On offer at Imperial War Museum, Duxford - Wed, 22nd Jun 2022 13:00
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A well-known historic competition car, with more than 40 years of European success
Highly-developed, with a 200bhp works-specification engine and all-aluminium bodywork
A highly credible 7th place finisher on the very first RAC ‘Classic Marathon’
Approximately £30,000 in recent expenditure with marque specialists ‘Orchard Restorations’
Entered from a deceased estate
When it comes to rallying royalty, the Austin Healey 3000 and success of its legendary BMC Works Rally programme is heavily documented. Already a fine road car, relentless development by the backroom boys of the BMC Competitions Department, culminated with a machine that crews referred to as the “biggest gun on the field”. If you were already a top driver, you needed a car you could win with and in the big banger sports car class, the Works Austin Healey 3000 was just that car. In the right hands, these sensational machines with their opposition crushing low down grunt, could storm Alpine passes in 2nd and 3rd gear, when the rest of the European competition were chugging around in 1st and 2nd. BMC with the Austin Healey 3000 dominated and won many International Rallies, such as the gruelling Liege Sofia Liege and the Alpine. Driven by heroes like Timo Makinen, Pat Moss and the Morley brothers, the Big Healey's were the always the cars to beat. Inspired preparation and meticulous planning meant they mostly retired from crashes, not mechanical failure. Even the organisational might of Mercedes, Ferrari. Porsche and Alfa Romeo, were usually left in the dusty wake, of the red and white cars from Great Britain. By the mid-sixties development peaked, with the now classic combination of the triple Weber 200bhp, 3 litre, 6 cylinder engine, coupled to a (almost deafeningly noisy) straight cut Tulip ratio gearbox and gear lever operated competition overdrive, which could snap in so fast, the rear wheels would momentarily spin. To many, the Big Healey is simply the definitive rally car of all time…
Always capable of a front running pace, it has over the last forty years, become one of the most well-known and admired machines both at home and overseas. More ‘Mountain Legend’ than freshly restored rally replica, it's the nearest thing there is to a £400,000 works machine and has the all important contemporary history and equipment to back up such a claim for a very modest outlay. In 2019, ’32 EXT’ was entrusted to marque specialists ‘Orchard Restorations’ for a thorough rebuild and has seen little to no use since the work was carried out. Almost £30,000 was invested and included the stripping and fully rebuilding of the engine to ‘fast road / rally’ specification (200bhp on dyno sheet provided). Benefitting from some other highly-desirable competition upgrades including a rear disk conversion (all brakes renewed recently), spare wheel bulge to boot and period competition lamps to both the front and rear. Inside the cockpit, you’ll find full harnesses, race seats, roll cage, overdrive on the gear knob for 2rd and 4th and a Halda Speed Pilot.
Behaving faultlessly on our recent photography session, the car is said to “drive superbly’, with our consignor also stating that “the gearbox and axle are quiet, with no clonks or rattles”. Offered with V5c UK registration document and an impressive history file including photographs, invoices, results lists, event entry paperwork and much more. Not currently FIA-papered but easily attainable, our vendors feel the car is a little on the noisy side for current rally regulations and would benefit from larger silencers if the new owner decides to proceed down that route.
For more information, please contact:
Adam Sykes
adam.sykes@handh.co.uk
07429 600332
![](https://s2.save4k.ru/pic/Jg_bFLfUFr0/maxresdefault.jpg)