DMH in the Streamliner at Bonneville

[HealeyRick]

Nice video of Donald's record attempt (with credit to Ira Erbs on the mail list)

I actually had the perspex bubble from this car in my possession for a few weeks, having picked it up at the airport for noted 100S guy, Bill Wood.

 

[drambuie]

Thanks for sharing the video, fun to watch! I was disappointed that the video was cut short and not able to see the result of Donald's two way average speed attempt. However, if I bother to dig a little I'm sure I can find it. Thanks again for posting it.

 

[57_BN4]

And this one from a couple of years earlier. Anyone know why the car doesn't have an 'S' grille?

 

[drambuie]

Really a great Video and a great testament to the Healey S. Those where truly some of the golden years of automotive history. My guess the 100s that is shown in the video was in consent transformation and performance enhancement. I'm not surprised some bits and pieces got lost along the way! Such as the 100s grill. Enjoyed watching it! Thanks 57! Last time I seen disk wheels like those where on editor Reid's 100M.

 

[CLEAH]

And this one from a couple of years earlier. Anyone know why the car doesn't have an 'S' grille?

The endurance car was one of the Special Test Cars and was based upon a BN1, so the 100S grille had not been designed yet. I would hazard that the narration in the film with the reference to the 100S was done in 1955 or about the time the 100S was coming out, no doubt to help sell 100S's. The 100S was an evolution of the modifications developed on the Special Test Cars.

 

[drambuie]

After doing a quick web search, and reviewing the film clip...at the end Donald Healey and his crew are standing with that big chalk board with the speed endurance record results and also the year...1954. As there where only 50 100s cars built and first introduced in 1955 it stands to reason the 100s grill wasn't even made yet when this film was made. As Cleah states in the above post the car in the video is based on a BN1. I did not realize Caroll Shelby was one of the endurance drivers that day! No wonder the Shelby Cobra looks so much like a Austin Healey.

 

[CLEAH]

Actually, Shelby did not copy the Healey. The Cobra is an AC Ace with a v8 stuck in it. The Ace came out in 1953 when the 100 came out, and the Ace itself was based on the Tojiero Bristol. Fun trivia.

 

[HealeyRick]

Actually, Shelby did not copy the Healey. The Cobra is an AC Ace with a v8 stuck in it. The Ace came out in 1953 when the 100 came out, and the Ace itself was based on the Tojiero Bristol. Fun trivia.

Shelby DID, however, approach Donald Healey with a proposal to build Healeys powered by Chevy engines. DMH turned him down. After he struck out on the Healey idea, Shelby went to AC.

 

[CLEAH]

After he struck out on the Healey idea, Shelby went to AC.

And the rest is history... Very interesting--I did not know that.

 

[Editor_Reid]

Shelby DID, however, approach Donald Healey with a proposal to build Healeys powered by Chevy engines. DMH turned him down. After he struck out on the Healey idea, Shelby went to AC.

So the next time someone refers to DMH as a "visionary," you have "the rest of the story" to add to the thought.

 

[drambuie]

Aside from Donald Healey and Caroll Shelby, I was interested in Captain George Eyston as one of the endurance drivers. If anyone is interested check out the Wikipeoia on him. His references are very impressive and makes for some really great reading.

 

[pan]

Quite correct about the 100S grille. The Bonneville records were done before the 100S was made. That is why the 100S has a plaque on the dash stating that the car is a replica of the car that set the records.
With regards to Shelby's involvement, don't forget that he also won the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours, co-driving an Aston-Martin with Roy Salvadori.
I believe it was BMC that vetoed the 'Healey V8' plan, not Donald Healey.
Capt. Eyston was the Castrol representative and advisor to the Healey team, sharing his experience with Bonneville & record breaking in general.

 

[pan]

Oops! Eyston did actually drive. My error.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that DMH was all for the Shelby idea, but BMC management wouldn't allow it. Don't have my Healey books here so can't verify.

 

[HealeyRick]

I believe it was BMC that vetoed the 'Healey V8' plan, not Donald Healey.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that DMH was all for the Shelby idea, but BMC management wouldn't allow it. Don't have my Healey books here so can't verify.

I've always wanted to know the details of the proposed Shelby-Healey. Working back from the Cobra's introduction in 1962, I'm guessing the car/engine combination was a BN7 with a 283 or perhaps the 327. I believe I've read the same info, that the reason the deal was nixed was because of Donald's contractual relationships with BMC. I've also read it didn't go forward because of Donald's desire to keep the Healey all British, although that didn't seem to stop the experiment with the Ferrari motor install. And I can't see GM having any interest in such a deal either. GM has always been pretty protective of the Corvette image and a Chevrolet-Healey would have easily bested the C2 Corvettes and probably the small-block C3s. I didn't mean to suggest that Donald was opposed to the concept of a V8 Healey as it's pretty well known he thoroughly enjoyed checking out the motor swaps when he attended meets here in the US.

 

[drambuie]

Quite correct about the 100S grille. The Bonneville records were done before the 100S was made. That is why the 100S has a plaque on the dash stating that the car is a replica of the car that set the records.
With regards to Shelby's involvement, don't forget that he also won the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours, co-driving an Aston-Martin with Roy Salvadori.
I believe it was BMC that vetoed the 'Healey V8' plan, not Donald Healey.
Capt. Eyston was the Castrol representative and advisor to the Healey team, sharing his experience with Bonneville & record breaking in general.

As I was reading the Wikipedia in regards to captain George Eyston I was noting how many patents he had in the automotive industry, Including the Eyston power plus supercharger. I have to think at some point Donald Healey, Caroll Shelby and George Eyston discussed mating possibly a American V8 and one of Eystons supercharges in the BN1. If that where the case, it would be safe to say they would have achieved a much higher speed record then 132 mph.

 

[CLEAH]

As I was reading the Wikipedia in regards to captain George Eyston I was noting how many patents he had in the automotive industry, Including the Eyston power plus supercharger. I have to think at some point Donald Healey, Caroll Shelby and George Eyston discussed mating possibly a American V8 and one of Eystons supercharges in the BN1. If that where the case, it would be safe to say they would have achieved a much higher a speed record then 132 mph.

The 1954 Streamliner had a Shorrock supercharger. It hit 192 mph. The Endurance car was not supercharged.

 

[57_BN4]

Thanks for the info on the grille.

Interesting about the AC/Healey/Shelby connection. Wikipedia says that AC were looking for a new engine because the Bristol six cylinder unit they had been using was going out of production. The replacement Mk2 Zephyr unit they briefly adopted via Ken Rudd may have helped establish the AC-Ford Shelby connection. Andy.