not but I can.ā They said āDonāt be ridiculousā I said. āYou two will not have any say in the building, either. I canāt have people arguing, it will never get done.ā They knew they couldnāt argue with me and had to give in. They were furious especially Donald, and more so when I had that car ready on time. But worse was to follow. In the race, my car beat every other car in the race including one of the 3 works Mercedes. I beat the Ferraris, the Jaguars, Aston Martins, Cunninghams, Talbots, you name them. I beat them and Donald was furious. He wouldn't allow a picture of that car in any Healey book. [Editor~ note: This was again a Nash Healey, driven this time by Leslie Johnson and Tommy Wisdom, and finishing third overall behind only two factory-entered Mercedes.]
"The Specials are nearly all cars that I made for Donald. I made about 300 cars in all; the prototypes of all the cars that went into production during the 30-odd years that we [the Donald Healey Motor Company] existed. I also made all of the race cars and the record breakers, including the Salt Flats cars. When I say I made these cars, I had a young Scots lad as my assistant as a lot of work on building a car requires two people.
"I was always interested in cars, so I did a seven-year apprenticeship in a garage, and when I finished I went on to Coventry, and in the 1920s Coventry was the centre of the British car industry. There I was employed by Triumph as a road tester. After 3 years I went to "5.5. Cars," also as a road tester. They are now known as Jaguar. I then did two years with Armstrong Siddeley Aircraft working on bombers, and the war came on and I was "frozen" - I wasn't allowed to leave. Towards the end of the war, Donald and I made our first car in our spare time.
"In 1950, Donald asked me how would I like to make a car for Le Mans. I replied that I would love to make a car for Le Mans. We would not win Le Mans, but we would give the opposition an awful fright and that was exactly what we did. In a field of 62 cars, we finished in fourth place. [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey driven by Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton, beating all but two Talbots and an Allard.]
"The following year, 1951, we finished in 6th place [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey Coupe, again driven by Rolt and Hamilton.] This was still good for Le Mans, to finish is something of a feat. I believed that you had to study a car when you were building it, and that paid off. I have, on several times when things got a little tense at some race or other, in the pits said to the other driver or Geoff Healey that I was not at all worried. That my car was not going to let me down and they would not, they have any say in the building, either. They had been built with understanding, and this one learns during apprenticeship and paying attention.
ā"In 1952, I was able to do what everyone said was impossible. I built a Le Mans race car to replace the car that I had prepared for the 1952 Le Mans 24 hour race and that Donald Healey had completely written off. With less than 2 weeks to go, I said that I could make another car, body and all. Donald and Geoffrey both said, "Impossible," nobody could build a Le Mans race car complete with body in less than two weeks. I said, "Maybe not but I can.ā They said āDonāt be ridiculousā I said. āYou two will not have any say in the building, either. I canāt have people arguing, it will never get done.ā They knew they couldnāt argue with me and had to give in. They were furious especially Donald, and more so when I had that car ready on time. But worse was to follow. In the race, my car beat every other car in the race including one of the 3 works Mercedes. I beat the Ferraris, the Jaguars, Aston Martins, Cunninghams, Talbots, you name them. I beat them and Donald was furious. He wouldn't allow a picture of that car in any Healey book. [Editor~ note: This was again a Nash Healey, driven this time by Leslie Johnson and Tommy Wisdom, and finishing third overall behind only two factory-entered Mercedes.]
"I was always interested in cars, so I did a seven-year apprenticeship in a garage, and when I finished I went on to Coventry, and in the 1920s Coventry was the centre of the British car industry. There I was employed by Triumph as a road tester. After 3 years I went to "5.5. Cars," also as a road tester. They are now known as Jaguar. I then did two years with Armstrong Siddeley Aircraft working on bombers, and the war came on and I was "frozen" - I wasn't allowed to leave. Towards the end of the war, Donald and I made our first car in our spare time.
"In 1950, Donald asked me how would I like to make a car for Le Mans. I replied that I would love to make a car for Le Mans. We would not win Le Mans, but we would give the opposition an awful fright and that was exactly what we did. In a field of 62 cars, we finished in fourth place. [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey driven by Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton, beating all but two Talbots and an Allard.]
"The following year, 1951, we finished in 6th place [Editor~ note: This was a Nash Healey Coupe, again driven by Rolt and Hamilton.] This was still good for Le Mans, to finish is something of a feat. I believed that you had to study a car when you were building it, and that paid off. I have, on several times when things got a little tense at some race or other, in the pits said to the other driver or Geoff Healey that I was not at all worried. That my car was not going to let me down and they would not, they have any say in the building, either. They had been built with understanding, and this one learns during apprenticeship and paying attention.
Last edited:
Randy Forbes
Yoda
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I thought that was a little long-winded for Roger, but it was worth repeating twice 
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I thought that was a little long-winded for Roger, but it was worth repeating twice
Fixed it! That will teach me to proofread before I post.
dougie
Luke Skywalker
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The '53 car had a cool weber-carbureted hemi engine. Saw it last year on the California Mille. The owner is a Healey club member - prolly GG club.
Scroll down for pix: https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/pappys-new-nash.96078/
Scroll down for pix: https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/pappys-new-nash.96078/
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That is one wild valve train under those covers.
pan
Jedi Warrior
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Rick, That is such a good story it was worth reading twice! I have met Roge several times, his sister lives in Brisbane and he visited several times. Among the documents at the Healey Museum in Vreeland, Hans has Rogās drivers license on display. On it his name is Reginald! A charming man, but not one prone to modesty! Why should he be?
pan
Jedi Warrior
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Steve, Thanks for posting this photo. I have seen Sampietroās drawing of this design but never the actual engine. Although it looks like a twin cam it has a single cam in the block, pushrods and cross pushrods operating the opposing valves. BMW, Bristol & Maserati also employed this system. Awfully complicated! I wonder if it had Webers in 1952?
cheers,
Alwyn
cheers,
Alwyn
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Leonard McCue of Florida races a Nash-Healey coupe which is described as a Le Mans lightweight. it is beautifully kept though I do not know how competitive it is.
See image http://www.acmefluid.com.au/nash/mccue.jpg
See image http://www.acmefluid.com.au/nash/mccue.jpg
pan
Jedi Warrior
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I believe the Nash Healey Pininfarina Coupe was marketed as the āLe Mansā to celebrate their success.
Cheers,
Alwyn