For Sale: 1953 Austin-Healey 100-4 in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1953 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN1 Roadster

"The original Austin Healey was the 100 produced in 1953 as a sporting alternative to the Austin A90 Atlantic which shared some components. It was named after its ability to reach 100 mph. Ex-racer Donald Healey was keen to take advantage of his racing successes and manufacture a car under his name. The One Hundred was envisioned by his small team as a competition car. The first prototype was immediately tested in Belgium and reached a top speed of 111 mph with the front windshield in its folded position." Supercars.net

For consignment, a 1953 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN1 roadster showing 73,219 miles, but the true miles are unknown. This car received a ground up restoration about 10 years ago and represents an early iteration of a classic British roadster.

Exterior
The two stage Charcoal Gray Metallic suits the little sportscar well and the addition of a red canvas convertible top sets this car apart. Gleaming paint covers every inch of the long nose, short tail, and straight edge doors that fit the body like the perfect puzzle piece, adopting the descending character line that starts at the ornamental accent on the front fender and ends on the dogleg. Round topped fenders in back rise above the decklid and have a perfect linear trim piece that ends up handsomely flanking the round tail lights. Up front, the distinctive fan shaped grille is bookended by headlights that come at the end of rounded fenders. 15-inch knock off wire wheels carry 165SR15 tires with an early 2021 date code. Overall, the paint is in fine condition but our dubious detective notes small inclusions throughout along with a touched up chip, some waviness to the panels, and an area of orange peel quality.

Interior
Put the top down, and you'll still have beautiful red shining through thanks to an interior donned in red leather, beginning on the door panels which like many British roadsters, leave a gap to provide a bit more elbow room and both doors present cleanly. The bomber style red leather buckets also show nicely and there's no break in the color as the package shelf and rear area is also red. Up front, the black banjo style steering wheel fronts a silver painted gauge cluster ahead of a gray painted dash, shaped to mirror curves in the floor and to provide the passenger with a grab handle. Red carpet covers the floor, footwells, and transmission tunnel where an offset shifter is presented to the driver. Get ready to open your boot at shows because it's beautifully finished with red materials, stitched to perfection and clean.

Drivetrain
Under the hood is a clean and robust numbers matching 2660cc inline four cylinder, rated at 90 horsepower and fueled through 2 Su carburetors. A 3-speed manual with overdrive is onboard and in true sportscar fashion, sends power to the rear axle, here with 4.125 gears. The car runs on a 12 volt system.

Undercarriage
A hefty X-frame takes center stage on the clean underside where a single exhaust travels through a stock style muffler and the left side of the car, finally exiting just ahead of the left rear tire. Drum brakes are at all four wheels, and suspension consists of coil spring in front and leaf springs in back.

Drive-Ability
Even in its diminutive size, there's a robustness to this car that becomes obvious on the test loop. It's got power on tap and holds the road as if on glue tires. Unlike modern cars, this one does not drive itself and requires an attentive pilot perched in a straightforward cabin with not a lot of extra space. If there's ever been a car that you become one with, this is it. Meanwhile, every function onboard gets a passing grade from us and this special car is headed to the British room! While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

Petite by today's standards, it has us thinking that the men who raced these cars and took them to 100 mph back in the day may have been cut from a different cloth, and admirable in their insanity. This one was taken apart and put back to factory specs and it's clear these were built for speed. Well sorted examples don't come up often, so finish your bangers and mash and make that call!

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price. All prices are before state, city and county tax, tag, title and license fees. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered. Classic Auto Mall is not responsible for errors and omissions. Please verify listings with dealer. Vehicles may require VIN verification and/or safety and emissions inspections to transfer ownership and register the vehicle in the declared state of residence. Please check with your local DMV office to ensure compliance with your states titling and registration process.

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