The Austin Healey 100M “LeMans” stands as a testament to the days when the small British roadsters from the then largely unknown company were able to shock the world. At the 1954 24 Hours of LeMans, the 100-4 factory race cars placed 2’nd in class and 12’th overall, an astounding feat for such a small company. It was then decided that for 1955 and 1956 a special edition of the 100-4 would be produced to commemorate the success and offer the enthusiast buyers of these fine sports cars an opportunity to enjoy the best of what the company could offer. It would end up that only 640 factory built 100M LeMans would be realized during the production run. As such, owners of standard 100-4’s who could not get their hands on the factory built examples went back to the dealer for the “M Modification” and upgrades.  These upgrades included a louvered bonnet, special aluminum cold air box, special cam, tuned carburetors, and ignition amongst other subtleties.  This formula produced a potent little racer that was much quicker than the original with sporty looks and a superb performer.

This 100 M, chassis number BN2L/229889, is a genuine and documented factory built 100 LeMans model. It left the factory as it appears today; finished in Carmine red with black interior and fitted with its correct louvered bonnet.  It has a recorded build date of November 28’th, 1955 and was dispatched on December 12’th, 1955 to Donald Healey Motor Company Limited of the United States. The car is also certified as a “Genuine Factory-Built Austin Healey 100M LeMans” by the 100M “LeMans” Registry. While early history is not fully known, we do know that a Mr. Ron Bamber of Nantucket, MA owned the car through the 1990’s. He entrusted the services of the well known Marque specialist Fourintune, of Cedarburg Wisconsin, in 2000 to complete a comprehensive restoration. Of which was started in late 1998 and finished in 2000. The car then passed to a Mr. Simmons in 2001 before being sold years later to its most recent owner around 2002. During the current ownership the car has covered many miles including a stint on the New England 1000 amongst attending other rallies and shows on the East Coast. It is regarded as a performer by the current owner and has never let him down. It remains a respectable turn key example that would be welcomed at any show or rally.

The exterior of the car, although being restored almost 20 years ago, has held up remarkably well. Fourintune is one of the better Austin Healey specialists, and it truly shows in their quality of work. All panel gaps are straight and hang with more than acceptable fitment. The Carmine Red paint is still smooth and rich, immediately catching the eye and drawing the viewer in closer. The brightwork is all in fantastic shape with little to no signs of aging or pitting of any sort. The iconic shaped Healey grill is bright and proud, bearing its correct 100M insignia. All rubber trim pieces on the body and bumpers are supple overall and may have minor cracking or weathering due to age. The glass on all the headlights, markers lights and taillights is in excellent shape with no scratching, chipping or cracking present. The leather bonnet strap is good shape, with no signs of drying or cracking but just the right amount of creasing to make it look at more at home perched atop the louvered bonnet. The molding surrounding the cockpit shows some signs of age with minor scratching indications of usage, all being consistent with the originality of the trim. Upon removing the trim pieces, all four pieces are stamped with corresponding “11466” stampings, also lending credibility to the originality of the trim. There is a minor blemish on the lower valence of the rear quarter panel where it looks like the car was possibly backed into a low curb or something of the sort. This issue has resulted in a small cracking of the paint and a minor ding where the rear quarter panel folds under the car. It is very hard to notice unless on the underside of the car and could be fixed or left as it is, as it does not and should not effect the integrity of the car in any way. Additionally, there is some slight bubbling under the paint on the very bottom edge of the driver’s side door as well as the passengers side, though lesser. Again, this is not easily noticed unless inspecting the car from the underside and more then likely does not warrant the issues it would cause to have the area cleaned up and refinished. An easy fix would be the addition of black coves at which point these blemishes could be corrected without the worry of matching paint color.  Please see the underside photos to get a better idea of the condition of these blemish areas.

The interior is very nicely finished with no real flaws to be noted. The seats finished in black with red piping, display some minor creasing inline with the age of the restoration. The door sills and kick plates are free of issues. Both the door jams and the bottoms of the doors display no issues to note. The dash is likewise, free of any issues. The gauges all function as they should and are bright, cloud-free and easy to read though do show age. The center button/horn area of the steering wheel displays some scratching as well as minor pitting of the brightwork, but nothing that warrants replacement or refinishing. The wood of the wheel is clean and smooth with no issues to note. This car is fitted with period correct 2 point style racing lap belts which function well and are nicely installed. The included soft top folds neatly and stows well behind the seats. Neither of the seat backs have been marred by the soft top latches, a common problem with these cars, especially when the tops are not installed correctly. The top itself is in fairly good condition but does have a small tear on the driver side. Please see the photos. It should also be noted that during the taking of the photos, it was extremely cold out and the top could not be stretched to be secured properly, but all the appropriate fastening points are present and in place.

The engine bay is overall clean and tidy, all in line with the care taken when restoring the rest of the car. Everything is correctly finished in proper colors and coatings. Both tags are present on the firewall and appear to be the originals and the engine number tag is visible on the passenger side of the block. All numbers match provided Heritage Certificate. The uprated carburetors are the correct type and display their appropriate etchings. The custom air box is in good shape and has its identifying tag affixed in the correct location and is an original. The distributor, which is also unique to the 100M model, contains its identifying stamps as well. The engine bay shows no real signs of leaks or major drips. All the hoses remain supple, bright and clean. Many of the pieces, such as the carburetors, are very clean but show good signs of originality, a welcome sight on a car with this kind of provenance. Certain special pieces that are unique to a specific car should have a little bit of wear to them even in a restored car as it will show that they are genuine and not faked or replaced at some point in the vehicles life span. The louvered bonnet is clean and free of any deformation showing no cracking of the paint etc. The proper stamping is located on the driver’s side outer edge of the bonnet, again lending credibility to the complete nature of this car. Moving to the trunk area finds similar attention to detail as the rest of the car. Everything is clean and tidy and properly finished, down to the correct coating on the exterior of the gas tank. The black ribbed mat and trunk covering are in excellent shape, showing no signs of tears or fading.

The included spare wheel sits neatly in its designated cubby hole. The fuel filler area shows no signs of leakage or spillage. The body lines around the trunk lid are in good shape, except for two minor paint chips in the upper corner, most likely caused by a slightly overzealous closing of the trunk. The trunk lid contains the appropriate stamping on the small pad where it holds the prop arm. The underside of the car is appropriately finished, and the condition sits in line with the usage of the car. There are some areas of paint chipping along the frame rails and oil pan etc. all by-products of even the most careful usage of the car. The suspension components all appear to be well cared for, showing no sign of abuse, cracking, or aging. Both the bottom of the engine and the rear end show no real signs of leakage or dripping past normal accumulations of road grime and oil. The underside of the trunk area shows some slightly heavy metal repair areas, more than likely from a spot that was a little worse for the wear during the restoration, but it all appears to be holding up just fine.

Turning the key produces an audible hum from the fuel pump. Once primed, a quick prod of the starter and a slight pump of the gas peddle brings this Healey to life with a glorious and throaty roar. Once the engine obtains some heat, it settles into a smooth idle. The clutch peddle feels properly weighted, and the engagement and take-up are as they should be. The gears engage with ease and pulling away from a dead stop is light and simple. Once on the move, the car revs freely and makes good power throughout the rev range with no real flat spots to note. The brakes are a bit soft on initial take up but once they begin to catch they engage smoothly with no vibration or grinding. The suspension feels tight and quiet with no squeaks or other odd noises to note. Overall this 100M “LeMans” would be characterized as a great driver and is immediately ready to be used, driven and enjoyed.

With its rakish good looks and punchy little four-cylinder,  the 100M “LeMans” will always hold a special place in the pantheon of British motoring. With the windscreen in its folded position, there are no other cars out there with quite the same look, and these little roadsters are a sure-fire crowd pleaser wherever they go. This particular 100M “LeMans” is the perfect candidate to take to shows or to leave the crowds behind and head out on a motoring adventure of your own design.

This car is being sold with restoration documentation, British Heritage Certificate, 100M “LeMans” Registry Certification, Tools, Jack, Spare Tire, and Weather Gear.