G'day
Perhaps if I were to spread a little Healey History the car for sale
will be put into prospective. You will realise that the below is a
severely truncated version.
The DHMC has an amazing history at Le Mans with the first entry in 1949
through to the last in 1970.
For the 1968 event it was decided to enter a sports prototype and work
went ahead to build the Healey SR coupe. Two floor pans were built with
one made up to a complete car with rear mounted 2-litre Coventry-Climax
V8 and Hewland transaxle. Support was still being provided by BMC; hence
the Climax V8 as the company came under the BMC umbrella.
The second floor pan was built in case it was needed after an accident.
Finished in BRG the SR was a good looking but didn't last the distance
at Le Mans, mainly due to the engine shaking other bits to pieces. It
was modified and ran again in 1969 but the results were very much the
same.
With the Le Mans rules being what they were did not allow the same cars
to run 3 years running. So for 1970 the SR was drastically modified into
an open car or roadster 4 inches longer, painted white and fitted with a
Repco-Brabham V8 and Hewland transaxle. In a further effort to confuse
the French it was also renamed to the Healey XR37. During the race it
almost lasted the distance until sidelined by ignition problems. If you
want to see the car in action, have a look at the Steve McQueen film, Le
Mans.
After the event the DHMC put the car up for sale and at the time Brian
Healey was communicating with the father of Robert Harrison here in
Australia. Robert had recently bought a new BJ8 that he still has.
Anyway Brian let it be known that the XR37 was up for sale and Robert
bought the car. Before it was shipped to Australia there was thought
about running it again in 1971 and Brian approached Robert to see if he
could arrange the necessary finances. It was not possible and the car
was shipped to Australia.
Robert Harrison still owns the XR37 and it is in Sydney. Apart from now
running a modified Rover V8 it is as it ran in 1970. So the car that
actually ran at Le Mans in 1968, 1969 and 1970 is in Sydney, Australia.
End of Part 1
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