1956 | Austin-Healey 100/4M (BN2)

The Austin-Healey really is one the best most quintessentially British 'B' road sports cars, pretty, light, fast and exciting they've got it all

Their story started in 1952 when Donald Healey made a single Healey 100 for the London Motor Show, the then head designer of Austin was suitably impressed and quickly a deal was struck for the two to manufacture the cars together

The 100, so called for its ability to reach 100mph, was the first car to have the fabled Austin-Healey name adorn her

Production started in earnest and the first cars were rolling off the production line by 1953 in BN1 specification, the principle difference of the BN1 & BN2 being the gear box. A 3 speed manual in the BN1 and four speed manual in the BN2 introduced in 1955

Along with the new gearbox the BN2 also saw the introduction of the 100M which incorporated a number of motorsport features from cars used to race at Le Mans

Only in production for two years before the 100/6 (six cylinder) was introduced the 100M is the purest Austin-Healey true to their original design concept of simplicity & lightness but now with added performance

Our car goes another step above having just been fully rebuilt (at a cost of over £100,000!!!) by the UK Healey Centre with all the invoices and work sheet accompanying the car. A few sensible upgrades were applied like disc brakes to the front wheels & uprated fast road suspension,

She was chosen as a base for the restoration as she was a previously unrestored car with a solid chassis and all original panels in place with matching numbers engine & gearbox

She has been restored in her original colour of Reno Red retaining all the original outer panels

Her A90 engine was prepared for full fast road specification by marque expert Richard Parker (ex Dennis Walsh) and really goes go like a champion, she was tested on a rolling road after the restoration with read-outs circa 170bhp. No surprise with aluminium cylinder head & HS6 carburation

Very telling that the engineer who conducted the test himself said it was easily the best he'd ever seen!!!

The gearbox & overdrive rear axel were also rebuilt by an ex Dennis Walsh engineer a Mr Matthew Hall

I think its only right at this point to give a good amount of credit to the gentlemen who commissioned the work, a long standing friend of ours for whom we have dealt with many cars and each one as superb as the last

It's abundantly clear when inspecting & driving her that the work done was conducted with a carte blanche attitude in regards to cost, everything is simply immaculate to behold and she is direct, light, nimble and very fast indeed

The exhaust note is just incredible with the exit behind the driver you get the most direct and visceral experience from it

A real enthusiasts choice