Donald Healey Motor Company

Donald Healey Motor Company Limited was a British car manufacturer.[note 1]

Donald Healey Motor Company Limited
IndustryManufacture of high performance cars and design consultancy
FateSold
Founded1945
FounderDonald Healey 
HeadquartersThe Cape, Warwick
United Kingdom
Key people
Donald Healey - founder

History

The business was founded in 1945 by Donald Healey, a successful car designer and rally driver. Healey discussed sports car design with Achille Sampietro, a chassis specialist for high performance cars and Ben Bowden, a body engineer, when all three worked at Humber during World War II.

Healey motorcars

Healey's new enterprise focused on producing expensive, high-quality, high-performance cars. It was based in an old aircraft components factory off Miller Road in Warwick. There he was joined by Roger Menadue from Armstrong Whitworth to run the experimental workshop. In later years they also had a now-demolished showroom (formerly a cinema) on Emscote Road, Warwick, commemorated by a new block of flats called Healey Court. The cars mainly used a tuned version of the proven Riley twin-cam 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine in a light steel box-section chassis of their own design using independent front suspension by coil springs and alloy trailing arms with Girling dampers. The rear suspension used a Riley live axle with coil springs again. Advanced design allowed soft springing to be combined with excellent road holding. Lockheed hydraulic brakes were used.

When it was introduced in 1948, the Elliott saloon was claimed to be the fastest production closed car in the world, timed at 104.7 mph over a mile. The aerodynamic body design was the work of Benjamin Bowden and unusually for the time it was tested in a wind tunnel to refine its efficiency. This was the start of aerodynamic styling for reduced drag, that culminated in Bowden's last UK offering, the Zethrin Rennsport. In 1949 the most sporting of all the Healeys, the Silverstone, was announced. It had a shorter chassis and stiffer springing and was capable of 107 mph. It is now a highly sought after car and many of the other Healeys have been converted into Silverstone replicas. These cars had numerous competition successes including class wins in the 1947 and 1948 Alpine rallies and the 1949 Mille Miglia.

Nash-Healey

Government planning and controls required any substantial expansion of production to be for the export market alone. So in 1950 Healey built the Nash-Healey using a Nash Ambassador engine with SU carburettors and Nash gearbox. Initially the 3848 cc unit was used but when in 1952 body construction was transferred from Healey to Pininfarina the larger 4138 cc engine was fitted.

Production numbers

The final Healey car of this era was the G-Type using an Alvis TB21 engine and gearbox. This was more luxurious and heavier than the Riley engined models and performance suffered.

Type Engine Approx Production Year
Healey Westland Roadster 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder 64 1946-50
Healey Elliott Saloon 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder 101 1946-50
Healey Sportsmobile 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder 23 1948-50
Healey Silverstone 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder 104 1949-50
Healey Tickford Saloon 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder 222 1950-54
Healey Abbott Drophead Coupe 2443 cc Riley 4 cylinder 77 1950-54
Nash-Healey 3848 or 4138 cc Nash 6 cylinder 506 1950-54
Healey G-Type Roadster 2993 cc Alvis 6 cylinder 25 1951-53
  • Riley engined cars
  • Westland
    roadster
    1949 example
  • Elliott
    saloon
  • Sportsmobile
    roadster
    1947 example
  • Silverstone
    roadster
  • Tickford
    2-door saloon
    1953 example
  • Abbott
    drophead coupé
    1952 example
  • Westland
    "Woody" brake
    (ca 1950)
  • Nash and Alvis engined cars
  • 3.8-litre roadster
    Nash Ambassador engine
  • G type roadster
    3-litre Alvis engine

Austin-Healey
Healey's signature grille fanned out for
the Austin-Healey 100

Healey judged a cheaper sports car marketable in large numbers was needed to save the business, one that would fit between the MG and Jaguar cars then selling so well in USA. Working in with his eldest son Geoffrey in the attic of the family home, Healey designed a two-seat roadster employing numerous low-cost Austin components, the Healey Hundred. Austin chief Sir Leonard Lord was so impressed when he saw it on the Healey stand at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show he offered to make it in his own factories under the name Austin-Healey 100.[1]

The result was a 1953 a joint venture which created the British Motor Corporation to manufacture the Austin-Healey marque. The 100 evolved into the highly regarded and collector coveted 3-litre Austin-Healey 3000, followed by a diminutive 950cc Austin-Healey Sprite, known affectionately as the "frog-eye" or "Bugeye".

Commenting on the 3000 after Donald Healey's death The Times observed: "The big Healey's brutally firm ride, heavy steering and engine so close it would roast a driver's feet never detracted from the superb, timeless styling and classic proportions."[2]

Jensen-Healey

Donald Healey became a director of Jensen Motors in the late 1960s and a result of this was the Lotus-engined Jensen-Healey which appeared in 1972.

Sale

Donald Healey Motor Company was finally sold to the Hamblin Group, although Healey Automobile Consultants and the engineering parts of the company remained in the hands of Geoffrey and Donald Healey.

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See also

Notes
  1. Incorporated 13 February 1946 company number 00404473, name changed 18 August 1997 and now Nick Whale Stratford Limited. New company 02249335 incorporated 28 April 1988 and since 18 August 1997 named Donald Healey Motor Company Limited

References
  1. Obituary Geoffrey Healey. The Times, Wednesday, 4 May 1994; pg. 21; Issue 64945
  2. Healeys race again in tribute to their founder. Daniel Ward, Motor Industry Correspondent. The Times, Saturday, 17 September 1988; pg. 16; Issue 63189
  • 'The Healey Story: A Dynamic Father and Son Partnership and Their World-beating Cars' Author - Geoffrey Healey ISBN 0-85429-949-1 Publisher: G.T.Foulis & Co (Haynes Group)
  • 'Austin Healey The story of the Big Healeys' Author - Geoffrey Healey ISBN 0-85614-051-1 Publisher Gentry Books Limited

There is one club worldwide who cater for (pre Austin) Healey cars - The Association Of Healey Owners

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