Did Big Healey Drivers Go Soft?

[dougie]

I love history and I especially love the history Austin Healey. DMH was a racer, he knew the importance of head-to-head competition to sell cars. During their production years the big Healey was a regular competitor at tracks across the US and Europe, often beating all comers. Today as vintage racing is gaining more popularity, there are fewer big Healeys than ever on the track.

Back in the day, the Porsche 356 was similar if not a little more in price than the Healey six-cylinder and could be seen in equal numbers filling the grid on the track. Today the Porsche 356 is 3-4 times the price of a similar-quality Healey six, but still represents a large number of vintage racers. So what gives?

Fewer younger drivers know anything about an old LBC that hasn't been made in 56 years and the Porsche name still is strong and their current offerings are still at the top of the sports car market. Or is that the current Healey owners/caretakers are just too old and tired to do little more then wash, wax and show off their cars at the local cars & coffee?

 

[Michael Oritt]

Hi Dougie--

You know my feelings on this subject from our past discussions--I vintage race (non-Healey) pretty actively on the East coast and I can count on one hand--with a couple of fingers to spare--the number of Big Healeys I have seen on the track. I attribute this to a couple of factors:

1. Big Healeys, displacing anywhere from 2.7 to 3.0 litres, are typically grouped with other large-displacement cars having more capable engines (OHC vs OHV) and/or more sophisticated suspension systems (independent rears vs. live axles, etc), and

2. Healey go-fast parts come primarily from overseas and are expensive.

I know you are a competitive and front-running racer but not everyone is content with being a mid-packer and often trade up into cars with greater performance potential. My hat is off to you for pushing your Healey and yourself up with the fast guys.

It's possible I may get to Road America this year and if so perhaps we can coordinate our schedules. I'd love to meet you in person and lay eyes on your beautiful car.

 

[dougie]

Thanks for your input Michael, I always enjoy your perspective. In reflection, the Spridget probably represents one of the largest number of vintage race cars in the field today. The barrier of entry is much lower with a smaller bore car which only makes sense why they will always represent well. Guess I should be happy the Healey can still be seen racing, even if most people only know of the "small" one.....

 

[Rob Glasgow]

I’m not sure of the impact, but I think the Big Healey itself went soft, or at least, became more civilized. I doubt if you’d find many 3000 convertibles in starting grids, even back in the day. I know some were rallied but I doubt the later versions were actively road raced as often as the 100 or 3000 roadsters.

 

[HealeyRick]

I’m not sure of the impact, but I think the Big Healey itself went soft, or at least, became more civilized. I doubt if you’d find many 3000 convertibles in starting grids, even back in the day. I know some were rallied but I doubt the later versions were actively road raced as often as the 100 or 3000 roadsters.

My BJ7 that I bought from the original owner was turned into a SCCA racer in 1965. Changes from stock were pretty minimal and included a BJ8 cam, triple HD8s, an oil cooler and rollbar. It was flat-towed to the track. The owner later raced a Mini and a Barracuda and used the Healey in autocrosses. From what I can see, big Healeys are more popular as racers in the UK, Europe and Australia/NZ.

Dougie, I'm not a racer so I'd be interested in hearing your opinion why big Healeys aren't as popular on track in the US. Some thoughts and questions: Are they harder to drive than the Porsches? Are they not competitive in their class? Do they need expensive engine building to be a front runner?

And finally, if you were going to go vintage racing and weren't already a Healey guy, what car would you choose to race?

Thanks for keeping the marque on track!

 

[dougie]

Hello Rick -

All great questions, I tried to sum it up in an article I write for one of the AH Club magazines about 10 year ago, see attached. A lot has changed since then, with more power in # 414 along with braking and safety modifications as well. Not only that, but all my racing mentors have shelved their helmets and retired their race cars. I maybe a little grayer, but my passion for racing the Big Healey still remains. If it wasn't a Healey, I think I'd go Italian.

 

[Editor_Reid]

I love history and I especially love the history Austin Healey. DMH was a racer, he knew the importance of head-to-head competition to sell cars. During their production years the big Healey was a regular competitor at tracks across the US and Europe, often beating all comers. Today as vintage racing is gaining more popularity, there are fewer big Healeys than ever on the track.

Back in the day, the Porsche 356 was similar if not a little more in price than the Healey six-cylinder and could be seen in equal numbers filling the grid on the track. Today the Porsche 356 is 3-4 times the price of a similar-quality Healey six, but still represents a large number of vintage racers. So what gives?

Fewer younger drivers know anything about an old LBC that hasn't been made in 56 years and the Porsche name still is strong and their current offerings are still at the top of the sports car market. Or is that the current Healey owners/caretakers are just too old and tired to do little more then wash, wax and show off their cars at the local cars & coffee?

I'll take a stab at this.

• Porsche and Alfa Romeo are both still in production and are far better known.
• There are far more Porsches and Alfas in the world.
• Vintage racing is relatively expensive, and those attracted to Porsches are, as a group, more affluent than Healey owners.
• There are many more businesses supplying parts for Porsches than for Healeys (I edit/produce a quarterly magazine for long-hood Porsche 911s, and of the 60 pages in each issue, 20-25 pages are ads; in Healey Marque magazine there are only about a half-dozen pages of ads).

 

[Michael Oritt]

I'll take a stab at this.

• Porsche and Alfa Romeo are both still in production and are far better known.
• There are far more Porsches and Alfas in the world.
• Vintage racing is relatively expensive, and those attracted to Porsches are, as a group, more affluent than Healey owners.
• There are many more businesses supplying parts for Porsches than for Healeys (I edit/produce a quarterly magazine for long-hood Porsche 911s, and of the 60 pages in each issue, 20-25 pages are ads; in Healey Marque magazine there are only about a half-dozen pages of ads).

As I said earlier I think the main reason we don't see a lot of Big Healeys racing is that they are generally not competitive whereas Spridgets are, hence their popularity.

Coincidently an ad just came up on the VSCCA (Vintage Sports Car Club of America) website for a BN2 set up for vintage racing for $80K
The below link may or may not get you there but if not try going in through the VSCCA site.

> Gmail <

 

[dougie]

Looks like Micheal's old car, > 1956 Austin Healey 100 Race / Street - VSCCA | The Vintage Sports Car Club Of America <
Hope to see it on the track again....

Michael Bartell's 1956 Austin Healey 100M Racecar, Number 277

How BJ MacDonald prepared this Austin Healey 100M for vintage racing.

www.britishracecar.com