From memory back in 1981, todays well respectected F.1 journalist,
Simon Taylor, road tested DD300 and as part of the article backgrounding
John Chatham he reported that John in DD300 was the Winningest driver of
all British motorsport for taht year. A very impressive record.
In my humble opion from way Down Under in Quinnland, Healeys would have
almost disappeared had it not been for the efforts of John and DD300
keeping Healeys in the motoring public eye. Remember we are talking
road racing cars not the BMC rally cars that were not built and entered
by the small but effective Donald Healey Motor Company.
Maybe that is why Australian enthusiasts bought works Healeys when not
many people appreciated them. We had numerous 100.S models, I think 5
being original deliveries to Aus. Then we bought all those abandoned USA
cars and a few others from UK/Europe.
I remember one Friday night prior to our National Rally squatting in the
driveway of my host and drilling another set of holes in the sacred left
hand fender of the new second UJB143 to fit the headlight. I was not
happy to be drilling the umpteenth set of holes as none of the existing
holes aligned. I did this using the headlights of DAC953C so that both
works cars could show at the weekend activities. Such practical and
usefull motor cars!
For the next Melbourne National Rally, Geoff and Margot were special
guests. Again on Friday night Geoff was a amazed that the 1965 Sebring
12 Hour car had been driven 500 mile down the highway from near Sydney
with two people and luggage.
Today we have;
the last racing 3000 from Sebring in 1965 - DAC953C
the last Austin Healey entered by the Healey Company - the 1967/68
Lemans car - HNX456D
the last Healey, SR.37 the Coventry Climax V.8 coupe of 1968/69 that was
converted to the 1970 open roadster fitted with a Repco-Brabham F.1 V8
Rally replicas are nice but real Healeys were Donald's race cars.
John Chatham and John Gott are very important to Healey history.
PS. The 1955 Le Mans million pound 100.S is in Australia for restoration.
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