Vehicle Description
The British motor industry has produced many fascinating characters
over the years. From Jaguar's William Lyons to Lotus' Colin
Chapman, British designers have greatly influenced the history of
the automobile. Counted among those colorful personalities is
Donald Healey. A former RAF pilot in WWI, he ran a successful
garage business and made a name for himself as a highly
accomplished rally driver and relentless self-promoter. Beginning
in 1945, Healey entering the manufacturing ranks with a line of
Riley-powered sports cars and saloons. The Healey Silverstone and
Elliot were expensive and focused, yet they were among the fastest
cars of the era. Supplies of the Riley engine dwindled late in the
1940s, so Donald Healey went in search of a new partner in hopes of
realizing his dreams of a volume produced sports car. After a brief
foray with Nash in America, he made a bold move at the 1952 London
Motor Show when he unveiled a prototype roadster, based on common
Austin A90 mechanicals. Healey's goal was to impress Lord Nuffield,
chief of the newly formed BMC so that he could land the partnership
of a lifetime. Luckily, Nuffield was duly impressed with the car,
and a deal was struck to assemble the new Austin-Healey 100 sports
car at the famed Longbridge assembly plant alongside the Austin
A90. Mr. Healey was a savvy promoter and knew the value of
motorsport in selling his cars. A stunning 3rd overall finish in
the 1954 Sebring 12-hour race cemented the new 100's reputation in
the all-important American market. In response to demand, a factory
high-performance option was offered to satisfy serious sporting
buyers. The 100M of 1955 appealed to those who wanted to use their
new Healey in competition, particularly in the burgeoning American
club-racing scene. Based on the 2nd series BN2 chassis, the 100M
offered a comprehensive performance package comprising of the
reinforced front suspension, larger S.U. carburetors, airbox
intake, new 8.1:1 high compression pistons and a revised cam,
raising output from 90 to 110 horsepower. The body featured a
louvered hood to expel heat and a leather bonnet strap for safety
at speed. Initially, the 100M was a factory-only option, with 640
vehicles built at Longbridge. Later, customers could order the 100M
performance parts as the Le Mans Engine Modification Kit through
BMC dealers and have the parts retrofit to existing cars or fitted
prior to delivery. However, it is the original 640 factory-built
cars that command the most attention from collectors and given
their popularity with racers in the period, genuine examples are
scarce, and documentation is critically important. Presented in
brilliant Reno Red over a black interior, this 1956 Austin-Healey
100 is a highly desirable, factory-built M "Le Mans", documented by
both a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate as well as
the Austin Healey 100M Le Mans Registry. This is a matching-numbers
car, complete with photographic documentation of the matching body
numbers found on the cockpit trim, boot lid support, and bonnet. In
addition, the hand engraved numbers on the carburetor bodies are
still visible and the car retains its original matching-numbers
engine, as verified by the BMIHT Certificate. This is an original
US market car, which was acquired in 2006 by the respected marque
expert Harold Brandner of BMC Classics in Florida. Mr. Brandner
purchased the vehicle from long-term owner Mr. Gerry Giroux of
Maine who had owned the car since the early 1990s. While it
required a full restoration, it was remarkably complete as-found,
confirmed by the high number of matching original parts. Brandner
sold the car a year later to Donald Redlinger of New Jersey, with
the agreement that BMC Classics fully restore the car before
delivery. The project is documented from start to finish, as the
car was carefully disassembled, media blasted and placed in a
rotisserie before being meticulously rebuilt from the ground up.
The restoration encompassed every component and system on the car,
including complete engine and gearbox rebuilds, as well as
verification of the numbers and components for inclusion in the
Worldwide 100M Le Mans Registry. It presents in striking bright red
over a black interior, exquisitely restored with gorgeous
paintwork. Bumpers, brightwork and exterior trim pieces are
similarly outstanding, and accessories include a set of rare
Marchal fog/driving lamps, badge bar, headlamp stone guards, and
chrome wire wheels. It includes original tools and jack, as well as
a correct vinyl soft top and boot. Lifting the original louvered
bonnet reveals the fully restored, numbers-matching engine, painted
in correct Healey green and topped with a polished alloy rocker
cover. The carbs are verified original units, beautifully restored
and capped off with the original 100M-specific airbox. Paired with
the engine is a rebuilt four-speed gearbox with Laycock A-Type
overdrive. Correct finishes and fittings feature throughout the
engine bay, with plumbing and ancillaries kept tidy order with
proper hose clamps, fasteners, and hardware. The same fastidious
attention was bestowed upon the undercarriage, which is fully
painted, clean and meticulously detailed. With this, as with any
Healey 100M, the joy is in the raw, pure driving experience. With
the trademark folding windscreen lowered, this 100M exemplifies the
wind-in-the-hair British sports car experience. Occupants ride in
black leather bucket seats trimmed with red piping, which appear
fresh and taut. The fine black carpets protected with
original-style rubber floor mats. Restored original instruments
reside in the body-color fascia and a period-correct Heuer
stopwatch mounts in front of the passenger seat for rally
co-driving duties. The fit and finish are exemplary of a specialist
restoration, with correct-style materials and detailing. This
highly desirable 100M benefits from meticulous care, and it
continues to impress, even a decade after its restoration. The
high-quality work by a respected specialist ensures it is true to
factory specification, and that the critical components that set
the 100M apart are fully-documented and preserved. A fabulous
driver's sports car, this Healey is ideal for rallies, road events,
and concours, and it represents a rare opportunity to acquire a
documented and authenticated factory-built 100M.