Austin Healey 100M (1956)
for sale
Price: US $95,000.00
Price: US $95,000.00
(Click here for more photos)
In the realm of sports cars there lives a
certain breed of purpose built machines that take a precise and minimalistic
approach to going “fast”. Cars like the Alfa Romeo 4C, Mazda MX-5, air-cooled Porsche
911’s, or Lotus Elan all embody this ideology and are arguably some of the most
satisfying cars to drive. They possess an element of duality in the sense that
with little to no modifications, are a blast around a track and then if
desired, one could drive them home. These dual-purpose road cars have been
around for quite some time which brings us to the Austin Healey 100M.
Making its debut at the 1952 London Motor
Show, the Healey 100 was one of the most raved about models on display. It
spurred such a ruckus amongst enthusiasts that the acting director of Austin, Leonard Lord, took enough interest to add “Austin” in front of the name through
a partnership deal proposed by Donald Healey. With funding in place, the Austin
Healey 100-4 began its short production run from 1953 until 1956.
At the 1954 24 Hours of LeMans the 100-4
factory race cars, which were then “LeMans” prototypes, gave a fantastic
performance winning second in class and 12th overall. An astounding achievement
for such a young company. It was decided then that for 1955 and 1956 a special
edition of the 100-4, the 100M, would be built with only 640 factory units
realized during the production run. As such, owners of standard 100-4’s who
could not get their hands on the factory built cars went back to the dealer for
the “M Modification” and upgrades. This included a louvered bonnet, special
aluminum cold air box, special cam, tuned carburetors, and ignition amongst
other subtleties.
Available for purchase is a dealer
prepared 1956 Austin Healey 100M, chassis number BN2L230263, engine number
1B230263, showcasing a beautiful restoration and M-Conversion by the marque
specialist at Ragtops and Roadsters of Sellersville, Pennsylvania. The
restoration was finished in February of 2013, having been well maintained and
serviced since. The BMIHT Certificate denotes this example’s date of build on
January 3, 1956 and scheduled to be delivered to dealer in Paris, France. The
factory fitted equipment consisted of a laminated windscreen, heater, and Duplo
headlights.
The two-tone Old English White exterior
with Black coves and red pinstripe bisecting the two is quite the color
combination. The paint has aged well, lacking any serious inconsistencies in
its finish. Upon close inspection, one will note several minor touch ups at the
tops of each windscreen pillar. This most likely occurred from putting the soft
top up and down as they can be a bit trick to properly latch. The chrome-wear
on this example is polished and free of significant pitting, in need of no
attention.
The black soft top is in nearly new
condition, the rear plastic window crystal clear, having developed no hazing or
deep scratches. The weather gear shows equally as well. Looking over the chrome
wire wheels, they are flawless, and the tires are free of dry rot or significant
wear.
An examination of the simple and nicely
trimmed interior showcases the quality and care in this 100M’s restoration.
Despite that the restoration is several years old, the door jams are still
tidy, the doors themselves open and close without issue, and all electrical
components are fully operable. The black leather bucket seats are well kept, having developed some light fading in the finish around the bolsters. The
leather trimmed door panels also show some dulling in the finish but lack the
more serious marks of use (scuffs, pulls, tears). Glancing down at the rugs, they have clearly seen no mistreatment, presenting well. The painted dash is
clean, housing the rebuilt and refinished Smiths instruments. All in all, the
cabin has matured nicely, now possessing a welcomed light patina. Overall
everything appears correct, in order, and showing as nicely restored.
Inspecting the engine compartment, one
will find fresh hoses, proper stampings and data tags, and no indicators of
need for repair or further sorting. Some of the finishes are not as fresh as
they were on day one, but the car is absolutely mechanically sound and shows no
notable leaks which is something to be said for an old British sports car. The
rear boot is immaculate, the black liner near flawless and all of the metal is
structurally sound. Going through the undercarriage, it presents no blemishes
to make mention of. The frame is sound and free of dents which is a common
occurrence with Healeys due to the low ground clearance. The floors and parts
of the underside show to have been replaced due to rust, but was done correctly
overall and is acceptable in its existing condition.
After studying this 100M’s extensive
maintenance history, it is no surprise that this car is in need of no substantial
mechanical repairs. The specialists at Ragtops and Roadsters meticulously
sorted and maintained all systems. Pull the choke, turn the key, push the
starter button and the 2.6L engine will promptly fire. When cold it tends to
sporadically stumble at idle but smooths out once up to operating temperature, common. On the road, the engine pulls well, clutch is smooth, gearbox shifts
without issue, brakes bite, and steering free of any excess play.
This dealer prepared 1956 Austin Healey
100M is a well-rounded and honest example, sporting a carefully preserved older
restoration. This concise, nimble, and potent little racer is much quicker than
the standard 100-4’s, offering the rich driving experience of a factory built
100M without the big price tag. Included in this sale is the complete tool kit, knock off hammer, books, spare wheel, tonneau cover, extensive documentation
file, BMIHT Certificate, and 100M Registry Certificate.
update: 2017-11-22
Used |
“Nicely restored to 100M specifications by marque specialists. Well sorted and immediately ready to be driven and enjoyed.” |
Year: | 1956 | VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): | BN2L230263 |
Mileage: | 712 | Interior Color: | Black |
Make: | Austin Healey | Number of Cylinders: | 4 |
Model: | 100M | Transmission: | Manual |
Engine: | 2.6L | Body Type: | Convertible |
Drive Type: | RWD | Warranty: | Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty |
Vehicle Title: | Clear | Exterior Color: | Old English White |
Fuel Type: | Gasoline |