Happy Birthday, DMH!

[HealeyRick]

(1919-1988 )
Donald Mitchell Healey, noted British rally driver, automobile engineer, and speed record holder, was born on July 3, 1898 in Perranporth, North Cornwall, England.

Following an apprenticeship at Sopwith Aviation, he volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps and earned his "wings" in 1916. After WWI, he returned home to study motorcars and engineering. He opened a garage, where his interest grew in rally competition. From the mid-'20s through the early '50s, Healey was a European rally driver of great distinction, his best finish being first in 1931, in the Monte Carlo Rally.

Immediately after WWII, Healey began to build his own cars; in 1946, his Elliot was the finest production saloon to cover 100 miles an hour. Other cars were the Silverstone and the Nash-Healey, which finished third overall at Le Mans in 1952.

Best-known were the Austin-Healeys, sports cars introduced in October 1952. Various models, including Sprites, were produced until a total ran of nearly 200,000 of which most were exported to America.

In 1953 and 1954, Healey set American and international records with his cars at the Bonneville Salt Flats; and he recorded 203.11 in an Austin-Healey 100-6 Streamliner to join the exclusive 200 MPH Club in 1956.

In 1972, with Healey as chairman of Jensen Motors, the Jensen-Healey was introduced. For his "services to export," Healey was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973.

Donald M. Healey died in Perranporth on January 15, 1988, but his automobiles are still being raced, driven, collected, and enjoyed today.

Donald Healey, Inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame 1996

 

[Cottontop]

H B T Y
H B T Y
H B D Donald,,,
H B T Y.

Here's my brush with DMH.

We chatted about MY Ford V8 in HIS Healey and he told me about
his attempts to come up with a V8 to build the next generation
of cars around.

It's not often that one gets the opportunity to meet a "legend
in his own time". I am honored to have gotten this one.

Tim

PS: Thanks, Rick

 

[Randy Forbes]

DMH with "my" Healey, only it was about six (6) mos. before I owned it (Bend, Oregon 1977):

Tim, best I could do was to meet Bic:

Sue w/Mary Healey:

 

[Cottontop]

Randy,

Is that your now red Healey ?

I really hate to 1-up you but I got to meet (the late) John and Bic at the 2004 Conclave in San Antonio.

I even got to take John for a "white-knuckle" ride in my Nasty Boy.

I also took what they agreed was the only picture ever taken of them both in a Healey.
I sent them each a framed 8x10.

I'm sorry I never got to meet Geoff. He was in Dallas several times, but I always missed him.
That would have made a quadra-fecta.

Tim

 

[HealeyRick]

Great pics, guys. I was lucky enough to meet Donald a few times and buy him a drink or two. He truly was a gentleman and seemed surprised we paid so much attention to him and his old cars. In return, I couldn't get over how this icon of the motoring industry really seemed to enjoy hanging out with us regular guys. For the Nasty Boy guys, it was a revelation that he expressed a keen interest and approval of their mods.

 

[Randy Forbes]

Tim: yep, same car. I *believe* that picture (of DMH) was taken at a West Coast Rondezvous sometime in late summer/fall of 1977; Ray Caivano had driven it up to Bend (Grants Pass?) Oregon from San Francisco. Perhaps Reid can confirm the venue, as he was very likely in attendence. I took delivery of the car probably the last week of March, 1978, though we didn't "ink the deal" until April 1st, 1978. Who knew, that after all these years, the joke's still on me?

Wow, you've really got some nice memories tied up in those pictures!

Yes, too bad about Geoff; I understand that he was in generally decent health, but just keeled over while cutting his grass! I think I read that he and another Healey enthusiast had a fishing trip planned a week or so later. You just never know (I did my LW&T while in my mid 40s, a decade ago).


I told Sue, my wife, that we shouldn't miss the opportunity to meet Bic, as there's no way to know when another chance could come along. For us, it was a little better than an hour's drive to a suburban Detroit Pub (fortunately, it was on "our" side of Detroit) but certainly worth the trip. My Healey wasn't "on the road" at that time, but the swell guys of the SEMAHC didn't relegate my ///M Rdstr to the back lot :wink: