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Austin Healey 100R ??

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I saw it at the Helaey Club Conclave in Vermont a few years back. From what I remember it was an awesome car. Great build. As a custom though I wonder what the value would be.
 
Well, pretty soon you'll have an idea of what at least two (>2) people think the value is; or three (3) if it doesn't meet a reserve...
 
The link shows that it was to be auctioned in 2012 and here's a Sports Car Digest report on the result:

F420_Austin-Healey_1956_100-R-Custom_Rally-Car_225005_900-620x465.jpg


Lot # F420 1956 Austin-Healey 100/R Custom Rally Car; S/N 225005; Silver/Orange; Modified restoration, 1- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $80,000 – Heavily-modified four cylinder engine, hardtop, alloy body, custom offset centerlock Dunlop wheels, 100S seats, fuel tank, and hood hold downs. An over the top restoration of a 100 into “what-could-have-been” car of impeccable condition. Orange interior is striking but not necessarily beautiful. A high-end restoration of an otherwise standard 100. While the workmanship and detail of this 100 exceeds all expectations, it’s still a normal 100/4 with a strange color combination. More money is possible given the current popularity and prices of 100s, but finding the buyer looking for just this car will be difficult, as this result demonstrates.

https://www.sportscardigest.com/russo-and-steele-monterey-2012-auction-report/3/
 
Thanks HealeyRick,

The info you provided is exactly what I needed.
Been living in the North Georgia mountains too long. I was unaware of this car before today.
It appeals to me but at the price the seller is looking for, there are some other cool cars that I would have to consider.

TFR1
 
I've loved this car from the first show Mark displayed it at. Open Roads 2002, Lake Tahoe, NV, it stoled the show. Pictures really don't do it justice, the colors wouldn't be my first choice, but the detail of the car is second to none. Marker Barker the builder passed very unexpectedly a few years ago and this was his design and creation of what the 100 could have evolved into. I don't think anyone has developed the Healey 4-cylinder's performance to the level that he did. I'll be racing in Monterey and plan to take in a couple auction. I hope it brings what their asking.
https://www.sportandspecialty.com/100-R.html
 
This is a fantastic car and I can see what the owner was trying to do. How much is it worth? Very difficult as it is a total one off, with non-original parts. I doubt it will achieve its build cost. I like the comment that 11.5:1 is a relatively 'mild' compression ratio!. 190 bhp at the flywheel is massive for these four cylinder cars. The fastest 100 racers in the UK only have about 165 bhp.
 
I guess that I am in the minority, but I love Mark's car and I love the colors too. I saw the car at several shows and talked with Mark about it at least twice. As I understand it, the persimmon interior was available for selection on the 100 although not trimmed as Mark did it. The original persimmon didnt hold its color very well. I expect Mark used a modern dye for his variation. I thought it was perfect with the grey carpet. The paint is a period Mercedes color. I don't recall the name or code, but it was a silver with a little brown in it that I again thought was beautiful. I also saw this car on the track and as Doug said it was a screamer. High output four cylinder. I also loved his design for the bonnet louvers. Again, just my opinion, but I thought they were better executed in terms of esthetic design than any others I have seen. Just a shame that Mark passed away at an early age. I am sure there were to be more great cars in his future.

Lin
 
I'm OK with the car as far as concept and execution--panel/door fitment doesn't look too great from the photos--but I'm not comfortable with the designation. There never was anything called a '/R' Austin-Healey AFAIK--anyone ever hear of a 3000/R or 3000R?--and I don't think individuals should be creating their own AH model designations. '100 Period Concept Car' or '100 Rally Tribute' would have been fine, but creating an AH designation that never existed--no matter how reverential the intention--doesn't work for me.
 
Lin. You are correct about the persimmon interior. I remember Rich Chrysler showing me an original interior set in this colour. Beautiful colour and patina. It was out of a black 100 that he planned to restore at one stage.
 
I saw this car recently when I was having Sport and Specialty do some work for my BN2. I think the colors work well and look period European. Add in they are unique and if the persimmon "got old", with that exterior color it could be swapped out for another color and still look right. It would have been a shame to paint this car red and slap in a black interior...or even going with a black interior with this exterior would have been selling it short. It is an awesome car and obviously took a boatload of passion, time and money to build.

Having said all that...

What do you do with it? You can't race it as it's so highly modified it won't fit in to any sanctioning plus it would be a shame to trash that interior and cage it up. Even just doing track days, would one want to thrash something this nice (read: expensive for what it is) plus it would be very costly compared to other choices. You can't really street drive it either given the thirst for 110 octane fuel and how enjoyable would a 190hp 4cyl really be for a Sunday drive? I guess you could trailer it to the Conclaves with a couple drums of race fuel in the trailer. But realistically what are your other options short of buying it just to look at? The vintage rallies will also be no-goes because the ones where you putt around with other enthusiasts will be out due to the fuel and the high-end hoi-polloi ones aren't going to let you in because it's a made up car. Maybe I'm wrong or missing something here.

And the other question; What is it worth? The prices are typically pretty strong at Monterey and that spoke to $80 grand. It's pretty well known and documented what they want for it as it has been listed with a price in the club magazine for some time. That number is pretty far north of $80K. My opinion is the $80K is all it's worth as it sits. I mean, I think it's worth more than that but that is the actual cash value. If the engine was tuned down to run on pump gas and be more street-able/drivable add another $10K or maybe more. Also not sure about the gearing, from some reason I thought he did the 100S thing and scrapped the O/D?? Again, gear it up for street driving. Making it more street-able will allow some wealthier guy to buy it who doesn't want to be just like every other rich guy with a 100M, drive it around, enjoy it and smoke off any 100M out there.

There's my opinion.

Walt
 
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Walt, I think you are wrong and missing something. A lot of the vintage racing organizations wouldn't have any objection to letting this car in.
Using it for vintage racing and track days in no way equals "thrashing" it. There's considerable risk, but there is with driving any car, street or track. As for vintage rallies, fuel considerations can be managed as there is always a number of support vehicles on hand.

With the 100S now being "re-created" by a number of shops, Sports and Speciality as one, I would much rather have the R, then what a newly minted S is going for. As for a Sunday drive, sign me up. I know a lot of Healey lovers who would jump at the chance to ride shot gun, ear plugs in hand......
 
Thanks Dougie. I spoke out of line because I really don't know that much about vintage racing from first hand knowledge. But I bet had I said "This car would make an awesome vintage racer", I'd have 20 guys smacking me down over that.

I should have said they will let you in. They must let anybody who pays now given all the 5 year old stock cars, Aston Martin, Corvette and Porsche GT cars that are there these days. All the vintage race guys I know run Boss 302s and Shelbys, those guys are stuck running drum brakes on the back and ~305 inch max engines. Like I said, they will let those guys run with a ton of mods...but they better be prepared to be stuck out there with the big block Corvettes and the like.

Maybe they don't really care so much about the people down in the 3:00+ range at RA. This car has a long list working against it's legality...brakes, wheels, alternate material body panels (I'm assuming this thing has a lot of alloy panels now), etc.

But then again it wasn't built to be a legal classified vintage racer. It obviously was built to be a smoking hot street car or it would have a cage in it. This is why I said the race gas requisite is working against it. Maybe a 190hp 4 cylinder Healey is a totally enjoyable riding and drving car that just happens to have a lot of power and takes race gas. I've never ridden in nor driven a 190hp 4 cylinder Healey, so I shouldn't have posted on that either, just ASSuming.

Thanks again for the help in understanding the vintage race angle.

Walt
 
Hey Walt,
Just for the record, I am sure there are more than a few of us 100M owners who are not "rich guys" or "rich gals" and who drive our cars all the time. Just fortunate enough to have bought one before they went crazy and in my case still a working stiff at 65+! Now if I run up against a 190 hp BN2 I will gladly defer to more horsepower. Just like my muscle car days, no substitute for cubic inches or horsepower !
Regards,
Mike
 
No offense meant Mike, sorry about that. I'm sure there are a few regular guys that bought M's back in time and still have them. I was more speaking about the person who (today) would be buying this 100R vs. his buddies buying 100M's. They are in a similar price range and I consider somebody who can blow over a hundred grand on a pleasure only vehicle like a Healey to be pretty wealthy.

Later,
Walt
 
John Turney said:
As a neighbor of mine who raced sprint cars said: "It's not cubic inches, it's cubic dollars!"
Click to expand...

Yes, it's a common misconception that the throttle cable goes from the pedal to the carburetor. It actually goes from the pedal, back under the floor, through the seat and is connected to your wallet.
 
My Godfather works for Briggs Cunningham back in the day and Briggs, said it best, " the only substitute for cubic inches is the rectangular dollar!"
 
Hey Walt,
None taken obviously !!! Kind of like the guys that flocked out to buy Ferrari's in the 90's and had no idea what they were other than watching Magnum P.I. on TV with the 308. Now like you said someone is out there paying $150 large for a 100M that has priced them out of the range of us working folks but have to admit, nice to be able to tell my wife after all the years of my Healey obsession, "I told you it would go up in value" ! BTW, I'll let you know how well that reasoning/argument goes :smile:
Regards,
Mike
 
Did anyone see the results of the Mark Barker 100-R Austin Healey. I wasn't able to make it over to the Russo and Steele auction while racing at the RMHR a few weeks back. I think most Healey's did well that crossed the block over that weekend.
 
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