Hi Doug,
We're talking about two separate things .
An "option" or "factory option" is something with an official Austin part
number that could be added to your car by the Austin Motor Company when the
order was placed with the dealership.
Then there were the aftermarket "extras". The Donald Healey Motor Company
was a privately-owned company, a separate entity from Austin's. They offered
a list of "Extra Equipment and Modifications" for the cars sold by Austin, but
there was no direct relationship. The money for these "Extras" went into the
Healeys' pocket, not Austin's. These items did not have Austin part numbers,
but numbers used by the component suppliers like Smith's. (The ammeter was
36047)
On page 46, under "Options, Extras and Accessories" Clausager first
describes the factory-fitted options. Towards the bottom, beginning with the
LeMans kit, he goes into the items available separately from the Healey
Company at Warwick (including the list with the ammeter), and then further
into the stuff that was available from the US aftermarket people.
After you bought your car from Austin, you would then take it to Healey's
in Warwick, much like you would take your new Mercedes to Brabus, to have
modifications done or extras fitted. To put things in perspective, there was
NOT a long line of cars snaking from Longbridge to Warwick. The ammeter would
have been fitted at Warwick. No doubt, if the sale hinged on the fact that
the potential customer really wanted one, the local Austin dealer could have
installed it as well, but this is the sort of thing that special documentation
would be required for. The 100-S position would be good....
My point with this entire thread on special options is that DHMC-modified
cars are MUCH, MUCH rarer than the thousands that rolled off the Austin lines
like potatoes. If there were documentation for a Warwick-fitted ammeter, the
car would immediately be recognized as having something very special.
Otherwise, ...well... much of the 1980's were spent removing V-8's, fiberglass
fenders, and welding up extra holes in dashboards.
Best regards
Peter
|