1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2 |

Closed Auction- Unsold

1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2

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Mileage~2,098
TransmissionManual
Engine2.6-litre
LocationHalifax

AUCTION CLOSED

1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2

Introduction

Paul Wright

Professional Consigner

1950s elegance in the form of a British two-seater - the BN2 production was limited to just 4,600 cars.

Launched in 1953, the Austin Healey was a joint venture between the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation and the Donald Healey Motor Group. The first Austin Healey 100 BN1 was the first in the series of ‘Big Healeys’, which were designed to go up against the likes of the MG T and the Jaguar XK range. Fitted with a 2660 cc engine, which had lived for many years in London taxis, it was the perfect engine for the two-seater sports car with its long stroke, low revving and lots of torque. In 1955, and produced for just 1 year, the BN2 was launched which was quite similar to the BN1, but had an uprated 4-speed gearbox which also included overdrive on third and fourth.

This stunning 1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2 belongs to Bob, who has fully restored the car from the ground up with a full bare metal restoration and engine rebuild. There isn’t one part that hasn't been removed, replaced or restored on this 100 BN2 - all of which has been completed by himself, taking over 3,000 hours at the last count.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Paul after meeting Bob the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

I wanted something to get stuck into - it's safe to say I may have gotten a little carried away with this one.

Bob has been the owner of this 1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2 since 2019, when he purchased it as another retirement project. No stranger to taking on a restoration of any kind, Bob, who has spent his working life as a hands on engineer, is quite happy to take on any project he fancies. He and his friend have a unit in which they will tinker away for hours; his friend on motorbikes and Bob on cars.

The car was originally built and exported as a left-hand drive car and was brought back into the country around 2014, by a gentleman as a project. This project never got finished and ended up in the hands of our vendor Bob, and he has clearly worked his magic and given the Austin a full restoration. This has all been completed by Bob’s fair hands and taken over 3,000 hours.

Bob knows this car inside out, and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments below.

Bob

Vehicle Owner

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Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
All Images

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

The first line of attack was to strip the body and chassis back to bare metal - to see exactly what was beneath.

Wheels and Tyres

The original steel wire wheels have been painted in Old English White to match the body, held in place with some new chrome knock-offs. These are in excellent condition as the car was only completed 6 months ago.

Four new, period correct Continental tyres have been fitted, and have covered approximately 100 miles since the completion of the build.

Take a look at the photos and videos to see for yourself how great the wheels look and complement the body.

Bodywork

With the body stripped from the chassis, the whole thing was blasted to reveal any problem areas. The only issues were that a replacement boot lid, door skins, bonnet and one wing would be needed - not bad for a 66 year old vehicle.

Taking a walk around the Healey, you can see that the panels look to align as they should with a nice even gap around the edges. A louvered bonnet has been fitted which resembles the 100M model, and is complete with the leather bonnet strap.

A new roof has been fitted which comes complete with side windows, should you get caught in a shower. There is also a full tonneau cover that can be fastened in place when the roof is down.

Please take the time to look through the hi-resolution images we have taken for a more detailed look at the exterior.

Paint

With the body work complete, Bob decided on Old English White over Lobelia Blue, and, as with the rest of the car, he has applied it himself, to a very nice standard. There are a couple of very small areas where the Blue has bled under the masking tape ever so slightly, near the front arch, and there are a couple of small chips to the edges of the panels which could be touched in easily enough by a bodyshop or professional detailer.

Please take the time to fully assess the condition of the exterior. The images taken are from various angles and reflections to show off this stunning looking 1956 Austin Healey at its best, as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves.

Glass and Trim

The windscreen has been replaced with a quality Pilkington item. The frame itself has been painted, and the mechanism to lower it down re-chromed, which is in excellent condition and all working as it should.

The bumpers have been replaced for new, and any other chrome items have either been re-chromed or replaced as necessary. The lights are in excellent order and again have either been refurbished or replaced as required.

Please take the time to view the videos and photos below and fully assess the condition of this beautifully restored vehicle.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

A complete new interior has been fitted to the Healey 100, with custom made seat-belts for your safety.

Seats and Carpets

Replacement seats covered in dark blue leather are in excellent condition, as you would expect with ~100 miles use. Bob has had custom seat-belts made which fit nicely and are fully adjustable.

To match the blue seats, a deep pile carpet has been fitted throughout, with a heel pad fitted to the driver’s and passenger side which has the embossed Austin logo. The carpet continues behind the seats and over the transmission tunnel.

Into the boot, and this has been fitted out with a vinyl type material, again in blue which covers the floor, sides and back. In there is a matching spare wheel, with a new tyre, along with a jack and mallet for the knock-offs.

Please see the interior gallery section for more detailed images.

Dashboard

The body coloured dashboard is very nice, with a polished aluminium strip running across the front edge. The instrument binnacle has been highlighted with silver, and the instruments are presented in excellent condition. The fuel and oil/water gauge have been replaced, whilst the odometer and tachometer have been refurbished. The reading is 2,098, which is ~100 miles more than when it came back from the refurbishers.

A handle on the passenger side may prove quite useful to some owners or passengers when getting in and out.

Please see the interior gallery for more hi-resolution images.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

A classic wood rim, three spoke Moto-Lita steering wheel has been fitted, which is presented in excellent condition. This has the direction for the indicators mounted to the centre, unlike the more conventional stalk.

The gear knob is a polished ball with 1,2,3,4 and reverse fitted to a chrome lever which is in excellent condition and in line with the rest of the freshly refitted interior.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

2.6 litre, 4-cylinder fully rebuilt engine - still completing the running in stage with just ~100 miles covered.

Engine and Gearbox

The 2.6 litre has been fully rebuilt by Bob, and is running just so sweetly - it sounds fantastic. As we have mentioned, the car has only covered ~100 dry miles and is therefore still being run in. Bob recommends that care is taken with it for the next 400-500 miles, before gently increasing its pace until 1,000 miles is reached.

Just like the rest of the car, everything has been replaced or refurbished, and looking in the engine bay it is clear to see just how much effort has gone into this Healey 100.

The gearbox is 4-speed with a switch operated overdrive mounted to the dashboard. The change is nice and smooth thanks to the uprated ball joints on the clutch linkage, and there are no untoward noises coming from the transmission.

Suspension and Brakes

The rest of the suspension has received new parts where necessary, which is basically all the bushes, which are now polybushed, and new dampers. All the improvements keep the ride nice and firm, with a direct feel to it.

The brakes have been given a full refurbishment and are working as they should, bringing the car to a halt in a straight line.

It has to be said looking under the car, as you can see from our underside photos and video, that the Healey is absolutely spotless, having never been out in the wet weather since the completion of the project.

The Drive

This is a car which turns heads! It sounds, looks and drives fantastic! As we said, the 2.6 is still being run in, so we were unable to be too heavy on the throttle during our time with the car, but with that said, the car does pull nicely through the gears and the ride is very smooth. Clearly it will bring an enormous amount of pleasure to the new owner once the throttle can be fully opened up.

Electrics and Other

The switchgear in the Austin is quite minimal, as you would expect for a vehicle of this age, but you will be glad to know that everything is fully working thanks to the completely new wiring loom which Bob has fitted. This should ensure that there are no unwanted electrical issues. The oil pressure is nice and strong, and the car reaches temperature as it should.

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History and Paperwork

What an history file! Every invoice has been kept for the restoration of this stunning 1956 Austin Healey 100 BN2.

The main bulk of the invoices have come from A-H Spares Ltd, and it is probably quite safe to say that Bob has become one of their best customers during the time of restoring the Healey. You will understand when you take the next 30 minutes reading through just what has been spent and purchased for the car, all of which can be found in our paperwork gallery.

The V5 shows it was registered on 01.04.2021, and that there have been 0 previous keepers. It is also declared to have been manufactured on 26.01.1956, when it was exported to North America. This information has come from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate.

This has clearly been a labour of love, with over 3,000 hours and thousands spent. The enjoyment for Bob is the actual building and restoration. Yes, he loves to drive them, but it’s definitely more about the engineering, which is why the Austin is now available. With another project already started, it is time to let a new lucky owner enjoy this wonderful Healey 100 BN2.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned an HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.