Using Geoff Healey's book,'Healey:The Specials' and 'Story of the Big
Healeys' plus having seen both the known existing BN.3 Healeys I make
the following observations.
A. The car under restoration in UK is more like a basic platform used to
assess and check different potential improvements and/or features pushed
by Austin for marketing reasons, I would describe it as a Test Mule and
it may never have been intended to be a production car as we recognise it.
See Healey's X.170 - " 'L' type chassis. ....An attempt to make a car to
carry four people"....."The car was sold off to someone on the
understanding that it was a one off and we did not want toknow it." -
Geoff Healey
B. Healey X.179 - " 'L2' type chassis -- no further comment from Geoff.
C. X.207 - "6 cylinder prototype NWD977. ..... Based on the standard
100 ... modified to include two seats for children. .... The car was
nearly right...." - my view a pre-production car. This is Pat Quinn's car.
D. X.216 "2nd 6 cylinder prototype - no further comment from Geoff
Interestingly X.3 "was an exercise ... in 1953 using a Morris Minor
body shell and Austin Healey engine with part of the chassis. ... Sold
for scrap."
Obviously the Donald Healey Motor Company chose to or were directed to
investigate several options we production and concours obsessed current
day owners would never recognise. BUT there may be even rarer Healeys
still out there!!!!!!
Good night all.
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