2016-07-18 22:56:32 | AH Data writes:

The record was updated:

2013-09-12 18:07:58 | pauls writes:

Car was at auction 7/13
www.bonhams.com/auctions/20929/lot/350/

Auction description:
12 Jul 2013 14:30 BST Chichester,Goodwood
Collector's Motor Cars
lot number 350

'NOJ 392' - The Ex-works Mille Miglia and Le Mans 24-Hours
1953 Austin-Healey 100 Special Test Car
Registration no. NOJ 392
Chassis no. SPL 225B
Engine no. 1B136876
Sold for £785,500 (US$ 1,241,295) inc. premium

This remarkably well-documented ex-Mille Miglia, ex-Le Mans 24-Hour race Austin-Healey works car began life as one of the Donald Healey Motor Company's pre-production competition vehicles. It was custom-built for this purpose under the direction of their chief engineer, Geoff Healey, and experimental engineer Roger Menadue in their famous factory at The Cape, Warwick, during the early months of 1953.

This was only the sixth Austin-Healey built there and it is properly referred to as one of the company's immensely rare, now legendary, and much-coveted, 'Special Test Cars'.

These vehicles differed in many respects from what became the standard production Austin-Healey 100 models. These Special Test Cars were in effect 'silhouette' competition versions of what would become the production 100 – looking essentially identical while in reality being significantly lighter, more carefully built and faster in competition. This was achieved by comprehensive use of Birmabright aluminium alloy-paneled bodywork and bulkheads in place of production-type pressed-steel – plus many other detail modifications, even including polished aluminium lightweight bumpers masquerading as chromed steel units. Had these Healeys been Ferrari 250GTs they would be described as alloy-bodied Competitizione models. They were – and remain today – very, very special indeed (and far more rare than their latter-day Italian counterparts).

Of the four Special Test Cars built by the Donald Healey Motor Company in 1953, NOJ 392 is the sole remaining car in original 100-Specification guise.

The engine of 'NOJ 392' was built originally in the Austin Motor Company's experimental 'shop. It featured a nitrided crankshaft, special camshaft, lightened flywheel, double valve springs and ¾-inch SU carburettors, plus a specially-developed exhaust manifold. The gearbox was a heavy-duty variant of the Austin taxi transmission. Suspension improvements included modified shock absorbers and springs. During its later restoration in the 1990s, a slightly uprated camshaft was fitted since the car was to be used in moderately competitive track events and road rallies. The special exhaust manifolds and the correct SU carburettors were refitted. The car's interior was also completely re-trimmed.

By February, 1953, Donald Healey had three of his first batch of 20 pre-production Austin-Healey 100 cars ready for publicity purposes including motor shows in Europe and the USA, including his very successful promotional tour of that country.

Four of the pre-production cars were carefully built at Warwick to a detailed competition specification. Roger Menadue's brief was to build cars which would look like the new production 100 model, but which were to be significantly lighter and faster. These 'Special Test Cars' were destined for use in International motor races and world-class distance and speed record attempts.

The cars' Birmabright aluminium-alloy body paneling was painted in a pale metallic green livery. This batch of Special Test Cars comprised chassis serials SPL 224B, 225B, 226B and 227B. The first three were, respectively, road registered 'NOJ 391', '392 and '393 while the fourth car – chassis 227B – remained unregistered as the endurance and speed record car.

The only one of these Special Test Cars which left the Healey factory in its original form is the example now offered here, chassis SPL 225B, UK registration 'NOJ 392'. Its sister 'NOJ' cars were in contrast all rebuilt into 100S models at the Warwick factory before eventually being sold, while the endurance car was broken up. Experience with these NOJ cars promoted Healey's 'Le Mans Kit' and their later '100M' model.

In 1953, 'NOJ 392' offered here was the car crewed in the round-Italy Mille Miglia road race by pre-war Austin works racing driver Bert Hadley and Flt Lt Bertie Mercer of the Royal Air Force. The car wore start-time number '548' in that event but suffered throttle-jamming problems as the linkage's spring-loaded brass ball joints failed before Ravenna on the grueling event's southerly leg, which saw no fewer than 63 other retirements amongst the 488 entries which had set out from Brescia.

While the Special Test Cars had worn full-width windscreens and carried hoods in the Mille Miglia, for the following Le Mans 24-Hour race the hoods were set aside as three of the cars were fitted with stark aero screens, a mandatory bonnet strap and two Lucas supplementary driving lamps, while a larger-capacity fuel tank was shoe-horned into the tail. A competition side-exhaust system was used. The driving lights were widely spaced, while the alloy bumper carried no over-riders.

In their original configuration the Special Test Cars such as '392' offered here used Girling 11-inch x 2¼-inch twin trailing-shoe Al-Fin drum brakes. On the Austin Motor Company test-bed that year's Le Mans Austin-Healey engines developed some 103bhp at 4,600rpm. The higher-compression piston design later used in the marque's 'Le Mans kit' and 100M model was as yet undeveloped and was not used in this 24-Hour race.

Dutch rally star Maurice Gatsonides and well-known racing motor-cyclist Johnny Lockett co-drove this car, 'NOJ 392', at Le Mans. It wore start number '34' and Gatsonides/Lockett brought it home in a thoroughly respectable 12th place overall, and second in its class – the sister car of Gordon Wilkins/Marcel Becquart finishing in '392's wake, 14th.

In fact 'NOJ 392' had completed no fewer than 2,153 miles in the Le Mans 24-Hours, had been timed at 118.2mph along the Mulsanne Straight and averaged a very respectable 89.59mph for the full duration. It had been an exceptionally punishing event, not least for the Austin-Healey team mechanics who had all been laid low by a race-weekend stomach bug. Geoffrey Healey attributed their continuing fitness to work – for brief periods – to copious doses of Dr J. Collis Brown's Chlorodyne and charcoal powder...

After its Le Mans success, this Special Test Car was adapted to match standard production road trim. Bumper over-riders were added together with a tailpipe exhaust system while both the aero screen and Le Mans-regulation bonnet strap were deleted, and a normal full-width windscreen refitted. The car's twin driving lights were more closely spaced, it is assumed in order to clear the newly-fitted bumper over-riders.

In this guise 'NOJ 392' was then road tested by both 'The Autocar' and 'The Motor' magazines, representing 'NOJ 392' at that time as a 'standard' Austin-Healey 100. In modern times the Trading Standards authority might have something to say about that... Acceleration time from 0-60mph was published as 10.3 seconds, standing-start quarter-mile 17.5 seconds and top speed runs as much as 119mph.

This Austin-Healey then entered a third phase of factory use, being used from mid-1954 as a development vehicle. Its most significant modification during this period was the mounting of a special, hand-made set of Girling disc brakes in place of its original drum system. The Girling discs were tested on '392' for direct comparison purposes and must be viewed as differing distinctively from the rival Dunlop disc-brake equipment later standardized upon the production Austin-Healey 100S model. These Girling brakes were the first disc-type to be fitted to an Austin-Healey, and became the only Girling set-up to be used until the marque's 3000 Mark I model finally entered production with front discs by that company. Geoff Healey was later to acknowledge regretfully that the Girling brakes were the better choice on a number of fronts, particularly from a servicing point of view.

During its protracted factory career, old 'NOJ 392' was employed by Donald Healey's son Geoffrey and new wife Margot as their European honeymoon car, and it was then used for several years by Donald Healey's longest-serving employee – Roger Menadue – as his company car.

In formal terms its ownership was registered to the Austin Motor Company of Longbridge, Birmingham until August 8, 1958, when ownership was transferred to the Donald Healey Motor Company, Millers Road, Warwick. They retained the car for a further four years, until February 19, 1962, when it was registered to Verdon Garage of Desford Road, Newbold, Verdon, Leicester. It was then sold on June 1 that same year into the private ownership of John David Berry, of Verdon, Leicester.

On May 13, 1966, the car's ownership passed to John Shuttlewood of Marston Road, Leicester, and on June 6, 1967, it is recorded as having passed to Jonathan Roberts of Lodsworth, Petworth, Sussex. From September 4 to October 1, 1967, ownership was registered briefly to Geoffrey Orme of Tapton, Chesterfield, Derbyshire before being returned to Mr Roberts in Petworth. He then sold it almost immediately – on October 10, 1967 - to Malcolm Hay of Hurstpierpoint, Sussex who then retained the car for three years until October 14, 1970 when it was re-registered to Brian Dermott of Henley, Oxfordshire.

Mr Dermott then retained British ownership until 1979 when 'NOJ 392' was acquired by John Gray, of Melbourne, Australia. We understand that he retained it for some 14 years, before on February 2, 1993, passing it on to Warwick and Cameron Sell of Winmalee, New South Wales...

Mr Warwick Sell then had the car painstakingly – and most sympathetically - restored by world-renowned Austin-Healey specialists, The Healey Factory (of Melbourne, Australia) in 1994-95.

At the beginning of restoration 'NOJ 392' as offered here already retained all of its original panels and mechanicals, including the original taxi gearbox with overdrive. Rob Roland, proprietor of The Healey Factory has been quoted as saying "It had not been previously restored and was in amazingly original condition". He added that the car exhibited..."some floor/sill and chassis rust and very minor body damage to the left-hand front that had caused it to be off the road for some time prior to 1970". John Gray had initiated restoration before selling-on the car to Brian Dermott and later Warwick Sell. In preparation for its Australian restoration Mr Warwick Sell decided to have 'NOJ 392' rebuilt to its 1953 Le Mans configuration with the exception that its later disc-brake system would be retained in place of the period drums.

This decision actually complicated restoration because, while the rear Girling disc system had survived in situ, the front discs had been replaced by 3000 Mark I-type components. With the assistance of both Geoffrey Healey and Roger Menadue, the original specification was then defined and a reproduction pair of Girling discs and calipers were produced and mounted at the front.

Included with this Lot today is a substantial documentation file including a report by Austin-Healey authority Nick Howell, with assistance from Special Test Car/100S expert Joe Jarick, in which he confirms Joe's high opinion of the car's originality and the quality of its Australian restoration. In this report, commissioned by the current owner shortly after acquiring '392 in the UK in 2009, Mr Howell emphasises how: "Competition cars, by their very nature and use, are very often subject to major changes in the components during their career. The vehicle examined...'NOJ 392', not only has its original and unique very early chassis, but also a large number of original major and minor components".

In this document Mr Howell then provides photographic evidence confirming the presence of the car's correct and original chassis plate, which is attached to the frame as distinct from the bulkhead manufacturer's plate. The car's chassis frame was identified by the firewall plate serialled 'SPL225B' while the engine number is 'IB136876'. The car's correct engine number, and "most probably" all of its original aluminium body and bulkheads, are also confirmed as being the originals.

The car also featured the correct 'taxi' gearbox with overdrive, complete with its original mounting brackets. Even extra-large holes found beneath the boot lining and fuel tank were believed to have been drilled during fitting of the larger fuel tank deployed at Le Mans in 1953.

During restoration the car was fitted with new but correct-style pre-production flat floor pans and new sills. All associated original components were then refurbished rather than replaced during this restoration process. While it would have been simpler and cheaper to fit heavy chromed-steel bumpers, it would have been period incorrect, so new aluminium bumpers were manufactured at great expense.

In late 2009 the present owner commenced an eighteen-month refreshment of the Australian restoration with the remit to be make NOJ 392 as it appeared at the start of Le Mans in 1953. The entire body and chassis were stripped and repainted in the correct shade of cellulose paint, the engine and gearbox were rebuilt, suspension re-bushed, brake pipes renewed and the interior re-trimmed. Whilst it would have been simpler and cheaper to fit the standard, heavy chromed steel bumpers they would have been incorrect for the car so new aluminium bumpers were manufactured at great expense.

This exceptional and historically important Special Test Car has a wonderful provenance as an extremely important 'works' Austin-Healey, having finished 12th at Le Mans in 1953 and having also competed in that same year's Mille Miglia road race around Italy. It has the extra cachet of having featured as the works road test car immortalized for posterity in both 'The Autocar' and 'The Motor' magazines. It has retained all its major components to this day. It has never been substantially crashed or damaged, nor modified, nor abused.

It is a simply lovely full factory team car from the 1950s, certain to command entry into all the available major International Historic events now catering for its age and type, and a car whose potential for circuit, rally and concours competition alike is sure to be instantly appreciated upon sight.

2022-07-29 11:54:15 | pauls writes:

The car was also at Bonhams auction in 2011.

1 Dec 2011 2 p.m. Weybridge, Mercedes-Benz World Brooklands

The December Sale, Mercedes-Benz World, Important Collectors' Motor Cars

Auction 19293

Lot 433

'Barn Find' fresh from 42 years in single ownership, The Ex-Works, Le Mans 24-Hours, Sebring 12-Hours, Carrera PanAmericana and Bahamas Speed Week, Nassau

1953-55 Austin-Healey Special Test Car/100S Prototype Sports-Racing Two-Seater

Registration no. NOJ 393

Chassis no. SPL 226/B

Engine no. SPL 261-BN

Sold for £843,000 inc. premium

Here Bonhams is privileged to offer not only an extraordinary 'barn find' sports car with works racing pedigree, but also a competition car which survives today as an immensely significant reminder of an event which changed the entire course of International motor racing history.

Furthermore, 'SPL 226/B' presented here is not only one of the Donald Healey Motor Company's four original 1953 Works-racing - or 'Special Test Cars' – but it is also one of only two of those which were subsequently converted to full-blown Works 100S specification.

And even then this especially evocative survivor – offered here in unrestored, effectively 'barn find' condition – has still much more significance.

This is the only one of the works Special Test Cars that were constructed through 1953-54 to have competed in not just one Le Mans 24-Hour Grand Prix d'Endurance race, but in two.

As part of his original Austin-Healey Hundred production agreement with Leonard Lord of the British Motor Corporation, specialist constructor Donald Healey had undertaken to produce four Special Test Cars for racing and record breaking. They had to look exactly like the production vehicles, while there was little time to modify the Austin A90-derived 4-cylinder engine for use in them before the works racing programme would commence.

Body paneling for the cars was to be made by the Jensen company. In his book 'The Healey Story' (Haynes Publishing, 2004), Donald Healey's son Geoffrey, who was also the company's Chief Engineer, later described how "These Special Test Car bodies were good examples of the high-quality work that Jensen could turn out when cost and volume were not too important. (Stylist) Gerry Coker was responsible for checking on progress and ensuring that Jensen did what we wanted...".

The quartet of 1953 Special Test Cars – including 'SPL 226B' offered here – were built to the following specification:

• Chassis frames lightened and strengthened.

• Body panels in Birmabright BB2 and BB3 aluminium alloys with 2-3 per cent magnesium, giving high strength and corrosion resistance.

• Riveted understructure in BB3 in half-hard condition which has a minimum tensile strength of 18 tons/sq. in.

• Engines built in the Austin Experimental Department under Alf Depper – exactly as the production '100' units except for nitride-hardened crankshafts with tri-metal bearings and lightened steel flywheels. Pistons standard production Brico – two grades smaller to give extra clearance. Connecting rods selected standard production units with clamp-type gudgeon pin retention.

• Modified taxi gearboxes fitted with specially-built overdrive units.

• Special clutches from Lockheed Competition Department.

• DAS10 rear dampers on Warwick-modified chassis frames, stiffer front shock absorber valves.

• Increased-thickness anti-roll bars.

• Girling 11 x 2¼-in. twin trailing-shoe front brakes with Mintex competition linings.

• Lucas competition equipment with wiring installed by Lucas Competition Department, including racing dynamo and battery.

• Aluminium-alloy bumpers chemically brightened.

• Dunlop 5½ x 15-inch racing tyres.

The cars' chassis frames were lightened, strengthened and modified at Healey's Warwick factory, their steel floor panels removed and replaced by BB3 alloy sheet, riveted into place. Altered gearbox mountings were added, all suspension pick-ups reinforced and lightening holes opened where suitable. The frames were then delivered to Jensen for their lightweight alloy bodies to be fitted, and painted in metallic Docker-green. The engine spec adopted provided the same 95bhp as the production units, but with greater margin of durability. In the gearboxes, overdrive acted on second, third and fourth gears. Road speed with the Dunlop tyres specified gave 773 turns per mile, using a 5,000rpm rev limit.

Geoffrey Healey took the first completed car to the Geneva Salon in March, 1953, while two of them then contested the round-Italy Mille Miglia road race crewed by Bert Hadley/Bertie Mercer and Johnny Lockett/Jock Reid. They suffered throttle and clutch problems during the race, corrective measures being built into the Works cars that were then entered for their second competitive event – the 1953 Le Mans 24-Hours.

In this, the world's premier endurance race, journalist Gordon Wilkins was assigned to co-drive Special Test Car 'NOJ 391' – chassis no. 'SPL 224/B' - with the Belgian Marcel Becquart. However, on the return drive from Le Mans scrutineering to the team's hotel base, this original 'NOJ 391' was rammed by a French truck being driven by an intoxicated farmer who had just enjoyed a particularly good day at the local market...

Poor 'NOJ 391' suffered severe off-side-front damage, impossible to repair in time for the race. Consequently the Healey team set about transferring the stricken car's engine, brakes and all scrutineer-stamped components into their spare Special Test Car, 'NOJ 393' – chassis no. 'SPL 226/B' - which had been brought to Le Mans "as insurance". The necessary registration and race numbers were painted onto the car now offered here, and so – bearing the registration identity 'NOJ 391', and in effect masquerading as the same car that had just cleared official scrutineering - it was this car that then competed in the 24-Hour race, driven by Wilkins and Becquart. During the long race, both Austin-Healey Special Test Cars ran reliably and rapidly. One electrical connector on the Wilkins/Becquart 'NOJ 393' car came loose, while Wilkins also had the overdrive jam temporarily, before the problem cleared itself.

Johnny Lockett/Maurice Gatsonides in 'NOJ 392' finally finished 12th overall and second in class, while Wilkins/Becquart in the car now offered here followed them home to finish 14th overall, and third in class.

As a measure of the support given by the British motoring press to its manufacturers in that period, no mention was published of the post-scrutineering road accident and the subsequent chassis/engine/driveline swop that the Austin-Healey team had first suffered, and then made... In effect, the British in that period were "all in this together" to sustain and hopefully enhance industrial and national prestige.

For 1954, a new batch of Special Test Cars was completed, road registered with the prefix letters 'OON'. They featured new Dunlop disc brakes, 16-inch aluminium disc wheels, light-alloy radiators, aircraft-type fuel tanks and uprated engines with single-port Weslake cylinder heads. These power units drove through David Brown S430 four-speed gearboxes. Lance Macklin was retained as senior Works driver, and entries were made for the Sports Car World Championship-qualifying Sebring 12-Hours, the Mille Miglia, Le Mans 24-Hours and Carrera PanAmericana road race, in Mexico.

For the 1954 World Championship-opening Sebring 12-Hours, in Florida, USA, the lone Works Austin-Healey Special Test Car was co-driven by Lance Macklin and George Huntoon. They brought it home into a magnificent third place overall, beaten only by the pure-blood sports-racing prototype OSCA of Stirling Moss/Bill Lloyd and a Works V6-engined Lancia D24! The Austin-Healey Special Test Car won its class handsomely, and the marque's next model name deservedly became '100S' – for 'Sebring'.

So which car was it that had "put the 'S' in '100S'"? The most eminent of Austin-Healey Special Test Car and 100S authorities, Joe Jarick – for whom we are most grateful for his assistance and research for the catalogue description – has comprehensively researched these cars, and he has volunteered the following information. He states: "I am confident 'NOJ 393' was the 1954 Sebring entry. Additional to the DHMCo documentation, close scrutiny of the photographic evidence of the entries for Sebring and the next year at Le Mans (ignoring the re-grilled front centre sections), supports this view. In the 1954 Sports Car World Championship, seventh place was a tie between Austin-Healey, Aston Martin and Cunningham with 4 points each."

That Sebring third place had scored those points.....

Following this success, two cars had been entered and had begun preparation for the 1954 Le Mans 24-Hour race. However, while Lance Macklin drove in the Mille Miglia, finishing fifth in the over 2-litre sports car class, he was only 23rd overall in the final classification. Looking forward to Le Mans, Donald Healey objected very strongly to the organisers' lax entry regulations, as Geoffrey Healey recalled: "We ran what were basically standard production cars (while) the regulations permitted cars bearing not the slightest resemblance to production cars...such racing lost its value to both the manufacturers and the buying public".

Consequently, to back their argument in favour of a level playing field within this form of motor racing, Austin-Healey withdrew from World Championship-level sports car competition until the Mexican Carrera race that November.

This tremendous challenge was run in five long daily stages over the PanAmerican Highway from Mexico's southern to northern borders. Meanwhile the first car to have been converted to new 100S specification, featuring disc brakes, uprated engine, different gearbox and remodeled nose styling with the soon-famous lenticular radiator grille, had been 'NOJ 391'/'SPL 224/B'. It was followed by conversion of 'NOJ 393'/'SPL 226/B' offered here, and by three of the 1954 'OON'-registered Special Test Cars.

The 100S engine featured a Harry Weslake-designed aluminium 'single-port' cylinder head with reversed manifolding and it became unique to the 100S – (total production of only 50 or so customer cars, plus just the handful of Works cars). So in effect, this was a bespoke engine – and a good reason why the 100S has been so rarely replicated.

The two Special Test Cars campaigned in Mexico were driven by Lance Macklin and the second car by Carroll Shelby and Roy Jackson-Moore. The English star was forced out on the opening stage by ignition failure, while Shelby shone – finishing Stage One fourth overall – before crashing heavily next day.

In respect of this race, Joe Jarick confirms the following: "The Donald Healey Motor Company stock-take at November 1954 lists;

Chassis SPL 226/B, Engine Number 1B136878, Registration Number NOJ 393, as being 'used' as follows;

'1953 Le Mans in place of SPL 224/B. The car then rebuilt with new engine and used at Sebring. Rebuilt now on Pan American Road Race.'"

The car offered here, 'NOJ 393'/'SPL226/B' is the car used by Lance Macklin in Mexico, 1954, in which its sister sustained severe damage in the Shelby accident. With its ignition system revived, this same Macklin car was then taken to the inaugural Bahamas Speed Week in Nassau - December 10-12, 1954 – in which he drove it to finish sixth in the 100-mile Bahamas Cup before being placed 25th in the 200-mile Nassau Trophy. In the shorter event, this Austin-Healey was headed only by two 4.5-litre Ferrari 375 V12s, a 3-litre Ferrari 750 Monza, Porsche 550 and Maserati A6GCS.

Into 1955, however, a number of entries were made by owner/drivers whom the factory regarded as "mediocre" and Donald Healey became uneasy that their limitations could discredit his painstakingly created new brand.

Consequently the factory team's prime driver, Lance Macklin – in conjunction with the French Austin importer AFIVA – persuaded the Le Mans-organising Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) to accept a private Austin-Healey entry under his name. This was to be, in effect, a quasi-works entry, and the car selected for the event was 'NOJ 393'/'SPL 226/B' as offered here, ready for its second outing at Le Mans.

BMC engine specialist Eddie Maher specially-tuned '393's engine for the coming race, achieving 140bhp with high-lift, long-period camshaft and two SU HD8 carburettors. Lance Macklin invited 500cc Formula 3 star Les Leston to be his co-driver. Geoffrey Healey explained: "We had no hope of winning with a basic production car, but had a good chance of a high placing with the train-like reliability of the big Austin four-cylinder engine...".

Marcus Chambers of BMC/MG was running the pit, accompanied by Le Mans old hand – and former Bentley Boy race winner there – 'Sammy' Davis of 'The Autocar' magazine.

Lance Macklin kept 'NOJ 393' well in contention during his opening race-stint, but as the first round of scheduled pit stops fell due he was in the process of being lapped by the leading group of more powerful and faster sports-prototype cars from Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, coming into the straight, when he swerved to avoid Mike Hawthorn's heavily-braking D-Type Jaguar as it veered across his path to make its refueling stop. The Austin-Healey was then struck from behind by the veteran French driver 'Levegh' in his works-entered Mercedes-Benz 300SLR sports-prototype.

The Mercedes struck 'NOJ 393's left-rear corner, rode up over the left-rear wheel and crashed down upon the top of the track's left-side retaining bank, where it disintegrated. Flying debris causing mayhem amongst the packed spectators standing behind that retaining bank. Meanwhile, 'NOJ 393' spun to the right of the roadway, bouncing off the pit-counter wall before slewing to a halt on the other side of the track. Macklin escaped without physical injury, but the magnitude of the disaster within the spectator area was to trigger enormous International ramifications that would change the entire face of International motor sport.

Switzerland banned circuit racing within its borders, a number of high profile events were cancelled, while major safety requirements emerged, closing many of the public-road race circuits which had been so widely used until that time.

This car, 'NOJ 393', was then impounded by the Le Mans police authority, pending a full inquiry into the accident presided over by Judge Zadoc-Kahn.

His inquiry took time, and it was not until September 1956 that the Donald Healey Motor Company was able to negotiate release of their damaged car. Upon its return to The Cape, Warwick, they found that the worst damage was confined to 'NOJ 393's left rear and left-hand side, the heavy impact against the pit wall having affected the same bodywork area struck by the Mercedes.

By that time the Healey company was deeply committed in selling the latest Austin-Healey100-Six model, having been introduced to the market in August 1956, and were keen to sell the repaired 'NOJ 393' to clear the deck. Even then, the car was as advanced, and as fully-developed, as any 100S in terms of works Le Mans specification. It is interesting to note that today the left-hand side front wing, door and rear wing are steel, whereas the rest of the body is aluminium. The school of thought is that by late '56/early '57 the DHMCo. had exhausted their stock of alloy 100S panels and replaced the damaged wings and door with their stock of steel panels prior to selling the car into the privateer world.

Extensive detailed history, documentation and photography of 'NOJ 393' accompany the car today, including a copy of the ACO scrutineering fiche which accepted it to compete in the 1955 Le Mans race. This confirms the identity of the scrutineered car – race No: 26 - as bearing "Chassis No: (correctly hand-written) SPL 226B" and "Moteur No: (hand-written) 261-BM" (this is a hand written error as it was in fact 261-BN).

Incidentally, we believe NOJ 393 retains to this day the original engine 'SPL 261-BN' as it has the ultra-rare Works angled cylinder head and evidence of scrutineering security measures to prohibit tampering.

The original buff logbook document records the 'Austin Motor Company, Longbridge, Birmingham' as 'NOJ 393's original owner, the first change then being date-stamped 28 February 1957 alongside the company title 'Donald Healey Motor Co Ltd, The Cape, Warwick'. This change was plainly made upon completion of the car's factory repair following its return from its French impoundment, as on 29 March 1957 a second ownership change is recorded – the car having been purchased from Healey by David Buxton, of Derby.

He was an emerging club racing driver at that time, and after racing 'NOJ 393' only briefly would go on to found the Team Elite organization, racing Lotus Elite GT cars very widely and with considerable success – including Le Mans.

The ageing car subsequently passed through the hands until it was bought in the 1960s by Healey exponent Ron Kirkham, of Oldham, Lancashire who kept it for the next few years.

Ultimately, in 1969, it was acquired by the present vendor the same condition in which it is offered today. The engine at that time was seized and he had been to see the car and was told it had already been sold for £150. As the purchaser had not yet paid, the present vendor persuaded the seller to let him have it for a fiver more! He bought it initially in partnership with others, then bought out their share – but the extremely modest overall cost reflected the car's condition and the fact that it was, in effect, merely a sixteen-year-old obsolete racer.

Today, no fewer than 42 years into its present ownership, 'NOJ 393's evocatively untouched, unchanged fabric bears incontrovertible testament to its specific history.

Most significantly its left-rear wing, left-side door and front wing are all production steel panels, which would have replaced the Birmabright alloy originals in the Healey factory's post-Le Mans repair. While the right-side door hinges are of the original 1953 Special Test Car design, the replacement left-side door features the later production design hinges – entirely consistent with 1956-57 repair by which time the original type hinges had become unavailable. The intricately lattice-framed scuttle structure is original 1953 Special Test Car design.

At scrutineering for the 1955 Le Mans 24-Hours, the Works team had been required to add a further two leather retaining straps from scuttle to bonnet and the legacy of these modification are still apparent today. The bonnet also retains the drillings, now plugged, that were used to prevent the lateral leather strap from fluttering in the airstream by the bridge-piece bracket, that was riveted to the opening bonnet panel. The panels surviving on the car today have filled drillings corresponding precisely with this centre-fixing's location and the additional retaining straps – as photographed uniquely on this car at Le Mans 1955. Furthermore, areas of both the 1953 Docker Pale Green and 1955 British Racing Green paintwork show through the later paint coats applied subsequently.

So 'NOJ 393' – chassis serial 'SPL 226/B' – has its two-time Le Mans 24-Hours racing history embodied within its structure as indelibly and unmistakably as a human fingerprint.

As one of that so-rarefied group of Austin-Healey 100 Special Test Cars this amazing, time-warp example has by definition inbuilt iconic status.

As the unique double-Le Mans car it has especially enhanced stature.

And – tragically – as the quasi-works Austin-Healey involved in the racing incident that changed the entire course of motor sporting development, 'NOJ 393' plainly becomes a crucially historic landmark car.

It is worth reiterating that in its heyday this Works Special Test Car shared the grid with such now multi-million-Pound classics as 3-, 3.4- 4.5- and 4.9-litre sports-prototyes from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Maserati and Lancia. Within its up-to-3-litre Sports Car class alone it faced not only the Aston Martin DB3S, Maserati 300S and Gordini T24S but also the irresistible Mercedes-Benz 300SLR and even the Cunningham-Offenhauser C6R! Truly, 'NOJ 393' now offered here holds a place, by merit, at motor racing history's top table.

The opportunity now presents itself to a connoisseur collector to revive this significant war horse. The choices are self-evident although perhaps the majority opinion would be to restore the car to the zenith of its Works career – in 1955 Le Mans start-line condition, resplendent in British Racing Green, race no. 26.

Whichever route is taken, we offer the new owner here a blank canvas, one for which the successful bidder can select his restorer and specification of choice and thoroughly enjoy the process of reviving one of the most important sports-racing cars to have come to market for many years...

Today, an Austin-Healey 100S provides an entry ticket to every one of the blue riband historic motor sport events - such as the Goodwood Revival, Mille Miglia Retro, Le Mans Classic, Carrera PanAmericana...and countless more. This will be especially so for a newly revived ex-Works Special Test Car/100S 'NOJ 393' that we offer here with such confirmed originality and provenance.