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Celebrity Healeys

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I'm pretty confident this is the Henry Grimes Healey and the picture was taken in 1959. Grimes lived in Alexandria, VA and he raced the Healey at nearby tracks such as Marlboro in Maryland and Virginia International Raceway. Did some more searching and couldn't come up with anything else on him that would give some clue as to who is shown in the picture. The picture isn't very clear and doesn't show the person's face very well. He bears a resemblance to a young Robert Redford but I couldn't find anything to link Redford to the races that Grimes entered the Healey. Redford was living in New York in 1959 and beginning his acting career. Here's a 1959 picture of Redford:



It's just a wild guess. Please get back to us with the answer once the quiz is completed.
 
I thought of Redford also and had a fruitless search.
 
Again thank you very much Rick,

I think Robert Redford might definitiv be the right guess and opted for that possibility in the german Club - Quiz. Main reason is the similarity in hair (structure and style). We will see and i`ll keep you informed.

100Ms with number "117" were only raced in 1956 at Santa Barbara on 17th and 18th of march by Jim Kadin and Howard Lang and at Montgomery on 19th of august by Malcolm Donaldson. All the other results show Henry Grimes in 1959, starting in Virginia, Cumberland and Lime Rock. So if it is Redford the picture was probably taken on the 4th of july at Lime Rock. The probably hot weather at that time would explain why he is not wearing shoes.

Thanks again
 
Hello Rick and alll the others interested in these old celeb pictures,

as I wrote, I opted for Robert Redford and won the quiz outright. My mail was the first and so far only entry in the quiz.

I had a nice phone chat with the editor of the German Club Magazine today and he told me, that the picture was taken out of an older US Healey Magazine, where it was describt as "Robert Redford wondering about his efforts in fixing the race number on his Healey 100".

As we know now, it was probably not Mr. Redfords Healey, he was looking at back in the summer of 59.

Thanks again and all the best and much enjoyment for the upcoming season 2014
 
Found this pic captioned "Kirk Douglas and Michael with his 100" on Pinterest:

05c2fd4e7d91234e0586c7a0fd270265.jpg


I wasn't really sure it was even Kirk Douglas until I found this other pic, obviously from the same photo shoot, identifying Kirk with his two sons, Michael and Joel in 1956.

1956-kids-globe_2078989i.jpg


Based on the number plate on the Healey, I'm guessing the shot was taken when Douglas was filming "Lust for Life", the story of Vincent Van Gogh, in 1956 in the Netherlands, France and Belgium. I couldn't find any info whether Douglas actually owned the Healey.
 
HealeyRick said:
Wilkommen Christopher,

Do a Google search for "Henry Grimes Austin Healey" and the results will show some late 1950s Sports Car Club of America races with Henry Grimes driving an Austin-Healey in D-Production with the car number "117". That's about all I could find, no pictures of the car and no more information on Mr. Grimes.
Click to expand...

I was searching a Marlboro raceway yahoo group today and found this picture. It was labeled "'59 Spross & Grimes"


This may be the race



This is a result from a different race that shows their numbers.



I'd like to track down and speak with Henry Grimes or Fred Spross if possible.

Thanks,
Chris
 
Last edited:
Chris:

Marlboro Raceway is about 15 mi. south of D.C.; Cumberland was laid out at the Municipal Airport in Cumberland, in Western Maryland, approximately 135 mi. west of D.C. Lots of pictures from both circuits in their heydays can be found at www.barcboys.com

Jerry
 
Thanks Jerry I edited my post above.

terp83 said:
Chris:

Marlboro Raceway is about 15 mi. south of D.C.; Cumberland was laid out at the Municipal Airport in Cumberland, in Western Maryland, approximately 135 mi. west of D.C. Lots of pictures from both circuits in their heydays can be found at www.barcboys.com

Jerry
Click to expand...
 
HealeyRick said:
Can't believe I missed that one since I've seen this video before:

Click to expand...


The Times-Union: When you signed your contract with CBS some 20 years ago, did you actually dash out across the street and buy an Austin Healey 3000?
CBS News Managing Editor Walter Cronkite: Well, that’s a distorted version of a true story – not when I signed my CBS contract and not an Austin Healey 3000.
When I was already working for CBS, I had a business manager there primarily to see that I didn’t spend all my money, which wasn’t very great in those days, but all my checks went to him.
I was down the Jersey shore where we were summering and I got a lecture and the expense money with it. In those days I got $1,500 if I was real lucky for a lecture, I think about $287.35-or-something expense money with it, so it came to $1,787.35.
It came to me by accident instead of going to my business manager. So I had this check in my hot hands, and I did rush out and buy a used sports car, which I had always wanted – an Austin Healey – but it was an old Austin Healey, the first Austin Healey four-cylinder before the six came out, and before the 3000. It was two generations removed from the 3000.

https://jacksonville.com/news/metro...imes-union-writers-interview-legendary-walter
 
The 100 drivers seem to have a firm grasp upon the second half of the run group.
 
steveg said:
Wonder what he's backing into. Seat is too thick for a BJ7 but a similar door handle. Maybe an XK150.
Did she smoke Gauloises? Enquiring minds want to know.
Click to expand...
There is another photo from a different angle on the Edward Quinn site. It's not a BJ7 or 8 or XK150. My guess is it's a French car.
 
Man I thought I had mistakenly selected the History channel---:jester:

Very interesting post.
 
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