1956 Austin Healey 100/6 | The Summer Serenade Auction | 18th July

• Full documented nut and bolt restoration
• Matching numbers supported by Heritage Certificate

Introduced in 1956, the Austin Healey 100/6 represented a significant evolution of the highly successful Austin Healey 100. Designed by Donald Healey and built in partnership with the British Motor Corporation, the model featured a more powerful six-cylinder engine, improved refinement, and updated styling while retaining the sporting character that had made its predecessor so popular. The 100/6 combined elegant lines with spirited performance, offering a rewarding driving experience that appealed to enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic. Its distinctive long bonnet, low-slung profile, and classic wire wheels have become iconic features of post-war British sportscar design.

First registered in Warwickshire on 3rd December 1956, this original right hand drive Austin Healey 100/6 BN4 is a highly desirable matching-numbers example, supported by its Heritage Certificate and presented in exceptional condition following a comprehensive, fully documented nut-and-bolt restoration. Undertaken over a two-year period during the Covid years, the restoration was completed to an exacting standard, with every aspect of the car receiving attention. The result is a beautifully restored Healey that has covered just 3,000 miles since completion. An extensive history file accompanies the car, together with approximately 300 photographs documenting the restoration process from start to finish.

Finished in attractive metallic blue, this 100/6 combines originality with several carefully considered upgrades designed to enhance reliability and usability. These include electronic ignition and the installation of a Dynamator, an alternator cleverly housed within a dynamo casing, preserving the period appearance while providing smoother and more efficient charging performance. Originally, the car would have been fitted with the early ‘gallery’ cylinder head, also known as the two-port head, where the smaller H4 carburettors mounted directly to the head via an integral inlet manifold. While correct for the period, this design was widely regarded as restrictive and was often replaced during the cars' working lives. This example benefits from the later and much improved six-port cylinder head, fitted with the correct HS6 SU carburettors and separate inlet manifold, significantly enhancing performance, flexibility and drivability. The interior has been re-trimmed and remains in excellent order, while the car is supplied complete with its side screens, hood, hood frame and tonneau cover. As a historic vehicle, it is both ULEZ compliant and exempt from road tax.

Remarkably, the Healey has had just eight previous owners during its seventy-year life, a testament to the care and custodianship it has enjoyed. While it would be impossible to list every detail of the restoration here, the substantial photographic record and accompanying documentation demonstrate that no area was overlooked. Adding an interesting footnote to its history, the car has appeared on screen in the feature film The Bank Job, starring Jason Statham, and was also featured in the television series Amazing Spaces with George Clarke.

A superbly restored and highly usable Austin Healey 100/6, this matching-numbers example offers the ideal combination of authenticity, improved drivability and outstanding presentation. Equally suited to historic touring events, classic rallies or relaxed continental motoring, it is a car ready to be enjoyed exactly as its makers intended. Consigned by James Good