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Austin Healey Museum

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Jedi Hopeful
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I have not seen any information on the opening of the Austin Healey Museum at the VIR race track in Virginia.
Is the project still going foward? If so when is the projected opening? I have not looked at their web site for a while, but the last time I did it had not been updated for sometime! The last thing I saw the projected opening date was Fall 2006?
 
The last time I was at VIR (September) there were no longer any signs along the entrance road indicating anything about the museum. I'll email an acquaintance who's involved with the track and see what he knows.
 
Much to my surprise I received an almost immediate reply to my email.

My contact reported that the Healey museum at VIR was the project of one of the two business partners who re-opened the track several years ago. Apparently they have had a falling out over other issues and the Healey museum project at VIR has been tabled indefinitely.
 
Hi Doug,
Wow, I had not heard anything about that.
Last summer when I was at Hendrix Wire Wheel, I was shown some
special cars they had in their back building that were destined for the Healey museum. They were in the process of restoring them. There was a Nash Healey that was either the very first or very last one made ( can't remember ). There was one of Donald's personal cars, it was a dual headlight on each side big Healey with a Rolls Royce engine under the hood. I wonder what they will do with those cars if the museum is not built ?
I hope they will work out their differences and build the museum.
Ed
 
Calling Bill Emerson!!!!! He should have the answer, since he is the tentative the curator of the museum. He presented impressive plans back in Sept 2006 when we had the 50th Anniversary of the Introduction of the 100-Six at VIR
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 
I don't know Bill Emerson. My source is the press officer for VIR so presumably he would know what's going on.
 
I sent Bill Emmerson an e-mail and will let you know what the reply is.

bundyrum.
 
I received a reply from a Melody Cooke who is the Director of Research and Aquisitions at the Healey Museum.

She says that the museum is definately going to open only they are not sure when.

The museum has run into a lot of problems regarding site requirements/ zoning and has had to undergo a change to the facility design.

The site grading and placement of supporting outline are in place but progress in costruction and plans for the opening have been delayed.

The website should be updared soon. https://www.healeymuseum.org

Regards,

bundyrum
 
I have regular conversations with Bill and I can assure you the Museum is still a go. It is going slowly for now but will eventually be a reality.

Tracy
 
Reid - As for a Healey museum update. I sent Bill an email about the status of the museum. He responded that the museum is "on hold" also "the sign has been moved to allow earth mover access on the entrance road. It is now located on the paved road going along the side of the museum property".

Those are the words from the museum curator.

Jim /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 
I know this is an old thread but I wanted to drag it to the top and dust it off.

On my most recent trip to VIR the spot formerly slated for the Healey Museum has "new signs" out front. They are now advertising track-side condos, not the museum. As an extension to this, a friend pointed me to the September 2008 issue of Classic Motorsports (page 138, SVRA Spotlight on Allan Cassavant). In Cassavant's second paragraph response to the interviewer's first question he states: "We were going to do a Healey museum at VIR, but now a gentleman has bought a couple of my cars and he's going to do the museum over in Europe".
 
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