The Austin-Healey 100 was the car that introduced the Austin-Healey Marque. This very British sports car used an Austin A90 engine and modified Austin A90 gearbox, and its all-steel body was mounted on a steel box section chassis.
Donald Healey's very first iteration was put on display at the
1952 Earls Court Show, and so impressed was BMC's managing director Leonard Lord that a deal was struck, so next morning the model on the stand had a new badge which announced to the world that this was the new Austin Healey 100.
The deal had Healey designing the cars and Longbridge building and marketing them under the name of Austin-Healey.
It would take some time to get the sports car into production, at the earliest by the middle of
1953. As a production line would have to be set up at Jensen Motors of West Bromwich to produce the body, with a line set up at Longbridge for final assembly.
The "100" name comes from
Donald Healey, who named it after the fact that this was one of the few cars of the era which could maintain 100 mph (160 km/h), as opposed to the
Austin-Healey 3000, which is named for its 3000 cc engine.
Both Leonard Lord and
Donald Healey were eager to capitalise on the interest already shown in the car, and so the pair decided that the Donald Healey Motor Company would produce a small batch by hand that would be used mainly for publicity, such as Motor Shows around Europe and America, and also be loaned out for the press to try and the public to view.
Donald Healeys factory was referred to by the workforce as 'The Works' and was actually a former aircraft hangar that was re-erected on three acres of reclaimed land made available by Warwick Council after World War 2. Not the ideal place to build a stylish sports car. Offices were added later and also a brick workshop for Roger Menadue to house the experimental department.
It was here that the first five cars were assembled. It was planned to produce the next batch of pre-production vehicles in the hanger, a total of fifty, under the watchful eye of Harry Bradish. In the end however only nineteen were made at Warwick, and all were left-hand drive versions - it was obvious where BMC thought the market for the car was.
The first of the line built at Longbridge, with bodies supplied fully trimmed and painted by
Jensen was the 2.6 liter Austin-Healey 100 BN1 in
1953. The cars were built alongside the Austin A90. The first 100s ("BN1"), were equipped with the same 90 hp (67 kW) engines and manual transmission as the stock A90 but the transmission was modified to be a three speed unit with overdrive on second and top. The 2660 cc 4 cylinder engine featured an undersquare 87.3 mm (3.4 in) bore and 111.1 mm (4.4 in) stroke.
Two years later came the BN2 version,
with 4-speed manual transmission and still with overdrive. Other features that distinguish the BN2 from the BN1 were the slightly larger front wheel arches, different rear axle and being the first 100 with optional two tone paint. The color alternatives available to the 100 were: Reno Red, Spruce Green, Healey Blue, Florida Green, Old English White, Primrose Yellow, Black, and a limited number of Gunmetal Grey cars.
A "100 M" (for Modified) package was also developed, this iteration featuring 110 hp (82 kW) on tap. 1159 were made. The front suspension was stiffened and the bonnet gained louvres, along with a bonnet belt. The 100M engine also sported a cold air box to increase air flow to the carburetors, as well as 1 3/4 SU carbs. Although the factory produced 100Ms, dealers were also able to offer 100M upgrades.
The remaining standard 100 versions were also fitted with the 4-speed overdrive gearbox in
1955. A remarkable performance in the
1953 Sebring 12-hour race by a special 100 led to the S (Sebring) version being produced in
1954.
These cars featured aluminum bodywork, alloy cylinder head and all round disc brakes. The cast iron cylinder head was replaced by one made from aluminum and the overdrive unit was not fitted to the gearbox. Dunlop disc brakes were fitted front and rear. To keep weight to a minimum there were no bumpers or hood (convertible top), a smaller grille and the windscreen was plastic.
The 100S was also the first production car in the world to sport disc brakes at both the front and rear. The car was approximately 200 lb (91 kg) lighter than standard version. The majority of the 100S were two-toned white with blue sides, however, a handful of cars where ordered in Spruce Green, Reno Red and one single black 100S. Only 50 S versions were produced.
Demand for the 100 remained strong throughout its production and over 14,500 cars were built. It was replaced by the
Austin Healey 100 Six in October
1956.
It is worth noting that
Austin-Healey models are sometimes referred to by their factory designations and these appear in brackets in the table below.
Austin Healey 100 Specifications
|
Model |
100 (BN1/BN2) |
100 M |
100 S (AHS) |
Years Produced |
1952 - 1956 |
1955 - 1956 |
1954 - 1956 |
Body Type |
Steel body, steel chassis |
Alloy body, steel chassis |
Length |
12ft 7in |
12ft 7in |
12ft 7in |
Width |
5ft 0.5in |
5ft 0.5in |
5ft 0.5in |
Weight |
2150lb |
2385lb |
2115lb |
Engine |
4 cyl inline 2660cc |
4 cyl inline 2660cc |
4 cyl inline 2660cc |
Power |
90 bhp @ 4000 rpm |
110 bhp @ 4500 rpm |
132 bhp @ 4700 rpm |
Torque |
144lb ft @ 2500 rpm |
160lb ft @ 2500 rpm |
168lb ft @ 2500 rpm |
Gearbox |
3 speed o/drive |
4 speed o/drive |
4 speed o/drive |
Driven Wheels |
Rear |
Rear |
Rear |
Brakes |
Drums all round |
Drums all round |
Discs all round |
Front Suspension |
Independent coils spring and wishbone |
Rear Suspension |
Leaf Spring, live axle |
Leaf Spring, live axle |
Leaf Spring, live axle |
Austin Healey 100 Performance (approximate figures) |
Model |
100 |
100 M |
100 S |
Top Speed |
105 mph |
109 mph |
120mph |
0 - 60 mph |
11 seconds |
9.5 seconds |
7.8 seconds |
Fuel Consumption |
22 mpg |
20 mpg |
18 mpg |
|