Vehicle Description
Before production of the sensational new Austin-Healey 100 sports
car began in earnest at Austin's Longbridge plant, twenty
pre-production cars, numbered AHX1 through AHX20, were hand-built
by a small team in Healey's Warwick factory. According to Geoffrey
Healey's published memoirs, cars 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 were left out
of that sequence and set aside to serve as the official test cars.
Of those five, three were designated works racing cars and assigned
the numbers SPL 224/B, 225/B, and 226/B, with 227/B becoming the
24-hour record car. Developed by a team led by Geoff Healey and
Reginald "Roger" Menadue, these three cars were the face of
Austin-Healey's international motorsports efforts in the 1950s.
These so-called "Special Test Cars" were commonly known by their
registration numbers - NOJ 391 through NOJ 393 - as well as their
distinct light metallic green paintwork. Lacking the budget and
resources to build new cars for every venue, the Healey team ran
the Special Test Cars hard, continually rebuilding, developing, and
modifying them to suit each challenge. They also served as rolling
test beds for production parts, developing components integral to
the production 100 M Le Mans and the ultra-desirable homologation
special 100 S. SPL 224/B - AHS-3804, a.k.a. "Millie" From
record-breaking at Bonneville, to tearing through Italy on the
Mille Miglia, to being caught in the 1955 Le Mans disaster, the
Special Test Cars lived remarkable lives. While the details of each
SPL car could fill volumes, our focus is on SPL 224/B, also known
by its later ID number of AHS-3804, offered publicly for the first
time since 2007. This incredible Austin-Healey is the very first
Special Test Car, and one of the most extraordinary Austin-Healeys
in existence. Its history is nuanced and somewhat complex, as it
raced under various identities and guises throughout its storied
career, which included multiple appearances at the Mille Miglia,
the Tour de France, Sebring, and more. While not every aspect of
SPL 224/B's remarkable story is fully documented, the previous two
custodians have gone to great lengths to assemble the history to
the best of their ability, piecing together this fascinating puzzle
with invaluable input from famous marque insiders like Roger
Menadue, Geoff Healey, Ed Bussey, and Phil Stiles. Completed in the
Warwick workshop in early 1953, SPL 224/B and its sister cars were
vastly different from the road-going pre-production models. Most
notable among these differences are: Lightened, strengthened frame
Body panels in "Birmabright" aluminum alloy over a riveted alloy
substructure Larger anti-roll bars, re-valved dampers Uprated
Girling brakes Standard 100 engines built by the Austin
Experimental Department Austin Taxi 4-speed gearbox, modified for
floor shift Lucas competition wiring and electrics, and much more
Once completed, SPL 224/B was assigned the registration "NOJ 391"
ahead of the Healey team's 1953 Mille Miglia effort. Like the other
works racing cars, it was finished in light metallic green, a
distinct shade never used in regular production. The factory
entered two Austin-Healeys and two Nash-Healeys in the event, and
the result was a "learning experience" rife with mechanical foibles
that, however minor, caused retirements across the board. After the
Mille, the cars returned to Warwick ahead of Le Mans in June. The
factory officially entered our featured car, then known as NOJ 391,
alongside 392, and with 393 reserved as a backup. Unfortunately,
while on public roads ahead of the race, our intrepid Healey had a
rather serious coming together with an intoxicated French lorry
driver, and the car suffered serious damage. Unable to repair it in
time, the team (many suffering from stomach flu) feverishly
transferred the running gear, scrutineered parts, and the
registration number over to the backup car (now known to be
SPL226/B, the infamous '55 Le Mans crash car) in order to make the
race. After months in impound by the French police, SPL 224/B
finally returned to the works for a full rebuild. As described by
Geoff Healey in his numerous published works, our Healey was
rebuilt for the 1954 season, gaining several significant and
radical mechanical upgrades. The damage sustained in France
necessitated a new chassis, and the body was modified with enlarged
wheel arches to accommodate big 16-inch Dunlop cast alloy wheels.
Behind those wheels were new experimental Dunlop power disc brakes.
The Austin Taxi gearbox was replaced with a David Brown unit,
requiring alterations to the chassis to clear the gearbox-driven
pump that pressurized the braking system. Evidence of that
modification is still visible on the frame today. The team also
fitted a Marston-Excelsior butyl rubber-coated fuel tank, which was
a primitive version of the modern fuel cell developed for military
aircraft. The tank sat on a unique corrugated alloy boot floor,
mounted with through-studs, and the remnants of that feature can
still be seen. Other developments included reinforced suspension
pickup points that would later appear as standard on the production
100S, heavy-duty sump guard for rally events, and a new single-port
Weslake cylinder head. The team cars were re-registered with the
prefix "OON" and entered in the Sportscar World Championship. Lance
Macklin returned as Healey's lead works driver, and he piloted the
reborn SPL 224/B on numerous events during the season, including
its second appearance at the Mille Miglia. The team drove 150 miles
across England, crossed the Channel via ferry, and racked up
another 800 miles to arrive the start at Brescia, only to then
drive flat out for 1000 miles, then drive home! Macklin and SPL
224/B finished the Mille in a remarkable fifth place overall in the
hotly-contested over 2-litre class. It was a stunning performance
for a car that, on paper, was thoroughly outclassed by the mighty
big-bore Ferraris and Lancias. The car appeared in numerous other
events that season, and a summary of SPL 224/B's extensive race
history can be found at the following link:
https://hymanltd.com/spl-224b-ahs-3804-race-history-highlights/ For
1955, Austin Healey announced a special race-ready production model
named in honor of the marque's continued success at the Sebring 12
Hours. The 100S "Sebring Replica" was a thoroughly reworked version
of a standard 100, incorporating many of the improvements developed
on SPL 224/B. Reinforced suspension pickups, a revised head (with
carbs moved to the right side) four-wheel disc brakes, and alloy
coachwork counted among the numerous modifications. Approximately
50 were built and sold to club racers and enthusiasts around the
world. It was during this time that SPL 224/B was rebuilt by the
Warwick team in 100S specification and assigned its new identity,
AHS-3804, noted in records as the final "production" 100S. This
makes it simultaneously the prototype for the 100S and the last
production 100S. Based on period photos and assertations by Mr.
Healey and by Roger Menadue, AHS-3804 was the chassis used by Lance
Macklin and Sir Stirling Moss to take a hard-fought 6th overall and
a class win at the 1955 Sebring 12H. In its new guise and red
livery, the car returned to the Mille Miglia yet again as a works
racer. Donald and Geoff Healey learned that the Italian fans were
more likely to lend a hand to a stricken red car than a green one,
so the factory entries were repainted in an appropriately
Italianate shade. Marvelous period color photographs depict our
feature car sitting in front of Geoff Healey's office, and in
Brescia for the start of the '55 Mille. For this event, it was
re-registered "OON 440." George Abecassis finished a superb 11th
overall, exceptionally well-placed amon...for more information
please contact the seller.