Over the past 25 years, we have had lots of incredible sports cars come through our dealership, but when it comes to British sports cars, this gorgeous example has to be one of the finest that we have ever seen.
‘Red Hills Rods & Classics’ is proud to offer you this absolutely gorgeous, numbers matching, nut & bolt rotisserie restored, and heavily documented 1955 Austin-Healey 100 BN2 Roadster! The Austin-Healey 100 defines the pure organic beauty and simplicity of Gerry Coker’s iconic timeless design, simply titled: ‘Speed at Rest’. Legend Enzo Ferrari himself was known to have a quiet regard for British design, famously calling the E Type jaguar ‘the most beautiful car ever built’ and using a Mini Cooper as his personal transportation. The Austin Healey 100 does not, in my opinion, seem out of place in such exalted company.
Built on September 20, 1955, and dispatched to the USA on October 19, 1955, this beautiful Austin Healey 100 BN2 Roadster left the factory lathered in Carmine Red wrapped around a sleek Black interior. She underwent a 10-year, nut & bolt rotisserie restoration between 2004 and 2014, and the final result speaks for itself. Restoring these cars is a project driven by passion and love, and those things are clearly evident in this car. No corners were cut, and the right tradesmen were commissioned to help get this car to the finish line. This Roadster carries all the correct ‘numbers’ confirmed by the British Heritage Certificate, and the previous owners made sure the ‘numbers’ were all retained during the rotisserie restoration. The cockpit moldings, trunk, bonnet and front apron are stamped w/ the body number, and the starter, generator, and wiper motor have the correct dates for the year of the car. The previous owner started collecting as many NOS parts as possible including the trafficator assembly, front badge, brake reservoir, rainbow wiper blades, etc., and where ever possible the original parts were rebuilt. The entire car was stripped down, and all components were then fully restored, replaced or rebuilt. The original engine, gearbox, differential, gauges, interior, chrome, top, everything was done! The goal was to restore everything as close to factory specifications as possible. The loving care, time and financial sacrifice that into went into this car is beyond words. This restoration was a labor of love for the previous owner and special care was taken when aligning the right craftsman to contribute to the project.
Coachwerks Restoration in Victoria, British Columbia, was chosen to do the rotisserie body & paint work, and the body was hot-dipped and refinished in factory correct Carmine Red, which is a gorgeous color on these Roadsters. The bodywork is second to none, and the paint is absolutely beautiful w/ a brilliant shine throughout. All of the brightwork is in show-quality condition as well. Other features include: black soft top, the legendary tilting windshield, and 15” painted wire wheels secured w/ winged knockoffs, wrapped in Dunlop Road Speed tires (5.90 x 15). Of course, a matching spare is correctly mounted in the trunk. You can walk around this Roadster a hundred times and it looks absolutely perfect from every angle.
When you peer inside this Austin Healey 100, it’s like stepping back in time 70 years. Interior features include: bucket seats trimmed in black leather w/ red piping, banjo-style steering wheel, Smiths instrumentation (120-mph speedometer, 6k tachometer, and auxiliary gauges), overdrive switch, chrome grab handle, lap seatbelts, door pockets, and correct black carpeting throughout. Everything appears to be in perfect working order and ready to drive & enjoy.
Pop-open the bonnet, and inside the beautifully detailed engine bay resides the original numbers-matching 2.7 Liter inline-four, which features dual SU carburetors from the factory, and produces 90 horsepower w/ 144 ft. lbs./torque. The same attention that was spent on the body/paint was also spent underneath the hood, making sure that all components are as factory correct as possible. The power is sent to the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual transmission w/ overdrive, and when the car was disassembled, the original engine, transmission and differential were removed and completely rebuilt by Austin Healey specialist Roy Moore. She fires up nicely, settling into a nice smooth idle, and she runs & drive beautifully in every way. The overdrive works perfectly in either 3rd or 4th gear, which makes for excellent highway cruising. Anywhere that you decide to take this Austin-Healey Roadster, there will be a crowd around the car snapping photos on their smartphones. This is an investment-grade British sports car that can win ‘First Place’ awards @ any national level car event, but can also be driven and enjoyed to the fullest if you decide to do so.
The new owner will receive a large list of items with this car, including: original owner’s handbook, original service manual, side curtains, tonneau cover, original tool roll w/ hammer, and a plethora of paperwork, which includes the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, historical documentation, previous bills of sale & letters, and a pile of restoration photos & receipts. This 1955 Austin-Healey 100 BN2 Roadster was finished to a very high standard throughout and lovingly preserved since restoration was completed 10 years ago. She has been stored indoors amongst other rare European sports cars since the restoration was completed.
If you have been searching for a rare, collector-grade vintage Austin Healey with all of the right attributes, you would be very hard pressed to beat this absolutely gorgeous 1955 Austin-Healey 100 BN2 Roadster!