In October
1956 after great success with the
100/4, Austin-Healey announced the arrival of the new 100/6. This car was very similar in appearance to the
100/4, but this time the car was fitted with a tuned version of the six cylinder BMC C series engine fitted to the Austin Westminster.
This "tuned" engine at first produced 102 bhp, this increasing to 117 bhp in
1957, and later that year production was transferred from Longbridge to the MG plant at Abingdon. The overdrive unit that was standard on the
100 became an option.
The designers also decided to equip the new model with occasional rear seats. The wheelbase of the new car had been lengthened by 2 in (50.8 mm) to achieve this. As with other "Big Healeys" the cars are sometimes referred to by their factory designation which for this model was BN4.
Sales were slow to take off at first as the new sports car did not offer any gain in performance over the 4 cylinder model and the occasional seating was not enough to sway the buying public, although these cars are of course very popular now.
In
1957 the engine power was upped by the addition of a six port cylinder head providing much improved performance. In April
1958 the BN6 version of the car was introduced, this time featuring 2-seater bodywork although it still retained the longer wheelbase.
Production figures were 10268 for the 2+2 100/6 (BN4) and 4150 for the 2-seater 100/6 (BN6). Production ended with the introduction of the
Austin-Healey 3000 in June
1959.
Austin-Healey 100 Six Specifications |
Model |
100/6 |
100/6 |
Years Produced |
1956 - 1959 |
1958 - 1959 |
Body Type |
Steel body, steel chassis |
Length |
13ft 1.5 in |
13ft 1.5 in |
Width |
5ft 0.5in |
5ft 0.5in |
Weight |
2478lb |
2436lb |
Engine |
6 cylinder inline 2639cc |
6 cylinder inline 2639cc |
Power |
102 bhp @ 4600 rpm |
117 bhp @ 4600 rpm |
Torque |
142lb ft @ 2400 rpm |
149 lbft @ 3000 rpm |
Gearbox |
4 speed manual with overdrive |
4 speed manual with overdrive |
Driven Wheels |
Rear |
Rear |
Brakes |
Drum brakes front & rear |
Drum brakes front & rear |
Front Suspension |
Coil & wishbone |
Coil & wishbone |
Rear Suspension |
Leaf springs, live axle |
Leaf springs, live axle |
Austin-Healey 100 Six Performance |
Model |
100/6 |
100/6 |
Top Speed |
102 mph |
111 mph |
0-60 mph |
12 seconds |
11 seconds |
Fuel Consumption |
22 mpg |
21 mpg |
|
