1960 Austin-Healey 3000
'A classic competition car among the all-time greats in motoring history,' was how The Autocar magazine summed up the works Austin-Healey 3000 in 1963. Yet at the time of its arrival in 1959, few would have guessed that the low-slung 'Big Healey' would triumph over its apparent shortcomings so effectively that it now rates as one of the most successful rally cars of the 1960s.
A development of the preceding 100/6 rather than a genuinely new model, the Austin-Healey 3000 was launched in March 1959. The two cars looked virtually identical and under the skin was the same separate ladder-type chassis and independent front/live rear axle suspension. Improvements to the 3000 included a slightly enlarged (to 2,912cc) version of the C-Series six-cylinder engine and Girling disc brakes up front, a development greeted with enthusiasm by devotees of this muscular British sports car. Breathing through twin SU carburettors, the revised power unit produced 124bhp at 4,600rpm; top speed - with the optional hardtop fitted - increased to 115mph, with 60mph reachable in a little over 11 seconds. Like the 100/6, the 3000 was available in two-seater and 2+2 guises and came with wire wheels and adjustable front seats as standard.
Bonhams will be offering this example, at their upcoming Zoute Sale on the 6th October, its estimated value is between €60,000 – €80,000. For more information on this and other vehicles at the sale, click on the link below. Photos courtesy of Bonhams.