Austin-Healey
Healey judged a cheaper sports car marketable in large numbers was needed to save the business, one that would fit between the MG and Jaguar cars then selling so well in USA. Working in with his eldest son Geoffrey in the attic of the family home, Healey designed a two-seat roadster employing numerous low-cost Austin components, the Austin-Healey 100. Austin chief Sir Leonard Lord was so impressed when he saw it on the Healey stand at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show he offered to make it in his own factories under the name Austin-Healey.
The result was a 1953 a joint venture which created the British Motor Corporation to manufacture the Austin-Healey marque. The 100 evolved into the highly regarded and collector coveted 3-litre Austin-Healey 3000, followed by a diminutive 950cc Austin-Healey Sprite, known affectionately as the “frog-eye”or”Bugeye”.
Commenting on the 3000 after Donald Healey’s death The Times observed: “The big Healey’s brutally firm ride, heavy steering and engine so close it would roast a driver’s feet never detracted from the superb, timeless styling and classic proportions.”
Jensen-Healey
When production of the Austin-Healey 3000 ended Donald Healey opened discussions with Jensen Motors, who had built the bodies for Healey’s Austin-Healey cars. The largest Austin Healey Car Dealer in the US Kjell Qvale was also keen to find a replacement to the Austin-Healey 3000 then became a major shareholder of Jensen. Donald Healey became a director of Jensen Motors in 1970 and a result of this was the Lotus-engined Jensen-Healey which appeared in 1972. The Jensen-Healey was developed in a joint venture by Donald Healey and Jensen Motors.
The oil crisis hit Jensen Motors hard, greatly damaging the sales of its very large V8 Interceptor model and thus degrading its financial condition as a whole. The Jensen GT was then hurriedly brought to market, requiring massive labour expense and taxing the firm’s budget even further. By 1974 Lotus was able to supply the required number of engines and production reached 86 cars a week but despite this, the overall situation proved to be too much for the company, which, amid strike action, component shortages and inflation, proceeded to liquidate in 1975 and then close in May 1976.
Production Numbers
The final Healey car of this era was the G-Type using an Alvis TB21 engine and gearbox. This was more luxurious and heavier than the Riley engined models and performance suffered.
| Type | Engine | Approx Production | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healey Westland Roadster | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 64 | 1946-50 |
| Healey Elliott Saloon | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 101 | 1946-50 |
| Healey Sportsmobile | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 23 | 1948-50 |
| Healey Silverstone | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 104 | 1949-50 |
| Healey Tickford Saloon | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 222 | 1950-54 |
| Healey Abbott Drophead Coupe | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 77 | 1950-54 |
| Nash-Healey | 3848 or 4138 cc Nash 6 cylinder | 506 | 1950-54 |
| Healey G-Type Roadster | 2993 cc Alvis 6 cylinder | 25 | 1951-53 |
Healey Silverstone
The Healey Silverstone is an open two-seater road / racing sports car, or in the USA roadster, that was made by Donald Healey Motor Company. The Silverstone had headlights behind the grille to make it more aerodynamic. It was designed to be a dual purpose “race and ride” car. It also had a 104 horsepower 2.5-litre Riley I-4 engine and four speed manual transmission. The Silverstone had a top speed of 110 mph and a 0-60 time of 11 seconds, which rivaled other cars
The Silverstone was made at a factory in Warwick, England. They were hand-built and only 105 were produced. When the British government doubled the purchase tax on (luxury) cars in 1948, The result was the Healey Silverstone production ended in September 1950 when it was replaced by the Nash-Healey.
Nash-Healey Cars
Production 1951–1954. A total of 507 production Nash-Healeys were built during its four-year model run: The Nash-Healey registry has a total of 520 entries including prototypes and race vehicles.
- 1951 – 104 (roadsters) lhd N-Type plus 1 rhd G-Type G525 (An additional 30 cars were sold with Alvis or 3 L Healey engines.[10])
- 1952 – 150 (roadsters)
- 1953 – 162 (roadsters and coupes)
- 1954 – 90 (coupes only)
Jensen-Healey Sports Car
The Jensen-Healey was a British two-seater convertible sports car produced between 1972–1976 by Jensen Motors Ltd. in West Bromwich, England. A related fastback, the Jensen GT, was introduced in 1975.
Launched in 1972 as a fast, luxurious and competent convertible sports car, it was positioned in the market between the Triumph TR6 and the Jaguar E-Type. The 50/50 weight balance achieved by the use of the all alloy Lotus 907 engine led to universal praise as having excellent handling.
Various engines were tried out in the prototype stage including Vauxhall, Ford and BMW units. Donald Healey designed this new Jensen-Healey using Vauxhall components but it was unable to comply with the emission standards set in place in USA. He resisted offers from Saab and Ford to produce a new sports car. Colin Chapman of Lotus offered, and Jensen accepted, his company’s new 1973 cc Lotus 907 dual overhead cam, 16-valve all-alloy engine. This setup puts out approximately 144 bhp (107 kW), topping out at 119 mph (192 km/h) and accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds (8.1 seconds for the emission controlled U.S. version).
Hugo Poole did the styling of the body, the front and back of which were later modified by William Towns to take advantage of the low profile engine and to allow cars for the U.S. market to be fitted with bumpers to meet increasing U.S. regulations. The unitary body understructure was designed by Barry Bilbie, who had been responsible for the Austin-Healey 100, 100-6 and 3000 as well as the Sprite. It was designed to be easy to repair, with bolt-on panels, to keep insurance premiums down. In 1973, United States Government-mandated rubber bumpers were attached. In 1974 “5mph” bumpers were required.
In total 10,503 were produced (10 prototypes, 3,347 Mk.1 and 7,146 Mk.2)
Jensen-Healey sales by country
| Markets | Mk. 1 | Mk. 2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA and Canada | 1945 | 5689 | 7634 |
| United Kingdom | 1114 | 906 | 2020 |
| Europe | 125 | 209 | 334 |
| Australia & New Zealand | 75 | 211 | 286 |
| The Far East | 98 | 87 | 185 |
| The Middle East | 0 | 33 | 33 |
| Jamaica | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unspecified | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| Total | 3357 | 7146 | 10,503 |