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A New Healey!!

Randy Harris

Jedi Warrior
Offline
The following was posted this morning to the Jag-Lovers Forum web site. Thought you folks might find this interesting. I have no idea if it is true or a hoax. But it does seem authentic to me.
Randy '66 BJ8, '68 E-Type OTS




Healey ready to make its marque again
By Andrew English, Motoring Correspondent (Filed: 26/01/2006)

One of the most famous British sports car names is due to return this =
year, in the hands of an all-new company that plans to build two new =
Healey models.

An English American consortium, HFI, has purchased the famous 1950s =
British sports-car manufacturer Healey Automobile Consultants (HAC), and =
is planning to launch a range of cars badged as Healeys.

=20
Kate Healey, granddaughter of Donald Healey, at the wheel=20
HFI's managing director, Tim Fenna, who owns Frontline Spridget, a =
specialist spares and modification for original Austin-Healeys, said: =
"I'm pretty excited about it all. We've been working on this for two =
years, talking to the Healey family, and getting the funds and the team =
together. It was important to involve the Healey family because they own =
the Healey name and it would have been foolish to do something without =
their involvement."

This deal will call into question plans announced last summer by the GB =
Sports Car Company and MG Rover's Chinese owner, Nanjing Automobile, to =
build sports cars at Longbridge badged as Austin Healeys and MGs.

The Daily Telegraph understands that although the Austin-Healey name is =
a separate legal entity from Healey, or Austin, it cannot be used =
without the explicit agreement of the owners of Healey (HFI) and Austin =
(Nanjing).=20

Mr Fenna said: "I don't want to comment about GB Sports Car, because we =
are not getting into a fight or a slanging match. Our focus is on this =
new company. We've got a prototype car running now and there's also a =
prototype platform for a second car."=20

=20
Badge of honour: The original Austin-Healey logo=20

Healey Automobile Consultants was founded in 1955 by Donald Healey, the =
pre-war rally driver and technical director of Triumph, and his son =
Geoffrey. From 1946 Donald Healey built cars badged with his own name =
and in conjunction with other car makers.

The Nash Healey and Jensen Healey are just such examples, but the most =
famous was the co-operation between Donald Healey and Leonard Lord of =
Austin, which resulted in the Austin-Healey Sprite as well as the 100 =
and 3000 models.

HAC is now under the directorship of Donald Healey's daughter Margot, =
and his granddaughters (Geoffrey's daughters) Cecilia and Kate, all of =
whom will maintain an interest in HFI.=20

Margot Healey said: "We have been committed to developing and protecting =
the brand and are very pleased to have reached an agreement which will =
result in the manufacture of a new Healey in the UK. We look forward to =
seeing the great British sports car back on our roads soon."

Kate Healey said: "I'm very pleased. We've been working for 10 years for =
this to happen and it's been rather an emotional roller coaster. This is =
not just any name, it's my name with the past of my sister, my =
grandfather and my mother and father in it, too. Tim [Fenna] is a =
decent, honest and innovative engineer and a worthy custodian of that =
name."=20

End of article
 
If I had a nickel for every time I read stories -- some complete with photos or an "artist's rendition" -- of a new Healey, I'd probably have a dollar. OK, wrong expression. But I, for one, have become pretty jaded about these "scoops."

I'll believe it when I can pick up an ignition key and go for a test drive. Until then, the rumors are all just more tabloid filler.
 
Here's a link to the article:

new healey article

Would be nice to see some pictures /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
Who really cares. It will never be a HEALEY, big or little. A Chevy of today is not the same animal as the pre 65's. When I think of Chevy, I think of the 57 and 64, not the POC, clone car of today. When I think of Healeys I will always think of the 50's and 60's. I doubt anyone will walk up to a new Healey and say "Wow, I had one of those" etc. They are trying to get credability using an old name with history. Seems its all about money, again.
 
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