1963 Austin-Healey Sebring 3000 – Big Healey

All right, I suppose I should start off with a confession. I am a mad, keen Austin-Healey enthusiast, and have had one example or another locked away in the garage for over 40 years. In fact, I have been quite taken by anything that was done by the Donald Healey Motor Company (DHMC) from its formation in 1946 right through to the death of Donald Healey in 1988.

That the cars, both Healeys and Austin-Healeys, achieved so much during the 1950s and ’60s is nothing short of amazing, given that they were powered by what were literally heavy, cast iron sedan engines that were really more at home in trucks and taxis.

The 12-hour race at Sebring is one particular event where the success of the Austin-Healey is clearly evident. Just a glance at the history of this classic event shows that cars designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company competed in every single Sebring 12 Hours from 1954 through to 1970. Even before that, Briggs Cunningham entered a Cadillac-engined Healey in the 1952 Sam Collier Memorial Grand Prix of Endurance for Phil Walters and Bill Frick to drive. The same car backed up again for the 12-hour race of 1953 with Erwin Goldschmidt and Paul O’Shea driving. That year Walters and Frick drove the winning Cunningham C4R.

So, what else would I say but ‘Yes!” when offered a run in an ex-works Austin-Healey 3000 at the picturesque Phillip Island circuit in the Australian state of Victoria?

U.S. Market

As with most things to do about cars, it all came down to sales. For the Warwick, England based Donald Healey Motor Company, and the Austin-Healey in particular, that meant the burgeoning U.S. market.

The story of how the Healey 100 became the Austin-Healey 100 is well known, but part of the contract with the British Motor Corporation was that the DHMC would be provided with a competition budget to promote the new sports car on the international stage. The biggest stage, of course, was the U.S. and the event of importance was the Sebring 12-hour race. In addition, a heavy emphasis was also placed on the setting of speed and endurance records at such locations as Bonneville.

The first foray at Sebring was in 1954 when a lone Austin-Healey 100 was entered and driven by Lance Macklin and George Huntoon and finished in 3rd position. “Ecstatic” would probably be an understatement as to how the small team felt. To the casual observer the car looked like any 100 that could be purchased, but subsequent examples were to be known as the 100S. The “S” being short for Sebring.

The following year the factory again entered a lone vehicle, but it carried the 100S name and body changes. Driven by Stirling Moss and Macklin, the car came home in 6th place. Two 100S cars were entered by the factory in 1956, but neither finished.

Six-Cylinder

Late 1956 brought the introduction of the new Austin-Healey 100/6, and the following March three were entered at Sebring. Fitted with special cylinder heads and triple Weber carburetors, each was delivering close to 150 bhp. To assist in top speed, each was also fitted with special alloy bodywork with extended noses and tails. Despite being prepared by the DHMC the cars were entered by the Hambro Auto Co. of New York, the U.S. distributor for Austin cars. This arrangement was no doubt established to share the costs. Two of the three 1956 cars retired, with the third coming in at 26th position, but 1st in class.

Again, Hambro entered three cars for 1958; but these were fitted with standard bodywork and, following problems during scrutineering with cut-down windscreens, raced with full screens and hardtops. While the three cars finished, the best placing was 14th, but the team did win the Manufacturers Team Prize.

No big Healeys were entered in 1959 as the attention of the DHMC was focused completely on the new Austin-Healey Sprite.

The 3000

The international competition debut of the new Austin-Healey 3000 was at the Sebring 12 Hours held on March 26, 1960. Four British Racing Green cars were prepared by the DHMC and three were entered by the British Motor Car Co. of New York. The most successful of the trio was the car driven by Gil Geitner and Lou Spencer that finished in 15th place.

Over the following two years the attention of the DHMC again turned to the Sprite, with teams entered both years for the likes of John Colgate, John Sprinzel, Paul Hawkins and Steve McQueen.

The 1963 Sebring 12 Hours probably represents the pinnacle of the activity from the DHMC. Not only did the company prepare three Austin-Healey 3000s for the event, but also a Sprite. The following two years brought single entries of separate 3000s, with the 1965 entry driven by Australian Paul Hawkins and English driver Warwick Banks being the last for the model.

The DHMC entered Sprites at Sebring through to 1968.

1963 Entry

As mentioned, along with a single, special-bodied Sprite, three Austin-Healey 3000s were prepared for the 1963 entry at Sebring. This is where those who like numbers and English registrations should take note.

Available records at the Warwick Record Office show, that on the same day in early 1963 the DHMC registered a series of cars with the registration numbers from 51 FAC through to 58 FAC. The record indicates the cubic capacity of 51 FAC, 52 FAC, 53 FAC and 58 FAC as 1,098-cc, which was the capacity of the Austin-Healey Sprite. Three cars, 54 FAC, 56 FAC and 57 FAC were shown with 2,912-cc or that of the Austin-Healey 3000. Interestingly, 55 FAC is shown as having the capacity of 1,798-cc which is standard capacity of a MGB engine and you would have to wonder why that was included? For the anoraks among us, 58 FAC is listed as being a Ford half-ton van!

The three Austin-Healey 3000s were what was known as BJ7 models. The marque had evolved somewhat from a spartan roadster of the early 1950s to a car fitted with a convertible-style soft top and wind-up windows. However, the three cars were completely stripped of anything that represented luxury and therefore unnecessary weight. While the bodies of the standard cars were a mix of steel and alloy, the Sebring cars were all alloy and each was fitted with a fiberglass hardtop. British Motor Industry Heritage records state that each was supplied to the DHMC less engine, gearbox, wheels tires, rear axle and brakes.

When prepared, the engine block was still the same cast iron 3-liter as found on the production car, but it sported a specially designed Weslake alloy cylinder head breathing through triple Webers. Surprisingly, the gearbox was a four-speed manual, while the majority of road-going examples were also fitted with a Laycock de Normanville overdrive providing two additional ratios. Brakes were very different with dual-circuit Girling discs all round. These alterations required the cars to run in the Prototype GT Class against pure racing cars such as the Ferrari 250P and 248SP Dino.

Following testing within the UK, the three 3000s were shipped to the U.S. along with the Sprite 58 FAC. It is not known how the choice was made, but it was decided to use 54 FAC and 56 FAC in the event, with 57 FAC to be used as a practice car. The drivers were American Ronnie Bucknum and South African Bobby Olthoff in 56 FAC, and in 54 FAC were the Irish rally great Paddy Hopkirk and farmer and gifted Austin-Healey rally driver Donald Morley. The two cars were numbered 33 and 34 respectively. During practice 57 FAC wore number 35.

Sebring 12 Hours

The 1963 Sebring 12 Hours marked the 12th running of what had become accepted as America’s greatest sports car race. Attracting 65 entries including such names as Phil Hill, Surtees, Bandini, Scarfiotti, Graham Hill, Gurney, McLaren and Pedro Rodriguez it promised to be a Ferrari walkover.

The promise came true with two Ferrari 250Ps being the first cars across the line with a 330TRI/LM in 3rd position. The completed laps were 209, 208 and 207 respectively.

However, it did offer a taste of things to come, especially in the guise of the Ford Cobra of Phil Hill, Lew Spencer and Ken Miles that caused the crowd to rise when it was leading at the end of the first lap. However, that was short-lived when Hill was passed by the NART-entered Ferrari 330TR/LM, but again hometown expectations rose when Jim Hall took the lead in his Chaparral, only to have his engine expire soon after.

What of the Austin-Healeys? The Bucknum/Olthoff car ran smoothly for the whole event, completing 187 laps and finishing 12th overall and a stunning 4th in the Prototype Class behind the three Ferraris. Hopkirk and Morley spent some time cooling their heels in the pits due to oil surge problems and eventually finished in 26th place with 166 laps completed.

Both 54 FAC and 56 FAC returned to the UK with the Healey team and have been used in competition ever since. The former is now in the Netherlands and continues to be actively used in historic motor sport, while 56 FAC was also used in competition in both the UK and later in the U.S. It is understood to be privately owned in the U.S.

The car of interest to us here is the third 3000, 57 FAC or the one that was used as the practice car for Sebring 1963. While its immediate post-Sebring history is not entirely clear, it is known that the car was not returned to the UK with its two sister cars, but was taken to Canada and raced extensively. In a letter dated October 5, 1989, Donald Healey’s son Geoffrey advised the British Customs and Excise that when the DHMC was operational he was in charge of all competition activities. Furthermore, he relayed that 57 FAC was sold to Austin Canada for $1,000 at the conclusion of the Sebring 12-hour race.

Documentation subsequent to the 1963 Sebring 12 Hours indicates that 57 FAC won the 4-hour Sundowner Grand Prix in torrential rain while being driven by Don Kindree and Al Pease. That event was a part of the Player’s 200 meeting at Mosport Park, and Kindree went on to be crowned the 1964 Canadian Racing Drivers Association Class Champion.

Confusion

It is at this point where confusion enters the scene as there was a further Austin-Healey 3000 entered by Austin Canada at that time that was also originally prepared by the Donald Healey Motor Company. Registered CAN 171 it is an earlier 1960 BN7 two-seater model and has been confused with the 1963 Sebring car on numerous occasions. This car won the 1960 Canadian Racing Drivers Association Championship with Grant Clark behind the wheel. As late as June 2011, when CAN 171 came up for sale in the UK, it was said to have been once registered 57 FAC. However, once alerted of this error the auction house printed an addendum to their sales catalogue.

The history becomes even more cloudy when, much later, the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust stated that 57 FAC was entered in the 1964 Sebring 12 Hours driven by Paddy Hopkirk and Grant Clark. However, contemporary records state that the 1964 Sebring car was a car carrying registration number 767 KNX.

It can only be assumed that 57 FAC endured an extensive competition career in Canada and, like all racing cars, deteriorated over time. Perhaps some Vintage Racecar reader may be able to shed some further light on this? In 1988, the car was purchased by well-known American Austin-Healey racer Phillip Coombs who commissioned Wisconsin-based restorers Fourintune to restore it.

Coombs at the time was successfully racing 56 FAC which, by the late 1980s, also needed some work, resulting in both cars being sent to Fourintune. After completion 57 FAC was offered for sale at the Brooks auction held at the London Motor Show on October 26, 1989. The winning bid, equivalent to US$349,627 was the highest price ever paid for any Austin-Healey up to that date. The winning bidder was Victor Gauntlett who was, at the time, the Executive Chairman of Aston Martin.

Gauntlett kept 57 FAC until May 1992 when it was once again sold by Brooks at their Monaco auction to an Australian enthusiast. Before long the car was flown down under aboard a Qantas jet. Here in Australia, the car received an extensive restoration before being sold again in 2004.

At Sotheby’s Australia auction in April 2010, 57 FAC came up for sale once again, and while it was passed on, it sold soon after to Sydney-based Austin-Healey enthusiast Brian Duffy.

The Restorer

Vintage Racecar spoke to Phillip Coombs in California as he had not only raced 56 FAC with some enthusiasm during the 1980s in the U.S. and Europe, but also bought and restored 57 FAC toward the end of that decade.

“I bought 57 FAC from a Canadian Austin-Healey racer by the name of Ed Delong,” Phillip told VR. “It was in pieces and not running, plus there were quite a few parts missing. I had 56 FAC as well at the time, and during the ’88-’89 offseason the car was restored by Tom and Kaye Kovacs of Fourintune in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. I took both cars along to Fourintune and they sat next to each other, as part of the process was having 56 FAC freshened at the same time. It was very useful having them both there, as 57 FAC needed quite a bit of work and we could see what it had to look like with its sister car sitting alongside.

“While not finished, I took it along to the Austin-Healey rally held at Niagara Falls in 1989 where it attracted huge attention from other Austin-Healey owners. My intention was not to race it as after all I still had 56 FAC and when it was finished decided to sell the car. It was listed for sale by Brooks in the UK and Victor Gauntlett bought it.”

“In my mind the 1963 Sebring cars were just fantastic and state of the art at the time.” Phillip added. “I competed in 56 FAC for some years, and it was just so good. I recall it was an equal to the Ferrari 250 SWBs that were running at the time. With both about the same size, solid rear axle, 4-speed box and with 3-liter engines I recall some of the races as being sensational. Sadly, I sold 56 FAC long ago and understand that it is in a U.S. collection.”

The Owner

While Brain Duffy is now an Australian resident he was born in New Zealand and has memories of going along with his father to watch New Zealand Grands Prix at the Ardmore circuit, just outside Auckland.

“My father was a car dealer in Auckland.” Brian Duffy told VR. “I recall once that he had a line of four MG TFs on the forecourt. I was brought up with cars and remember going to Ardmore with him.

“It was understandable that I developed a taste for motor racing, and after a few Jaguars, Ford Capris and Holden Toranas I bought a 1978 Porsche 930 Turbo and joined the local Porsche club. That was followed by little club level sprints and the like, but I found that it wasn’t quite enough and wanted to go circuit racing. I soon found out that the 930 was a bit of a waif that really didn’t fit into any class.

“Then about seven years ago a friend talked me into buying an Austin-Healey 100.” Brian added. “It’s a lovely car and remains my favorite. However I still had the racing bug and it wasn’t being satisfied until one day I was visiting the Healey Factory in Melbourne. There were a couple of racing Austin-Healeys there under preparation and all of a sudden the light went on.

“There was a 1959 3000 Mk1 in the corner, and out of the blue I said that I would take it, but it belonged to Rob Rowland the proprietor, and he wasn’t selling. A few days later he called me and said that he had changed his mind.”

“My debut was in Regularity,” Brian said. “I was enjoying it, but wanted more. Then I entered a meeting at Winton, Victoria, and when I got there they told me there were no Regularity events for post-WW2 vehicles. Then followed a very nervous time on the grid, but I managed to survive and have enjoyed myself even since.”

Works Car

“Over time I developed an interest in Austin-Healey history.” Brian added. “I just missed one of the 1953 Le Mans Austin-Healeys when it came up for sale in Australia and was soon attracted to the cars that ran at Sebring. Then I heard that 57 FAC was up for sale and I phoned around various people who knew about the cars. That was followed by a trip to Melbourne to have a look.

“A close look at the car soon had it ticking all the right boxes. I wanted a car with a great history that I could also drive on the road and race—57 FAC was just what I wanted.

“I ran the car in Regularity at Sandown, but had engine problems. That’s now been put right and it ran successfully at Phillip Island. I have been invited to run the car in a demonstration event held over the 2012 Australian Grand Prix weekend. I am also trying to organize a gathering of 54 FAC, 56 FAC and 57 FAC at Sebring in 2013 to celebrate fifty years since the 1963 event.

“I believe that such cars should be out and about allowing people to see them. After all that’s what they were originally built for.”

Phillip Island

Gardner Straight seems downhill for most of the way and by the time you are approaching the end all you seem to see is the blue of the ocean. Miss the turn at the end and the next stop is Bass Strait, Tasmania and Antarctica! Phillip Island is one of those places that can be beautiful one moment and gale-swept the next. Luckily this time the weather gods were smiling.

Strange car, strange circuit! “Of course, Brian, I would love to run 57 FAC in Regularity.” The entry goes in and our friends in the Historic Racing Register of Victoria give it the tick.

Over the years I have driven many Austin-Healeys of various types, and while this one may have a wonderful provenance it is still something I am used to. How was that for positive thinking? With scrutineering passed, everyone lines up on the dummy grid and even on idle it sounds wonderful, like all Austin-Healeys.

The dummy grid leads to the straight and within seconds everyone is whizzing past. After a lap I am getting used to it and learning how to take control of the four-wheel disc brakes, as a firm foot is certainly required. Brian said not to spare the car and I take him on his word, so it’s easy to pull just on 5,000 rpm down the straight. After three laps everyone else seems to be braking before me, but the right-hander Doohan Corner is taken in third with a floored pedal.

That’s followed by a sweeping left-hander that seems to have a myriad of apexes, none of which really seems to suit the Austin-Healey. The straight-cut gearbox in the car is a delight. Unlike the majority of Austin-Healeys there is no overdrive, but that certainly isn’t a detriment.

The circuit then sweeps to the left and the car accelerates easily before a sharp right-hander that I’ve never worked out whether it’s best in second or third!

Siberia

Then it’s Siberia, so named as it’s the furthest-away part of the circuit. I manage to get past a very nicely driven MGA and come up behind a Bugatti 35C that is being driven with great enthusiasm. Then it’s all uphill to Lukey Heights where the amazing torque of the 3-liter Austin engine comes into its own.

At Lukey Heights it’s the brakes and third while heading left and downhill to a sharp right turn that the 3000 takes in its stride after very heavy braking. It’s slightly off-camber so all the weight is at the front, but it’s a great corner and I find that it’s good for passing…or being passed!

That’s followed by a wide, sweeping left-hander where the Austin-Healey’s engine is allowed its head in third before selecting top for the straight. Then it’s a matter of sitting back and waiting for the ocean to come into view.

I found Austin-Healey 57 FAC to be an amazingly forgiving car. It may have been the same marque that I had driven for close to 40 years, but both the car and circuit were still strange to me. It accelerated like stink and handled very predictably, so much so that I felt supremely comfortable with eventually approaching corners at unheard of speeds. I had to work the brakes as they required a heavy right leg, but I also had to remember that the car had spent most of its life in virtual museum circumstances. With a little work they would be sensational.

SPECIFICATIONS

Chassis/Body: All-steel chassis, alloy body panels and fiberglass hardtop

Wheelbase: 7ft 8in

Weight: 2,215 lbs

Suspension: Front: Independent with coil springs, wishbones, anti-roll bar and lever-arm shock absorbers Rear: Line axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, Panhard rod and lever-arm shock absorbers

Steering Gear: Cam and peg

Engine: Six-cylinder, 2,912-cc (83.36mm x 88.9mm)

Power: 188 bhp at 5,750 rpm. 164 ft-lbs of torque at 4,300 rpm

Carburettor: 3 x Weber DCOE Carburetors

Clutch: Single dry-plate, hydraulically operated

Gearbox: BMC 4-speed

Gears: 4 forward, 1 reverse. No-synchro on 1st. Close ratio, straight cut

Foot Brake:4-wheel Girling single-pot discs

Hand Brake: Operating on rear discs

Wheels: 5 1/2-inch 54 Spoke Factory Competition Pattern Wire Wheels

Tires: 195x60x15 Dunlop Race Tires.

Acknowledgements/Resources

Many thanks to the Historic Racing Register of Victoria for granting the entry and special thanks to Brian Duffy for trusting the car to me.

Healey, Geoffrey, Austin Healey – The story of the Big Healeys, Wilton House Gentry ISBN 0 905064 29 1

Robson Graham, Austin-Healey 100 & 3000 Series, The Crowood Press Ltd ISBN 1 85223 787 2

Ken Breslauer, Sebring – The Official History of America’s Great Sports Car Race, David Bull Publishing ISBN 0 9649722 0 4

John Baggott, Big Healeys in Competition, The Crowood Press Ltd ISBN 1 86126 828 9