2023-03-24 16:24:35 | pauls writes:

Car at auction 3/23

themarket.bonhams.com/us/listings/austin-healey/3000-mk111/6f4c207c-d1f1-492c-b6 ...

Auction description:

Seller chrispy1

Location: Cardiff, United Kingdom

Seller Type: Private

Odometer Reading: 86,000

Chassis Number: HBJ8/32642

Engine: 2912

Gearbox: Manual

Steering position: Right-hand drive

Color: Red/Cream

Interior: Black Leather

Estimated Price: £50,000 - £60,000

This Austin Healey underwent a huge ‘chassis up’ rebuild in the late 1980s, with the then owner spending a huge sum of money to return the Austin Healey to an ‘as new’ car. This was all done at an engineering works that documented the process with paperwork and photos included with the paperwork pack for the car.

The lifetime of this car has also been documented with each owner being recorded on a timeline document and with only 4 owners and 84,000 miles, this Healey has lived quite the lavish life.

The current owner purchased the Healey from a gentleman who lived around the corner from him who had had the car since 2017. Previous to this owner the Healey had one owner from 1981 to 2017, that’s 35 years with the same owner, quite a feat and very uncommon in today’s throwaway society. During those 35 years, the car underwent its chassis up restoration. The first owner had the vehicle from new in 1965 to 1981, which concludes the trip through this car’s timeline.

Since being with the current owner, who is an avid car collector and automotive connoisseur, the car has been driven and enjoyed on the odd occasion. However being a collector sometimes means that pieces must be shuffled around to freshen things up.

On the Outside

Keeping much of its condition from its refresh in the late 80s, the Healey is in very good shape to this day. The paintwork is good and relatively free from stone chips, the chrome is not excessively pitted or dented, the hood is in good condition with all but the smallest nick in the rear screen (as presented in the photo gallery) and the wheels and tyres finish the package off nicely.

The paperwork suggests that the car was originally white but during its restoration in the 80s a colour change to a two-tone red and white scheme was decided upon. This remains a highlight of the car, and the two colours play off each other nicely to accentuate the lines of the car.

The centre-lock wire wheels are in good order with little damage or corrosion, finished off nicely with the chrome centre-lock cap. The tyres look to be in good order too, with plenty of tread and little visible cracking.

It is reported that all electrics are working on the car, and as such all lights work on the outside of the vehicle and the hood is easily put up and down should you be caught on the wrong side of the fickle British weather (snow in March, anyone?).

On the Inside

Again, the paperwork seems to suggest an original red leather trim was opted for from new, now being replaced by a subtle but fantastically-finished black leather trim. The condition of the interior is very good, with us unable to find fault during our photoshoot and rather enjoying the ergonomic thought gone into the design as well as the luxurious wooden accents.

The steering wheel and gear knob look to be uprated item,s with the steering wheel being a motolita item and the gear knob carrying a blessing from the travel gods, in case you needed some divine intervention to reach your destination.

The inside of the retractable hood looks clean and free from stains or rips, and the windscreen surround is relatively free from damage and corrosion. All in all, a well put together interior for this Healey, testament to the engineering firm’s work to the car all those years ago.

Underneath

As you can see from the photos, the underside of the car is in very good condition, with little corrosion or damage to be seen. The exhausts look to be much newer than they most likely are, showing just how well this car has been looked after.

Lifting the bonnet reveals the straight 6, twin carb 2912cc engine, which fired up on the button during the photo shoot and as you can tell from the video, sounded fantastic on its drive by. The condition under the bonnet is remarkable too, and as you can see all the way down into its depths, there is little place for any nasty surprises to be hiding. The owner was keen for us to show all the integral structural parts in the engine bay, and we were impressed again with the care this car has received.

There were no signs of any leaks, split hoses, or exposed wiring in the engine bay and with the car working so well on the photoshoot, we hope that that gives you peace of mind when bidding. Round the back of the car in the boot, there is a full-size spare sat with the battery and a jack with some tools neatly wrapped in a cloth bag. The metal work is covered with leather matting to protect it from any paint chips or dents too.

History Highlights

There is quite the history with the Healey, there isn’t a huge amount of small miscellaneous receipts for screws or hoses here and there and it’s likely that during its longest ownership, much of this was either done by the owner or taken to the same garage. The paperwork present however is a detailed account of its life post its restoration and the accompanying photos and work receipts should suffice - it was an ‘as new’ car after its restoration after all.