History

It’s the mid-to-late 1950s. It’s a wild time for those with the need for speed. The SCCA National Sports Car Championship just ran in 1951, marking America’s first championship for sports cars. The Twelve Hours of Sebring is born. Tracks like Daytona, Riverside, and Laguna Seca have all just opened. In between all of that, customizations and modifications are skyrocketing in popularity. Swapping an American V8 into a minuscule British roadster is quickly becoming a recipe for success on the blacktop, long before Carroll Shelby popularized the practice with the AC Cobra. Others go the extra mile by fabricating custom body panels or even entirely new bodies out of fiberglass or aluminum to create the so-called “Special.” These one-off racers were handmade works of art, created by no more than a few passionate enthusiasts with a desire to stand out in any crowd, if not win. 

In 1953, British automaker Austin created racing history when it struck a deal with Donald Healey of fellow British automaker Donald Healey Motor Company Limited. The result was one of the most recognizable British roadsters of all time: the Austin-Healey 100. First of the three “Big Healeys,” the 100 used the same 2660 cc I4 engines and manual transmissions from the unsuccessful Austin A90, producing a mild 90 hp. Despite their comparatively low horsepower figures, Austin-Healeys remain a staple in vintage racing competitions thanks to their power-to-weight ratio, ease of modification, and parts/swaps availability. Significantly modified Austin-Healey 100s could even hold their own against some of the more powerful opponents of the time.

This Car

It is no surprise then that this 1954 Austin-Healey, Chassis # BN1-L/152589, is one of those hand-built Specials designed to dominate the track. According to its BMIHT, it was originally built on March 5, 1954, and sent to the US, where it was believed to have been first purchased by Dick Mathews, owner of Mathews Foreign Car Service in Red Bank, NJ. Dick was known for his work on Volvos and other European marques, which led him to eventually found and own Red Bank Volvo, where this car was recently found and purchased. We believe it was with the same family for nearly 70 years. While it has seen heavy modification, it still retains its body number present on the bonnet, trunk lid, and all cockpit surrounds. A nod to its originality and the fact that it likely was never in a major accident on the track. 

Upon buying the car, Dick converted it to RHD, despite being specified as a LHD North American export, and heavily modified it for period SCCA racing. In a Hot Rod Magazine article named Murder for Maseratis, dated 1958, it is described as having a modified Chevrolet 265 cu in V8 mated to an Edelbrock triple manifold with Stromberg 48 carburetors, a modified four-speed Jaguar transmission, an Iskenderian E-2 kit, a Scintilla magneto ignition, and a custom suspension, steering, and brake system. The front end was rebuilt in aluminum and fiberglass, with a sloping nose and recessed grill-mounted headlights similar to those of the Arnolt-Bristol. Available records show it was raced from 1956 to 1958 at several runnings of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix and Lime Rock events, where it was quite competitive (see View Documents for the racing record). Additionally, some Period racing footage still exists (8:49 onward). As the footage shows its appearance changed constantly throughout the years, with different windshield configurations (or lack thereof) and different nose graphics. The period photo and footage on file shows Dick at the helm of this Healey Special during the 1958 Watkins Glen Grand Prix – Seneca Cup, where he placed third in the 4200 cc class.

As it sits, this 1954 Austin-Healey Special will require a bit of love and care to be brought back to the glory of its heyday. Even so, it remains a unique piece of period racing history from the golden era of motorsport that would be a hit at any historic racing event, of which this car will remain widely eligible. Moreover, it is one of the first cars to embody the idea of putting an American V8 in an English car, a concept Carroll Shelby popularized with the advent of the Cobra. Upon purchase, the new owner will receive the BMIHT Certificate, a copy of a period Hot Rod Magazine article about the car, a period photo, a copy of its racing entries, and a list of entrants from a period run of the Watkins Glen Grand Prix. Lastly, and perhaps most interesting, the period sign – “Dick Mathews Foreign Cars” – that hung over the shop where this car was originally built is also included in the sale. 

The Market