THE VEHICLE IS LOCATED IN WILMINGTON, NC
This 1957 Austin-Healey 100-6 four-seat BN4 roadster is finished in two-tone red and black over a reupholstered black leather interior and powered by a 2.6-liter inline-six mated to a replacement four-speed manual transmission with a Laycock overdrive unit. Equipment includes a four-wheel disc-brake conversion, Dayton 15? wire wheels, dual SU carburetors, a Moto-Lita steering wheel, a Smiths heater and instrumentation, driving lamps, and a black-finished removable hardtop. The car was acquired by the seller in February 2023, and subsequent service has involved installing a section brake line to extend the bleed screw for the clutch slave cylinder and replacing the knock-off nuts and clutch cylinder along with the speedometer cable and angle drive. This BN4 is now offered with removed and spare parts, a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, and a clean North Carolina title in the seller's name.
The car left the factory finished in Ivory White and was repainted in two-tone red and black under previous ownership. A black removable hardtop with a replacement rear window is currently installed along with brightwork that includes a badge bar, driving lamps, fender moldings, front-fender flash trim, a windshield-post side mirror, external trunk hinges, and bumpers with overriders. The match lines of the doors are imperfect with a few paint chips, cracks, and touch-ups along with a crease in the right-front fender. We can provide more pictures of these areas if you would like.
Dayton 60-spoke 15? wire wheels are finished in silver, secured by replacement two-eared knock-off nuts, and mounted with Michelin XAS tires that show 2014 date codes. A four-wheel disc-brake conversion installed under prior ownership is said to consist of Austin-Healey calipers and rotors up front along with equipment sourced from a period Jaguar at the rear. Service in preparation for the sale including installing a section of brake line to provide under hood access to the clutch bleed screw, and service under previous ownership is said to have included rebuilding the steering box.
The 2+2 cabin features low-back front bucket seats trimmed in black leather with red piping and a matching dash pad, door panels, and carpeting. Further appointments include a Smiths heater, a dash-mounted rearview mirror, a chrome passenger-side grab handle, red front-seat lap belts, polished door caps, and a custom shift knob fitted with an overdrive switch. A wood-rimmed Moto-Lita steering wheel equipped with a rebuilt trafficator assembly fronts Smiths instrumentation consisting of a 120-mph speedometer, a tachometer with a 4,800-rpm redline, and gauges for oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 21k miles, approximately 300 of which were added under current ownership. The speedometer cable and angle drive were replaced under current ownership, and the speedometer registers low and the odometer is inaccurate. True mileage is unknown.
The 2.6-liter inline-six was factory rated at 102 horsepower and is equipped with dual SU carburetors, a Lucas coil, and an Austin-branded valve cover. Service performed under previous ownership is said to have included rebuilding the engine and the carburetors and also replacing the harmonic stabilizer and the radiator. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a rebuilt replacement four-speed manual gearbox with a 3.54:1 final-drive ratio and an electrically actuated Laycock de Normanville overdrive. The clutch was replaced and the driveshaft was rebuilt and balanced under previous ownership, and the clutch slave cylinder was replaced in preparation for the sale. These early cars had a 3:90 rear end ratio so it probably has the original stock non-overdrive 3:90 rear. The combination of gearing and the 2.2 overdrive yield a cruising speed of 65 @3000 RPM. This was determined using a GPS speedometer as the physical speedometer is not spot-on accurate.
The car starts easily with minimal use of the choke and runs and drives great. It produces a wonderful full throated note and the over drive works flawlessly; having the overdrive control on the gear shift is very convenient and intuitive. All four chrome knock off for the wire wheels are new and the hardtop is a factory unit having Serial Number #4/0159 50. New head liner material, panels, gaskets and seals from Cape International and AH Spares are included in the sale.
The car is accompanied by removed parts including drum-brake assemblies, a non-overdrive transmission, a convertible-top frame, a banjo-style steering wheel, and a set of five steel wheels and hubcaps. Also accompanying the vehicle are a service manual, two keys, two convertible tops, and removable side curtains as well as the uninstalled headliner frame, upholstered panels, window gaskets, and extra headliner fabric for the hardtop. The older of the two soft tops has a patch panel across the top, and the side-curtain gaskets should be replaced.
Attached are a few photos of the top bows which are the ones required for the Longbridge cars. Note the unique attachment points which differ between the two sides. The bows open and close very well and there are 2 of the 4 required webbing attachment sleeves included. If they are not available from a vendor, they would be quite easy to fabricate.
Note the underside photos and the underside video which show how rust-free the frame is on this Healey. That is always a concern on cars of this age and particularly on these models.
The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate shows that the car was built for the export market in July 1957 but was first employed as a demonstrator at Aintree Racecourse in England before being dispatched to a dealer in Fort Worth, Texas. Additional details include factory serial numbers, colors, and equipment.
As the BMIHT states, this car was dispatched to Aintree Racecourse prior to being delivered to a dealer in Fort Worth, Texas. At the 1957 British Grand Prix, identical BN4s were used to carry drivers around the track - including Stirling Moss - sitting on the rear shroud prior to the parade lap for the race. These cars (this one included) were all Ivory White over Black and disc wheeled and given the initial disposition of the car, it is highly likely that the car offered for sale here was one of those parade cars. If Sterling Moss had not sat on the back of this particular car on the parade lap, some other famous driver apparently did. An interesting article and photo is shown here: https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/austin-healey.htm and this video of the 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree shows the way that a group of Healeys were used to carry these famous drivers on a parade lap. The cars in 1955 were 100s and as can be seen in the film they all had wire wheels. The parade lap portion is from 3:00 to 3:59. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNsvXGkwnaQ
If you are ready to take a step back in time cruising in this British beauty do not let that opportunity to own it pass you by. This will make a truly enjoyable car to cruise the country roads and to take to shows.
We have priced this vehicle to sell so don't let this opportunity to own it pass you by!!
If you want to know the RESERVE on the car - CALL ME (978) 771-8375
If you would like to talk about a Buy It Now purchase - CALL ME (978) 771-8375
My name is Paul please call me direct with any questions - my cell phone is always with me at (978) 771-8375 or you can email me anytime at [email protected]
I promise you will enjoy your experience at Silverstone Motorcars. We'll gladly help deliver this vehicle to your doorstep.
THE VEHICLE IS LOCATED IN WILMINGTON, NC
