1957 Austin Healey 100/6 Four

‘SYX 667’ despatched the four-hour journey to our HQ without breaking sweat, so this is a Big Healey that clearly performs as well as you would hope.

With just two previous owners up until 2016, the seller is only the fourth owner in its lifetime. He bought it as a project car five or six years ago and has spent the intervening time bringing it up to the mechanical standard you see today.

The history file has a Heritage Certificate in it too, confirming its status as a genuine right-hand drive, UK-spec Austin Healey 100/6 Four.

The bodywork is very good indeed, and while we’re always wary of describing a car as being free of rust, this one comes very close indeed.

It’s also got excellent panel alignment with tight and consistent shutlines that speak of many hours of being carefully massaged into place. There are no ripples along the flanks either, nor dents or serious dinks.

It left the factory finished in Healey Blue. It was then painted gold at some point before a recent change to this wonderful shade of red.

The chromework, which sets it off beautifully, is in excellent condition with no rust or serious pitting to the finish. It’s also great to see bumpers that run this straight and true.

The 15-inch wire wheels, which are painted rather than chromed, are in a decent condition. There is some light surface rust in places, but it is minimal and not at all problematic.

However, the eared spinners are chromed, and they are developing a somewhat more deeply engrained patina than most would be happy with.

The tyres are 185HR15 Michelin XAS and have good tread on them.

As we will never get tired of telling you, experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The Healey comes with a very good black tonneau cover, which is the only way one should drive a car like this in inclement weather.

But, if you must use the roof, then the one that comes with it is also very good: The plastic rear screen is still clear and free of cracks, the roof fabric is taut and free of rips, and the whole thing rises and falls as it should. In appearance it is more of a waxed Barbour coat than a sleek Gore-Tex jacket but that’s okay because anything else would look silly.

As you can see, it also comes with a good pair of door tops to complete the weather sealing.

The lamp lenses are free of cracks and damage, the badges are still bright and colourful, and the fuel filler cap is a delight to hold and behold.

As for flaws, there is an excess of paint here and there, which is a shame as some cracks and splits have developed in the finish. This is most obvious on both doors, the bonnet, and the offside front wing.

The four-seater interior is wonderfully worn in – and before you think we’re damning with faint praise nothing could be further from the truth because many of us buy classic cars for the romance they offer, and nothing is more romantic than an original interior that wears its history as proudly as this one does.

Not that it’s in a bad condition either, because it isn’t. It’s just a good, honest interior that presents nicely and works as it should because yes, everything we tested does what it should.

The front bucket seats are still comfortable with only gentle creasing and a slight softening to them – and we do mean ‘slight’. Keep feeding ‘em regularly and we reckon they’d be good for another couple of decades at least.

The rear seat is in an even better condition but then the Healey’s 2+2 status means legroom is tight, so they don’t get used as often. You’d fit small children in there with ease though, and who wouldn’t want to look back on a childhood that featured hood-down runs in a Big Healey?

The steering wheel is the most patinated element, but it is still presentable and could be left untouched for a long while yet.

More modern touches include a pair of Willans harnesses, while the ivory-faced instruments take you straight back to the 1950s when it was built.

The boot contains a bag of tools in addition to a spare wire wheel and Michelin XVS tyre.

As for work to do, the inner door pulls are missing, and the dash-top air vents are rusty.

You will also want to satisfy yourself as to the security of the Willans harnesses, which are held in place with carabiners and stranded wire loops.

We took it for a test drive after it arrived with us – after it had completed the four-hour journey we mentioned – and discovered it drives “very well” according to the chap in our office who took it out.

Mind you, it does benefit from having a reconditioned gearbox. This was carried out in May 2019 by Last Transmissions Limited of Suffolk and the invoice for this, which details what was done, is in the history file.

The gearbox was professionally refitted a couple of months later with a new clutch.

As you can see and hear, it bursts into life with a roar and good oil pressure. A very nice exhaust note too, which is the point of driving something like this, isn’t it?

The engine bay is nicely presented being tidy rather than prissy. There’s a lot to admire there but if you wanted to spend a few hours cleaning it to your preferred standard then there is certainly scope to do so.

The underside looks good and strong and is well protected by underseal. We see evidence of recent greasing too, which is another good sign.

However, the underseal has flaked off the sills but then sorting that out would be a very satisfying way to pass an afternoon.

The Austin Healey doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for having had its colour changed.

The history file includes a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, invoices dating back to the eighties, along with some old tax discs, one of which dates back to 1988.

There’s an old-style logbook in there too, as well as a couple of parts catalogues and a selection of classic car magazines that feature the model.

Given how well it drives it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact this delightful 100/6 is well into its seventh decade.

Sure, it needs some attention to the paintwork but that would be a labour of love rather than a chore; add another day or two to deep-clean the interior and you’d be left with a very smart example of one of the most popular British sportscars ever made.

And all for somewhere between £30,000 and £35,000, which is a small price to pay for a car you could take on a Grand Tour to celebrate its 70th birthday in three years time. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.