Conceived by Donald Healey as an affordable, true 100 MPH sports car, the Austin-Healey 100, announced in 1952, quickly found friends in America as it forged its way in competition. At the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, a brace of Healey 100s finished 12th and 14th, punching well above their weight for what were essentially production sports cars—albeit substantially modified. This 1954 example, with less than 100 miles since a body-on restoration to 1953 Le Mans Roadster specification, has been completed with key features of the Le Mans Healeys and opens up potential eligibility for premier and prestige historic racing events such as the Le Mans Classic in France, Italy’s Mille Miglia and the Goodwood Revival in England. Such was the impact of the exploits of the 100-4 that the factory produced a limited series of 640 cars tuned to Le Mans spec. Known as the 100M, they extracted 110 HP from the 2660cc inline-4 that, in stock trim, managed just 90 HP. With just 191 authenticated survivors, they are rare and valued accordingly by collectors. Rarer still, and on a far higher price plateau, is the even punchier 100S factory racer, with a run of just 50. In addition, a factory Le Mans kit, which boosted power to around 100 HP, was also available in period. Key among the tuning elements is the aluminum, high- compression Weslake cylinder head, as fitted on this car’s matching-numbers 2660cc inline-4, which is backed by a 3-speed manual gearbox with Laycock de Normanville overdrive. This piece of Harry Weslake tuning wizardry contributed to a prodigious 132 HP in the 100S and was also available as part of the 100M Le Mans kit. Likewise, the louvered hood is a signature of the competition Healeys, and so too is the two-tone paint scheme. Approximately 70% of the factory 100Ms were so liveried, and this car, in fresh Beluga Black over red coves and a black bucket seat interior, pays fitting homage. The de-bumpering is as per the 100M and 100S, while the wind-cheating fold-flat windscreen, which was one of Gerry Cooker’s styling flourishes for the original 1953-56 4-cylinder Healey 100-4, is a piece of drama in itself, streamlining the form and heightening the elemental experience. Of a production run exceeding 14,000, around 90% of Healey 100-4s were exported to the U.S., so you can certainly say it was fit for purpose, and this one is a deal more purposeful than the stock road car that America took to its heart.
