Austin-Healey 100-6 BN4 Roadster, Inglaterra

Austin-Healey 100-6 BN4 Roadster, Inglaterra
Motor: 2639 CC/102HP
Exterior: Vermelho (Colorado Red)
Interior: Preto
Fotografia

The blueprint for what became the Austin-Healey 100 was formed on a trip to America; as Donald Healey later recalled, “I wanted to produce a very fast everyday road car with genuine sporting characteristics, capable of 100 MPH.” Affordability and economic maintenance were also part of the brief, and today, those same virtues are equally appealing. From 1953 to 1968, more than 90% of the 70,000 produced went to the U.S., yet the rugged Austin-Healey was still the quintessence of a very British sports car, acquitting itself with distinction on the car-breaking international rallies of the day and equally rewarding for fast-paced touring. Somewhat raw and spartan in its initial 4-cylinder form, the 6-cylinder 100-6 BN4 of 1956 added welcome refinement. The wheelbase was lengthened by 2 inches to allow for occasional rear seats, weatherproofing was much improved with a fixed laminated windshield and better sealed side curtains, and the comfort of the cabin was improved, with a padded dash among the enhancements. On the exterior were lockable door handles, and the styling was also tidied up with a larger oval grille and air scoop on the hood. The new, more powerful 6-cylinder Austin 2639cc engine with new gearbox delivered 104 MPH and 0-60 MPH in 10.5 seconds, and it was also more flexible and smoother, with better low-down torque. This 1957 example features the welcome optional Laycock overdrive on third and fourth gears for relaxed high-speed touring. An unusual feature is the rare cigarette lighter. The overall appearance is pleasingly standard with painted wire wheels and a proper plastic-rimmed banjo-strung steering wheel, rather than cliché wood aftermarket affair. Among the many highlights for the 100-6 was the time standard-bodied cars took the Manufacturers Team Prize at Sebring in 1958, as well as an epic 10,000-mile four-day record run averaging 97 MPH at Montlhéry, France. Those very same virtues that Donald Healey espoused all those years ago apply just as much today, for the brawny Healey delivers real performance in a no-nonsense package that is easier to own than many rivals.