 | |
| Industry | Manufacture of high performance cars and design consultancy |
|---|---|
| Founded | 13 February 1946 [1] |
| Fate | Sold |
| Headquarters | The Cape, Warwick United Kingdom |
Key people | Donald Healey - founder |
Donald Healey Motor Company Limited was a British car manufacturer. [note 1]
The business was founded in 1945 by Donald Healey, a successful car designer and rally driver. Healey discussed sports car design with Achille Sampietro, a chassis specialist for high performance cars and Ben Bowden, a body engineer, when all three worked at Humber during World War II.
Healey's new enterprise focused on producing high-quality, high-performance cars which were inevitably expensive. It was initially based in the premises of Benford Ltd (who made cement mixers and dumpers) at The Cape in Warwick, but soon moved into an old aircraft components factory on the adjacent Millers Road Industrial Estate. There Healey was joined by Roger Menadue from Armstrong Whitworth to run the experimental workshop and subsequently by his son Geoffrey, who had qualified as an engineer. On 3 July 1963 (not 1961 as is often stated) they moved again into the former Warwick Cinema at Coten End. Sadly, both these premises have now been demolished: a new block of flats has been built on the cinema site, called - much to Geoff's disgust - 'Healey Court'. The cars mainly used a tuned version of the proven Riley twin-cam 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine in a light steel box-section chassis of their own design using independent front suspension by coil springs and alloy trailing arms with Girling dampers. The rear suspension used a Riley live axle with coil springs again. Advanced design allowed soft springing to be combined with excellent road holding. Lockheed hydraulic brakes were used.
When it was introduced in 1948, the Elliott saloon was claimed to be the fastest production closed car in the world, timed at 104.7 mph over a mile. The aerodynamic body design was the work of Benjamin Bowden and unusually for the time it was tested in a wind tunnel to refine its efficiency. This was the start of aerodynamic styling for reduced drag, that culminated in Bowden's last UK offering, the Zethrin Rennsport. In 1949 the most sporting of all the Healeys, the Silverstone, was announced. It had a shorter chassis and stiffer springing and was capable of 107 mph. It is now a highly sought after car and many of the other Healeys have been converted into Silverstone replicas. These cars had numerous competition successes including class wins in the 1947 and 1948 Alpine rallies and the 1949 Mille Miglia.
Government planning and controls required any substantial expansion of production to be for the export market alone. So in 1950 Healey built the Nash-Healey using a Nash Ambassador engine with SU carburettors and Nash gearbox. Initially the 3848 cc unit was used but when in 1952 body construction was transferred from Healey to Pininfarina the larger 4138 cc engine was fitted.
The final Healey car of this era was the G-Type using an Alvis TB21 engine and gearbox. This was more luxurious and heavier than the Riley engined models and performance suffered.
| Type | Engine | Approx Production | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healey Westland Roadster | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 64 | 1946-50 |
| Healey Elliott Saloon | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 101 | 1946-50 |
| Healey Sportsmobile | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 23 | 1948-50 |
| Healey Silverstone | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 104 | 1949-50 |
| Healey Tickford Saloon | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 222 | 1950-54 |
| Healey Abbott Drophead Coupe | 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder | 77 | 1950-54 |
| Nash-Healey | 3848 or 4138 cc Nash 6 cylinder | 506 | 1950-54 |
| Healey G-Type Roadster | 2993 cc Alvis 6 cylinder | 25 | 1951-53 |
Healey judged a cheaper sports car marketable in large numbers was needed to save the business, one that would fit between the MG and Jaguar cars then selling so well in USA. Working with his eldest son Geoffrey in the attic of the family home, Healey designed a two-seat roadster employing numerous low-cost Austin components, the Healey Hundred. Austin chief Sir Leonard Lord was so impressed when he saw it on the Healey stand at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show he offered to make it in his own factories under the name Austin-Healey 100. [2]
The result was a 1953 a joint venture which created the Austin-Healey marque with the British Motor Corporation manufacturing the cars and the Healey company doing the designs and running racing operations. The 100 evolved into the highly regarded and collector coveted 3-litre Austin-Healey 3000, and the diminutive 950cc Austin-Healey Sprite, known affectionately as the "frog-eye" or "Bugeye" was also manufactured.
Commenting on the 3000 after Donald Healey's death The Times observed: "The big Healey's brutally firm ride, heavy steering and engine so close it would roast a driver's feet never detracted from the superb, timeless styling and classic proportions." [3]
Donald Healey became a director of Jensen Motors in the late 1960s and a result of this was the Lotus-engined Jensen-Healey which appeared in 1972.
Donald Healey Motor Company was finally sold to the Hamblin Group, although Healey Automobile Consultants and the engineering parts of the company remained in the hands of Geoffrey and Donald Healey.
The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 until 1971. The Sprite was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, two days after that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war Austin Seven. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production being undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon. It first went on sale at a price of £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down.
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company in the 19th and 20th centuries. The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg formed S. Bettmann & Co. and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them under his own trade name in London. The trade name became "Triumph" the following year, and in 1887 Bettmann was joined by a partner, Moritz Schulte, also from Germany. In 1889, the businessmen started producing their own bicycles in Coventry, England.
Donald Mitchell Healey CBE was a noted English car designer, rally driver and speed record holder.
Austin-Healey was a British sports car maker established in 1952 through a joint venture between the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Donald Healey Motor Company (Healey), a renowned automotive engineering and design firm. Leonard Lord represented BMC and Donald Healey his firm.
Riley was a British motorcar and bicycle manufacturer from 1890. Riley became part of the Nuffield Organization in 1938 and was merged into the British Leyland Motor Corporation in 1968. In July 1969 British Leyland announced the immediate end of Riley production, although 1969 was a difficult year for the UK automotive industry and many cars from Riley's inventory may have been first registered in 1970.
The Austin-Healey 3000 is a British sports car built from 1959 until 1967. It is the best known of the "big Healey" models. The car's bodywork was made by Jensen Motors and the vehicles were assembled at BMC's MG Works in Abingdon, alongside the corporation's MG models.
Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd was a British manufacturing company in Coventry from 1919 to 1967. In addition to automobiles designed for the civilian market, the company also produced racing cars, aircraft engines, armoured cars and other armoured fighting vehicles.
Lea-Francis was a British motor manufacturing company that began by building bicycles.
The Nash-Healey is a three-seat luxury sports car or grand tourer produced from 1951 to 1954. It was marketed by the Nash-Kelvinator conglomerate in North America as a halo car to promote sales of its Nash Motors division.
The Riley RM Series is an executive car which was produced by Riley from 1945 until 1955. It was the last model developed independently by Riley prior to the 1952 merger of Riley's still new owner Nuffield, with Austin to form BMC. The RM series was originally produced in Coventry, but in 1949 production moved to the MG works at Abingdon. The RM models were marketed as the Riley 1½ Litre and the Riley 2½ Litre.
The Riley Pathfinder is an automobile which was produced by Riley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom from 1953 to 1957. It was first presented at the London Motor Show in October 1953 and replaced the RMF as Riley's top-line model.
Geoffrey Carroll Healey was a British automotive engineer.
The Triumph Dolomite is a car that was produced by Triumph Motor Company from 1934 to 1940. It first appeared in 1934 as a sports car and the name was also used from 1937 on a series of sporting saloons and open cars until 1939 when the company went into receivership. A number were still sold and registered in 1940, though it is uncertain whether the receiver or new owner turned out cars from spare parts, or sold off completed cars. All except the Straight 8 featured a "waterfall" grille styled by Walter Belgrove, versions of the saloons with conventional grilles were sold as Continental models.
The Singer Roadster is a nine tax horsepower open 2/4-seater sports-tourer automobile manufactured by Singer from 1939 until 1955. It was launched in March 1939 as an open version of Singer's Bantam saloon and using many Bantam parts.
The Triumph Renown is strictly the name given to the Triumph's large saloon car made from 1949 to 1954 but it is, in reality, part of a three-car series of the 1800, 2000 and Renown models. Together with the Triumph Roadster, they were the first vehicles to carry the Triumph badge following the company's takeover by the Standard Motor Company.
The Alvis Three Litre TD21 was a British sports saloon or coupé made by Alvis cars between the end of 1958 and October 1963. It was a revised version of the TC 108G, the body was made by Park Ward who were better able to supply them to the quantity, quality, and price required. The cars were slightly taller and a drop-head coupé was added to the range. They were both lighter.
The Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite is a small sports car that was produced by the Donald Healey Motor Company at its Cape Works in Warwick and at the Healey's Speed Equipment Division in Grosvenor Street, London W1. Subsequently Sebring Sprites were also produced by John Sprinzel Ltd from his well-known premises in Lancaster Mews, W2.
The Alvis 4.3-litre and Alvis Speed 25 were British luxury touring cars announced in August 1936 and made until 1940 by Alvis Car and Engineering Company in Coventry. They replaced the Alvis Speed 20 2.8-litre and 3.5-litre. They were widely considered one of the finest cars produced in the 1930s.
The Healey Silverstone is an open, two-seat sports car produced by the Donald Healey Motor Company beginning in 1949. It is named for the Silverstone Circuit racetrack, where it appeared on its second competition outing. The car has a narrow roadster style body and cycle wings. Designed as a dual purpose car for both road and track, the Silverstone became popular in club racing.
Duncan Industries was a short-lived motor body manufacturer in North Walsham, Norfolk, England. It is believed to have made about 30 bodies for Alvis chassis and a lesser number for Healey chassis.
There is one club worldwide who cater for (pre Austin) Healey cars - The Association Of Healey Owners