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Mystery Healey Photo

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I thought Sebring too, but wasn't sure if cars entered in US races were RHD? In any case, I much prefer the design of the production Healey front end to the Ital-influenced one in the picture.
 
Good point about the RHD in US races. I was also thinking it might possibly be LeMans, around '55 or '56. Come on Reid...give us a clue.
 
I got your details ...

mysteryhealeyphoto.jpg
 
Definitely not Sebring--there are no hills anywhere around the track.
 
Reid - Could it be Bermuda? Look at the guy with the knee hi's behind the car. The hills are low in Bermuda. It certainly has the shape of the streamliner 100-Six's, That is my guess? How long does this suspense last? to the New Year?
Jim /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
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How long does this suspense last? to the New Year?
Jim /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Not quite that long -- answer coming late Friday.

Lots of good thinking/guessing/reasoning going on here. Love John's captions! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Love John's captions! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Reid you need to work on the way you say/spell Healey since you forgot an E! (attempt at editor humor)

Cheers and Happy New Year!,
John
 
Place looks furrin to me, check out the flag. I would guess Nassau in the Bahamas -- the famous Speed Week. I think that event was active around that time.

Clever front end on that 100, now we know where the Sprite came from....

You can send me my prize with Pay Pal.......

Bill
NM
 
Bill--

There are no hills around Nassau's airport or what was then called Oakes Field.
 
My guess for here and team.net

Healey Special, X224. Raced once in 1957 by Peter Collins at Nassau.

The car was based on Ferrari 500 F2 Monoposto Re-numbered as 0540 and sold to de Portago, raced. 1955: GP Monaco: Trintig-nant; 1st.

The Healey used the engine, gearbox and rear axle All Ferrari parts bought by Ian Sievewright and car restored to original configuration.
 
Very interesting, the 100-6 Streamliner would be the least known of the Racers. And even more so for the Ferrari powered one as well! The background in the mystery photo looks a bit bleak for the Bahamas, doesn't it?
 
Thanks to all who guessed at the identity of the photo in my blog <https://marquematters.blogs.com>. The car is a very special Austin-Healey, "X224," a car based on a 100S chassis fitted with the long-nosed six-cylinder race body that had been developed from the 1956 record breaker. It had a Ferrari engine and other very non-standard equipment fitted. According to my source, Peter Collins drove this car at the 1959 Bahamas Speed Week, but I think that 1957 is actually the correct year. In any case, this photo was taken there. The car was eventually dismantled and scrapped. What a pity!

I'd say that Patton Dickson is definitely the winner, perhaps sharing the honors with Derek Job who also responded on the Healeys Mail List. The prize is an adult beverage, served in a chilled mug if desired, at next summer's Conclave in Ohio. See you guys there?
 
Reid - Thanks for the Super Contest!!!! A Great way to introduce the 50th Anniversary of the introduction of the 6 cylinder - 100-SIX.
It looks like Patton wins the Prize? but what was it?
Could you provide additional info of your source? You mention the year 1959? That seems rather late for this model
While Patton notes 1957 which appears to be closer to the mark? Does we have another mystery to be solved? I just checked with my copy of Geoff Healey's "The Specials" 1980 look to pages 161 to 163, some more pics of X224, but without the sheet metal. The car ran at Nassau a number of years, but the years are not mentioned?
First "X224 was based with the long nose six-cylinder race body...developed from the 1956 record breaker.... Menadue ...carried out modifications... to fit the Ferrari engine.... used MGA rack and pinion steering. ... we viewed rack and pinion as a possible improvement to the Austin Healey steering. Essentially a short distance Grand Prix engine, the Ferrari unit was not really satisfactory because of its high rate of oil consumption. Peter Collins drove the car at Nassau in the series of races they used to run in December as a tourist attraction.... Eddie Maher and Jack Goffin at Morris Engines, Coventry subsequently made considerable progress in developing the six-cylinder Austin Healey unit into a racing power plant. We replaced the Ferrari engine with this 175hp unit and despite the increase in weight, the car became a lot quicker... Roy Salvadori drove it in the next Nassu races, achieving second place in one..." those were the words of Geoff, but no mention of the year. Another true mystery to start the New Year? The year - 1957 or 1959? Who was the correct driver - Collins or Salvadori?
I just checked my copy of the Bible - Emerson's "The Healey Book", and I didn't see the X224 mentioned anywhere? How could that be?
Thanks again Reid!!!

Happy New Year -
Jim /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
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