I was featured in a newspaper article!

[pan]

A couple of weeks ago I was approached by a journalist from the local Brisbane newspaper, The Courier-Mail for a club member with a story for a regular feature in the motoring section. When I told the journalist that I was approaching the 40th anniversary of ownership of my 100 he said "That's a story!" He came to my home, interviewed me and took some photos. The article "Me & my Motor" appeared in the following Saturday's issue.
The next morning when I checked my e-mail, there was one from a fellow who told me that he had owned my car in 1965! Since then I have received several photographs from Wal showing the car during his ownership when it was only ten years old. Wal was able to identify the car by the registration number, PAN-934.
I knew there was a reason for keeping that number for so long.

 

[longbridgehealey]

That's really great, a newspaper article and finding the original owner of your Healey! Congratulations on both. And owning your Healey for 40 years, that's pretty impressive too!

Larry

 

[judow]

:banana: Way to Go!!! :banana:

 

[JamesWilson]

Excellent.

But can you link to the story?

I tried looking at the site:

https://www.news.com.au/couriermail/motoring/

but found nothing.... any hints?

 

[Michael Oritt]

I attended the Austin Healey Sports & Touring Club's "Encounter" in Princeton, NJ a few years back and while wandering through the Healey Arts & Crafts section I saw a reprint of a 1956 edition of the front page of the Daytona Beach Journal with a large picture "above the fold" of an Austin-Healey 100 on the beach.

The text under the picture identified the driver whose name I recognized as my car's original owner. I ultimately acquired a copy of the front page.

The world is a remarkably small place.

 

[healey106]

Let me add to Michael's story. I am the guy who originally purchased the Daytona Beach Journal page. I was at the "Fall Carlisle flea market in 1991. A literature vendor had a folder marked "57 Austin Healey". Since I have a Longbridge BN4, I was very interested. I had quite a surprise when I opened the folder and saw the large photo this great looking red BN1. Since I also have a red 55 BN1, I could not pass this up.
I made a copy of the page for Michael and also a copy for the surviving widow of the original owner.
truly a small world.
jim

 

[aeronca65t]

Pan: Congrats!

And it is a small world indeed!

I was at "Encounter" in Princeton, NJ too.
Even drove my Spridget in the autocross and talked to Gerry Coker (see below)

 

[pan]

Wal wasn't the original owner of my '54 BN1, but it was still good to hear from him. My car had about fifteen owners between 1954 and 1968!
Here are another two co-incidences.
Earl Manntan, a bloke with an auto repair shop goes into FWD Motors, a business owned by a Healey guy here in Queensland. The owner's Healey is parked outside as Henry often uses it for work. Earl says to one of Henry's employees "A Healey, eh. I used to own one of them. Next time I come in, I'll bring a photo".
A couple of days later, Earl visits FWD Motors and shows Henry a photo taken in 1967 of a 100 with the reg number: PAN 934.

In 2006, Helen & I are travelling in PAN to South Australia in company with another couple in their BN2. By chance we make an unscheduled stop at a small roadhouse between Gilgandra & Dubbo in New South Wales. An interstate truck driver comes and inspects our cars and says, "My brother used to own one of these." We ask how long ago and he says "Aw, way back in the sixties." So I ask his name. "Bertram, I'm Billy. my brother is Mike".
I was shocked, as the first name on my list of Queensland owners (from 1963) is Bertram. "Billy," I say "Your brother owned this very car!"
Now that's a coincidence! Since then, I have met Mike, who bought the car in Melbourne and moved to Queensland in the early sixties.

 

[PAUL161]

<span style="font-size: 11pt">Quite a story! I think it's really cool when something like this happens. Amazing!</span>