Vehicle Description
1963 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II - Family Owned since 1969 - BJ7 (Big
Healey) Series - 2912cc Straight 6-Cylinder with Dual SU Carbs 1963
Austin Healey 3000 Mark II (Please note: If you happen to be
viewing this 1963 Austin Healey 3000 Mark II on a website other
than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only
seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to website
limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 175
photographs, please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.) They
ended up with the MG, they ended up with the Triumph. But, truth be
told, they coveted the Big Healey. George Baxter, an Austin Healey
concours judge quoted in The Handsome Healey, Hemmings Sports and
Exotic, 11/14 George Baxter went on to wax eloquent on the model's
appeal: The Big Healey does have a presence that many people
respond to, which is quite evident when we're out and about. It
brings smiles and comments from many onlookers, and invites
conversation. Oh, and to look down that long, beautiful bonnet and
to hear that deep throaty growl emanating from the twin tipped
exhaust�€"it is arguably one of the best notes in the car world.
While Mr. Baxter may have been a bit biased, there's no arguing
that when it comes to classic British sporting automobiles, the
3000 Mark II (BJ7) Big Healeys are among the most highly prized.
Low slung, long-hooded, wire-wheeled, and narrow tired, these were
cars as at home on the twisty English backroads, as they were at
Hollywood movie premiers. And of the 6,113 Austin Healey 3000 Mark
II cars (easily identified by their beautifully redesigned grille)
produced, the sporting convertibles were probably the most
cherished. Wind-in-your-hair driving is just so... British. But it
needn't be primitive. For 1963, roll-up windows replaced side
curtains, and the convertible top was a one-hand operation, rather
than the more challenging and complicated earlier designs.
Collectors today also appreciate that these cars retained the
classic look of the dashboard painted in body color rather than the
later wood-grain versions. With regard to performance, the Mark II
cars delivered more with less from their 2.9-liter straight-six
engines. David LaChance of Hemmings Sports and Exotic explained:
Tuning three carburetors was a finicky job, and complaints led
British Motor Corporation to replace the (three) HS4s with a pair
of SU HS6 carburetors in June 1962. This change lopped just one
horsepower off the engine's rating. In fact, when Autocar magazine
tested the new model, designated the BJ7, they discovered that it
was six seconds quicker to 100 MPH, and a second quicker in the
standing quarter-mile, than its predecessor. The Austin Healey 3000
Mark ii (BJ7) offered here is a stellar example of a lovingly
maintained car that never required a massive restoration. As such,
it displays in collector-grade condition. The patina of use on the
blue-with-cream-piping leather seats has an appeal unmatched by
newly restored fresh leather. Interior carpeting and leather door
trim is all nicely kept. Gauges, iconic steering wheel,
floor-tunnel-mounted four-speed shifter, and dashboard retain their
original look. The exterior finishes on the car's classic
light-blue paint, original engine, and wire wheels reflect the care
given the car by two generations of the same family who've owned
the car for the past 50 years, and who piloted it for most of its
81,000 miles. The same is true for the brightwork, emblems, and
lenses front and rear. Probably the newest surface on the car is
the blue fabric convertible top. Why the car even had a brush with
celebrity with the owner having treated Olivia Newton John to a
ride in it back in the day. We invite in-person inspection by
appointment of this beautiful Big Healey. Meanwhile, the more than
175 photographs of the car and the short walk-around video on the
GarageKeptMotors site faithfully represent the car's condition. One
final bit from Mr.
