2012-11-06 10:45:59 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 11/24/12
www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2012-11-24/car/1954-austin-healey-1004-bn1.a ...

Auction description:
Registration SUM100
Chassis Number BN1-151731
Engine Number 1B-205800
Odometer reading 7,952
Estimate £20,000 - £28,000
This Austin Healey 100/4 was built in February 1954 being registered on the 1st April 1954 to the first owner C.R.Hanson, who was a Royal Air Force national serviceman. In the history file there are a number of pictures showing him competing at Silverstone in 1954 or '55, photograph courtesy Motor Sport and another picture shows SUM at the back of 'The Healey Brigade' during an event at Aintree with Mr Hanson driving. We are told that he sold the car in 1956 to buy a Austin Healey 100S, before that he had SUM's engine modified to Le Mans Specification. Snippets about the cars' history told to the vendor:- as a result of an article he wrote for Sporting Cars International: A self confessed "number plate nut" from Wales told me that he remembers seeing the car taking part in 'sand races' in the North West. "This is borne out by the amount of sand that he found inside the chassis when I stripped the car down. The sand got on through an incomplete weld on top of the cross frame and the car did not have a proper petrol tank, just a one gallon can rigged up in the boot." He also was put in touch with a person in a New Forest who owned the car in the 1960's when the car was red. He sold to a friend for £75 and the next time he saw it in Derbyshire sporting a hard top made from a Mini. Witness two extra holes in the rear shroud. In 1974, the Healey was bought by Keith Brading who ran a car dismantling and second hand spares business in Ryde, Isle of Wight. He stored the car with two other Healey 100's and a Porsche 356 in his workshop. The Healeys were not for sale, he was saving them for his retirement! He never did get round to restoring them however and eventually the vendor persuaded Keith to sell him SUM in December 1985. He set about restoring the car which included rebuilding the engine, boring the cylinders to +30 thou. and fitting new pistons, new bearings and profiling the camshaft to 'M' specification. The body work, all the inner wings replaced, wings and doors welded as required, new sills, floor pans and boot floor replaced. The suspension was overhauled, the rear shock absorber mountings repaired and all shock absorbers renewed. The 100/4 is supplied with a V5C registration document, an MoT test certificate which expires in June 2013 and a complete history file. This is a rare opportunity to purchase a numbers matching 100/4 that requires minor re-commissioning to prepare it for next year's season of racing or rallying.