2021-12-23 11:26:56 | pauls writes:

Car at auction 12/21

themarket.co.uk/en/listings/austin-healey/3000-mkii-bj7/40f9a831-c173-476e-8757- ...

Auction description:

Location: Paris, France

Seller Type: Private

Odometer Reading: 101000 km

Chassis Number: HBJ7L24360

Engine: 2912

Gearbox: Manual

Steering position: LHD

Colour: Red and white

Interior: Black leather

Estimated Price: €55,000 - €65,000

This 3000 is a 1964 MkII (BJ7) model. That means it has the still potent 132bhp version of the C-series. A left-hand drive export to the USA from new, this example only came back to Europe a few years ago (2017/18), having spent the majority of its 57 years in California and Illinois. Currently residing in Paris and being offered by a long-term collector of British and American classic sports cars (including an AC Cobra), the vendor reports that they simply have too many cars at present and it’s time to let someone else enjoy this marvellous slice of British brawn.

Despite its age, and being an older restoration (1986), this Healey is still looking very sharp. It has covered just 62,271 miles and the vendor reports that it drives without fault. When they’re good – as this one appears to be – these cars are a delight to drive. There’s plenty of performance and torque from that big six and the four-speed overdrive transmission clicks and clacks between its ratios with a satisfying feeling. Plus, in two-tone with wire wheels, is there a better-looking way to enjoy wind-in-the-hair motoring?

On the Outside

Signal red over cream has to be one of the best colour combinations ever to grace tarmac. When you match it to a smart black soft top and acres of chrome – it’s certainly a hard act to top. This Healey still appears to be in very good order, especially considering that it was restored over 30 years ago. Though, having said that, there are a few signs that the paint was applied a while ago. Some moisture bubbles – under the paint – are now evident on most of the panels; with the boot lid appearing to have caught the worst of them. The lower half of the paint seems to have fared much better. Even on the red top half, these are really only noticeable when you get up close and are limited to a few sections.

The chrome-covered snout of this Healey appears to still look great – in fact, there’s a mirror shine to much of the chrome covering the whole car. There are a few little niggles with the grille however; its vertical bars show some small dents, but nothing serious. There are also some very minor paint imperfections (hairline crack and small chip) on the bonnet leading edge (passenger side). The soft-top hood seems to be in excellent condition and fits well, as do the rubbers all round, which seem to have been replaced. The wire wheels are not only gorgeous but appear highly presentable. The tyres covering them are Vredestein Sprint Classics that all seem to have plenty of life left – there’s an invoice for their purchase in the history folder from 2015. Generally, the exterior of this Healey looks good enough to turn many a head at any show from the local village green to the Goodwood Revival.

On the Inside

Cabins don’t come too much simpler than this one. It’s a visual ode to the ‘good old days’ when driving demanded total concentration. If, like us, this sounds like bliss then read on… The vinyl-covered bucket seats might lack a little padding, but do provide plenty of support. The dash sports two prominent dials, one’s a speedo and the other’s a rev counter. What more do you need? Well as this is British, and nearly 60 years old, it’s also handy to see readouts for oil pressure, coolant temperature and fuel level. There’s also a little toggle switch to engage or disengage overdrive.

The hard-wearing vinyl on the seats still looks good in most areas, there’s just a few light marks to worry about; the worst of which can found in the back. Some stitching on the driver’s seat is coming loose and some of that attractive red piping has the odd very minor mark, but generally, the pews seem to be all good. The vendor informs us that the car drives without fault, having just had a new alternator and front disc brakes fitted. The only complaint we had was that the gear knob is no longer secure; hardly a big job to put right…

Underneath

Though we didn’t have a wealth of images to pour over, we did chat with the vendor about the running gear and underside of this Healey. He reports that all’s well. It certainly looks good and solid still, though we could see a lot of overspray on many of the components underneath. That would suggest that the re-paint in the 1980s didn’t go down to a full strip or bare metal repaint, as components were left on the car when it was painted. Either that, or it was painted once it was at the rolling shell phase. We couldn’t confirm either way unfortunately.

Healeys ride notoriously low to the ground and so it was with little surprise that we noted scratches to the exhaust. We’ve hardly found any that don’t bear the mark of a sleeping policeman or two. The running gear looks visually in top shape with very little signs of leaks (there’s oil some mist, it’s a British sports car after all). Many of the bushes look to be in as-new condition and several – including those on the front anti-roll bar – have been upgraded with polyurethane alternatives.

The only other thing we noticed under this Healey was a small dent in the rear panel, under the licence plate. There was also some surface rust visible in the rear of the frame, though generally, we thought the floors and chassis looked very sound with plenty of wax protection still remaining in place.

History Highlights

Unlike many an imported machine, this Healey does come with some of its previously imported history. There’s a state of California certificate of title from 2017 and a number of invoices for basic maintenance and upkeep from several US specialists. An enormous mechanical overhaul seems to have taken place in 2015, with a bill from specialist British Motorcar Repair for $5295.01. This included everything from brake discs and pads to wheel cylinders and kingpins. There’s another big bill for those tyres ($780) also from 2015.

Going a bit further back, we have a smattering of bills from the 1980s from the car’s former life, then in Illinois, and a typed-up letter to the restoration firm in 1986 detailing how the balance of $14,410 would be settled. An astonishing amount of money to spend on a classic back then.

Up-to-date invoices, in French of course, seem to indicate that the car has had a recent DEKRA safety inspection and a little more on-going maintenance. The former, an independent going over of all aspects of the car, was carried out in April 2021, and concluded that – other than some minor play and corrosion – the car’s in great shape. We were also encouraged to see both a FFVE certificate in French, the Californian title and now widely expected British Motor Industry Heritage Trust factory record. All of these important documents give the car its provenance and more importantly, allow us to trace this car’s long history.