2018-04-04 10:54:08 | pauls writes:

Car was at auction 7/17
www.brightwells.com/classic-motoring/general-information/classic-vintage-past-re ...

Auction description:
Lot number 23
Sale Price £37,000
Make & Model Austin-Healey 3000 MkI BT7
Registration 947 HLG
Year 1959
Colour Healey Blue
Engine Size 2,912 cc
Chassis No. HBT72762
Engine No. 29/DLH3312
V5C; old V5; MOT May 2018; recent invoices; Heritage Certificate; handbook; Haynes manual

Supplied new by Voss Motors of Liverpool in July 1959, this particular Healey has had just three owners from new, the first being a college tutor who kept it for 20 years before selling it to one of his students in 1979. He ran it around for a couple of years before putting it into storage where it was to remain for the next three decades.

Meanwhile life went on and our student grew into a motor trader, finally dragging the old Healey out of storage in 2009 and putting it into the name of his business. With his 50th birthday looming, the plan was to fully restore the car and take it on a Continental road trip to mark the occasion with his wife at his side. The first part of the plan went smoothly enough and, although there are no bills for the restoration, the results are plain to see.

Setting off for France in his freshly rebuilt Healey, life had probably never felt better but as the miles rolled by and the wind rushed past, it became increasingly clear that his passenger was not sharing the experience, being distinctly unimpressed with the creature comforts of a 50-year-old sportscar!

Realising that life with the Healey he had owned for 32 years was never going to pan out quite as he had dreamed, he reluctantly put it up for sale, our vendor acquiring it in 2011 at which point it had some 53,800 miles on the clock, a total which was believed to be the genuine distance covered from new.

During his ownership the vendor has added another 5,600 miles to this tally (the odometer now showing some 59,400 miles) including several long distance tours and a 500 mile outing with the Healey Club in 2014 during which the car is said to have proved totally reliable and to have run beautifully although it did develop an occasional misfire which has since been cured by the fitment of 123 electronic ignition (original distributor included).

Other improvements in the current ownership have included a full suspension overhaul with new rear leaf springs; chassis blacked and waxoiled; new tyres; stainless steel exhaust; spin-on oil filter conversion; uprated 5-blade cooling fan; new hood and tonneau cover; interior retrim with new seat squabs; battery cut-off switch; new heater, trunking and blower. Overdrive has also been fitted at some point which functions as it should.

Starting promptly and running beautifully as we moved it around for these photos, and still on its original Cheshire number plate and original factory colour scheme, this low-mileage, three-owner, UK-market Healey ticks all the right boxes and is ready for a new owner to enjoy right away.

It comes with a good file of bills covering the current ownership, an original owner's handbook, Haynes manual, Heritage Certificate and an MOT until May 2018.

PS: We have checked the number on the engine in the car and it matches that on the Heritage Certificate.