" And please don`t compare Austin-Healey race success with Jaguar`s. Jaguar
Cars played in a different, in the premier league. Jaguar cars several times
won Le Mans and other top Historical Races. A Healey never did even reach
the finisher line at Le Mans.
There was no need for Jaguar, except their early days at Jabbecke with the
XK120, to go down to land speed record breaking.
Just to mention the facts.
Josef "
First of all let me say I love Healeys and Jags, they were both producing
top rate racing cars in the 50s, and Healey produced top rate rally cars in
the 60s.
In 1952 a HEALEY took 3rd at LeMans, in front of any Jags, and everything
else except the winning Mercedes 300SLs
In 1953 an Austin Healey was 12th at LeMans and 2nd in class
1954 a 100s was 3rd overall at Sebring, 1st in class at Sebring, finished on
3 cylinders or else might have won.
The Jag twin cam 6 was a great motor, the XKs of the 50s were beautiful
cars, but somewhat of a truck in fact, the first time I saw one frame off, I
thought the frame looked like a truck with what looked like 6" or so frame
rails. Yes the jags had much more overall success in the endurance races,
but the C-types and D-types were in a different class and nowhere as near to
the production models as the AH100s that were raced.
Not knocking Jags, but in their day both Healeys and Jags were first rate
racing cars. By the 60s their time had passed, but they were and are still
wonderful street cars.
Greg Lemon
.
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