1954 Austin-Healey

100/4 BN1 Le Mans

Specifications

Configuration: Front engine, rear wheel drive

Engine: 2,660 cc OHV inline 4-cylinder engine

Transmission: 4-speed manual with overdrive

A Little History

Austin-Healey was a British sports car maker established in 1952 through a joint venture between the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Donald Healey Motor Company (Healey), a renowned automotive engineering and design firm.

The Austin-Healey 100-4 BN1 roadster was such a hit at London’s 1952 Earl’s Court Motor Show that it soon went into production as a strong competitor to the MG sports car.

This was the first time Healey produced a car which broke the hundred-mile-an-hour barrier,
hence the designation ‘100.’

The Design
This model was made with a four-cylinder, extremely powerful engine, which Austin had previously used on trucks and London taxi cabs.

What is most interesting about this model is the folding windshield, which decreased aerodynamic drag and increased the top speed from 102 to 111 miles per hour.

Did You Know?
Leonard Lord, head of the mighty BMC, envisioned the 100 to be a new car to compete with Triumph and Jaguar for a slice of the American economic pie.

The BN in the name also had meaning: the B represented the engine class, which meant it had between 2000 and 3000 cc; the N represented the body-style configuration, two-seat and open-top.