2026-05-09 06:37:42 | pauls writes:

Car on BaT 5/26

bringatrailer.com/listing/1960-austin-healey-3000-mk-i-71/

Auction description:

Seller: GrabberSpecial

Location: Dubuque, Iowa

Chassis: HBT7L4798

12k Miles Shown, TMU

2.9-Liter Inline-Six

Aluminum Cylinder Head

Dual SU Carburetors

Alternator

Four-Speed Manual Transmission w/Overdrive

Jule Enterprises Frame

White & Red Paint

15" Knock-Off Wire Wheels

Red Leather Upholstery

Wood-Rimmed Steering Wheel

Spare Parts

BMIHT Certificate

Private Party or Dealer: Private Party

Lot #242697

This 1960 Austin-Healey 3000 BT7 Mk I was built in October 1959 and dispatched to Saint Louis, Missouri. The previous owner acquired the vehicle out of Kentucky as a stalled body-off refurbishment in 2016, and the project was completed in September 2025 and utilized a Jule Enterprises frame. The seller purchased the car after it was listed on BaT in October 2025, and 60-spoke wire wheels and the front and rear bumpers subsequently were installed. Finished in white and red over red leather upholstery, the Healey is powered by a 2.9-liter inline-six paired with a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive. Features include an aluminum cylinder head, dual SU carburetors, an alternator, front disc brakes, a tonneau cover, and a wood-rimmed steering wheel. This big Healey is now offered with a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, refurbishment records, removed and spare parts, a tool kit, and a clean Iowa title in the seller’s name.

Finished from the factory in Ivory White, the car was stripped and rust was repaired and some panels were replaced before the body was epoxy-primered, repainted in white with red lower sections, and fitted over a replacement Jule Enterprises frame under prior ownership. The seller reinstalled the chrome front and rear bumpers since the previous BaT listing. Features include a black tonneau cover, a hood scoop, bright trim, and dual exhaust outlets. The aluminum trim was polished during the refurbishment, the badging was reinstalled, and the lights, light bezels, door handles, tonneau cover, and wiper parts were replaced. A soft top is not included in the sale, but the frame and some related hardware is. Flaws in the paint are noted, the front apron is scratched, and the grille is pitted. The windshield wipers do not park in the correct position.

The gray-painted Dayton 15″ knock-off wire wheels were installed under current ownership and are mounted with 165HR15 Vredestein Sprint Classic tires. Braking is handled by front discs and rear drums. The brakes were overhauled during the refurbishment, and the shocks were rebuilt.

The 2+2 cabin features bucket seats that received replacement foam and red leather upholstery during the refurbishment. The carpeting, door cards, door handles, aluminum trim, and parking-brake handle also were replaced, and Noico sound-deadening material was applied to the floors. The interior has a red dashboard, a heater, a passenger-side grab handle, and a dash-mounted rearview mirror. The seller tells us that the trafficator is not engaged with the stator tube and occasionally turns with the steering wheel. The turn signals are shown in operation in one of the seller’s videos provided below, but the signals currently are unplugged. The seller also unplugged the horn.

The wood-rimmed steering wheel attaches to an adjustable column and frames Smiths white-dial instrumentation consisting of a 120-mph speedometer, a 6k-rpm tachometer, a fuel-level gauge, and a combination gauge displaying oil pressure and water temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 12k miles, approximately 6k of which were added under current ownership. The seller states that the odometer reading is not accurate, and true mileage is unknown.

The 29D 2.9-liter inline-six was rebuilt in 2016, during which the engine was machined, honed, and Plastigauged. A ported-aluminum cylinder head was installed, and the engine is also complemented by an alternator, a spin-on oil-filter adapter, an aluminum fuel tank, and dual SU carburetors as well as replacement valves, valve springs, wiring harness, and fuel pump. The fluids were changed upon the seller’s purchase of the vehicle in October 2025. The seller notes an undiagnosed oil leak. The engine tag was damaged while the block was being cleaned under prior ownership.

Rebuilt around the same time as the engine, the four-speed manual transmission is matched with a Laycock de Normanville electric overdrive unit.

The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate indicates that the car was built in October 1959 and was dispatched to Saint Louis on November 4, 1959. The document also lists the factory serial numbers, colors, and equipment.