The Austin Healey was conceived from the unlikely alliance between Donald Healey's tiny operation in Warwick and the vast Austin Motor Company based at Longbridge in Birmingham, run at the time by the forceful and characterful Leonard Lord, who had a single purpose in mind from this union, that of achieving a dominant position in the American export market, something it was to achieve brilliantly well.

There is various commentary on this but written statistics indicate that as much as 80 per cent of production found willing buyers in the USA. By contrast 5 per cent stayed here with the balance going to a multitude of export markets, but in any terms, the car was a monumental success.

Our Healey here is a BJ7 or Mark II with 3.0 litre twin carb set-up, which by this stage had a number of improved driving features, namely a new gearbox, which gave a much more orthodox central gear change. Slightly further down the order of importance, there were now proper wind-up windows and an upgraded hood, both of which helped lift the driving experience. Infact there were countless tweaks and continious changes throughout its production life, incorporating virtually every facet of the Healey DNA, in its quest to sustain global sales.

The accompanying Heritage Certificate states that Chassis# H-BJ7/22447 was actually a home market car, finished in British Racing Green with both black trim and a black hood. Pleasingly and importantly it remains a matching numbers car and its specification as dispatched from the factory back in March 1963. The paper work indicates just 4 owners from new, the first 3 were ladies, whilst the current is a real classic motoring enthusiast where the Healey has shared garage space with a XK150, E Type & a SS100 ! The simple rationale behind this sale is a one family owned MGB GT thats been left to him; it's in need of total restoration, and like all these projects they tend to overrun in both cost and time.

Certainly there is no doubting this Healey's pedigree, as its been evidently very well looked after, infact the previous keeper's husband is a classic Jaguar engineer so very able on the spanners and well known to me! The BRG paintwork is nicely patinated, whilst the interior is fine fettle....certainly looking underneath and then once behind the wheel, it's easy to deduce that this Healey has been very correctly maintained. Really nothing to do other than enjoy some summer miles behind the wheel of one of Britain's most iconic sports cars.

It would be a pleasure to answer any further questions you might have. This exceptional Healey can be inspected at my Guildford showroom - please call me directly on 07788 865700.