• Austin Healey: The Story of the Big Healeys [top]
  Written by Geoffrey Healey
  First published in 1977 in Great Britain by Gentry Books in hardback, 256pp, ISBN 0856140511
  Jacket illustration: Front: Geoffrey Healey driving Malcolm Eykin's 3000; Back: Rod Diggens' painting of Donald Healey and a rally car, first published in Thoroughbred and Classic Cars

About this book/synopsis: Of all the sports cars produced in the last twenty-five years, few have generated such enthusiasm as the Austin Healey. If anything, the cult of the Big Healey has snowballed since production ceased in 1967: with 30 official clubs spanning the world at the present time [1977 when the book was published], few marques can claim such a fervent following. In the past, both Geoffrey and his father Donald Healey have been exasperated by the spate of misinformation that has been published about the history of the cars. Now free to speak his mind, Geoffrey Healey sets the record straights for the first time in this book. He describes the origins of the marque and the development of the first Big Healey, the Healey Hundred, which was snapped up by Austin at the 1952 Motor Show, to be produced as the Austin Healey 100. He describes in detail the car's development through the 100s, 100M, 100 Six and 3000. From its birth in 1952 to its final demise in 1967, the Austin Healey was to suffer the vicissitudes of the changing fortunes of the giants of the motor industry, but its own distinct character developed a quite extra-ordinary bond of affection and respect with those fortunate enough to own or drive one. Great drivers such as Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Tommy Wisdom, Paddy Hopkirk and Timo Makinen were to drive the car to victory in international events such as the Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance, the Mille Miglia, the Nassau Races, Le Mans, the Targo Florio and in particular, the famous Alpine and RAC rallies, in which the marque was a star performer for over a decade. And on the bleak salt flats of Utah, Donald Healey himself was to break the magic 200mph figure in a streamlined 100 Six.

In this candid and lively account, Geoffrey Healey - chief engineer of the small team directed by his father -reveals the background to the cars' development. From the family archives, he has produced a wealth of illustrations and detailed information never published before - full specifications for each model produced, power curves for the production and competition engines, and a remarkable collection of photographs spanning the entire history of the marque

Contents:
Acknowledgements; Foreword by Donald Healey; Introduction
1. Donald Healey and Family
2. The Origin of the Healey Cars
3. First of a Line
4. Improving the 100
5. The 100 Six
6. The 3000
7. Those Special Cars
8. Replacing the 3000
9. Competition
10. Record Breaking
11. The Clubs
12. Later Days
13. Appendices
14. The Engines
15. Record of 100 S Sales
16. Production Figures for the Big Healeys
17. Specifications of the Big Healeys
18. Index

Illustrations (with the chapters they fall in)
2. The Origin of the Healey Cars:
p.16. Photo, b&w of the front and right hand side of the 2.4 litre Riley-engined Healey chassis showing the complex trailing link front suspension (source: The Autocar)
p.18-19. Two photos, b&w showing a wide view of the original factory at Benfords, Warwick, where the assembly of the original 2.4 litre 'A' type chassis is in full flow
p.21. Photo, b&w of the new factory at the Cape, Warwick. In the foreground, the later 'B' type Healey chassis; left to right: 2.4-litre saloon (Elliot), Duncan-bodied Healey and another Elliot. Harry Brandish's office was in the far corner (source: The Autocar)
p.22. Photo, b&w of two men working on the assembly of the 'B' tpe chassis frames at the Cape factory. In the foreground, Jack Hawkes (The Autocar)
p23. Photo, b&w of DMH and the author in a Nash Healey at the start of the 1952 Mille Miglia. Note the escape hatch in the roof
p24. Photo, b&w of the Nash Healey prototype at Nash Motors, Kenosha, where the front has been built up with clay to take the Nash Ambassador Grille
3. First of a Line
p.32-33. Pen sketch of the earliest body scheme for the Healey Hundred. This progressed by stages to the model, a full-size drawing and the prototype built at Tickfords. Even at this early stage, some of the characteristics that survived area already apparent
p34. Photo, b&w of what looks to be a clay model - the first small-scale model of the Healey Hundred, made from the first scheme. Note that the grille is near to its final form. D M H had the rear wings definted before the start of production
p36-37. Illustration, b&w, a drawing by Gerry Coker developed as a full-scale line drawing from which Tickfords built the prototype Healey Hundred body. DMH had the bonnet scoop and fins removed when the prototype was partly built
p38. Photos, three snapshots, b&w, of the Healey Hundred prototype body under construction at Tickfords, Newport Pagnell. The first shows the original fin on the right-hand rear wing, while the left-hand wing has been modified to form the shape continued ever since. The two bonnet bulges shown in all three photographs were later deleted when SU carbs with shorter dashpots were fitted
p39. Illustration, b&w, Gerry Coker's original design for a winged badge for the Healey Hundred. This incorporated the Healey motif that had been designed for the first Healey cars by an RAF officer. Gerry later redesigned the badge with the words 'Austin Healey' in Austin script form
p40. Photo, b&w, showing the prototype Healey Hundred with Healey badge, prior to the Austin take-over (source: Autosport)
p41. Photo, b&w, showing DMH, George Harriman, Len Lord and Lord Nuffield with the first car at the Earls Court Motor Show. Overnight, the Healey Hundred became the Austin Healey 100 (source: Autosport)
p42. Photo, b&w, side and front elevation of the prototype Austin Healey 100 with production type hood. The headlamps were raised on the production cars, increasing the gap above the sidelamps
p43. Illustration, b&w, of two of Gerry Coker's trim schemes for the 100. The left-hand scheme was rejected as being too violent. The right-hand scheme was adopted as the basic design
p45. Photo, b&w, showing DMH with the first Austin Healey to reach America in 1953
p46. Photo, b&w, showing DMH in a 100 with Gracie Fields, at the New York Show, 1953
p47. Photo, b&w, of Johnny Lockett and Jock Reid on the starting ramp for the 1953 Mille Miglia. Note the near standard condition of the car
Colour Plate 1: Photo of an early 100 undergoing tests at the Lindley proving ground, near Nuneaton, driven by Gill Jones with Harry Broom of Austin's development department
Colour Plate 2: Gerry Coker's original drawing of the two-tone paint scheme on the Austin Healey 100, and, below (Colour Plate 3) the interior styling scheme for the 100 phase 2
Colour Plate 4: Photo of Brian Healey trying an early 100 on Gaydon Airfield
Colour Plate 5: Photo of Brian Healey posing in the 100 S prototype, in St. Nicholas Park, Warwick. The blue paint on the car had the unlikely name of 'Lobelia'!
p50. Photo, b&w, Len Lord about to try a 1953 Le Mans car at Gaydon Airfield, before a race on Sunday morning
p53. Photo, b&w, Le Mans 1953: an Austin Healey 100 leads a Gordini and a Porsche through the Esses (photo by Rodolfo Mailander)
p56. Photo, b&w, Louise King, star of 'The Seven Year Itch', with one of the early 100s exported to the USA. Shown outside the Fulton Theatre
p57. Photo, b&w, an Austin publicity photo of the 100. In the background is an Austin A40 Somerset, typical of the fifties
p58. Photo, b&w, of an Austin Healey 100 cornering at speed (photo by Robert Mottar)
p59. Drawing, b&w, showing one of Gerry Coker's suggestions for styling the interior and dash panel for phase 2 of the Austin Healey 100. This design was never used - the existing layout was continued with only minor modifications
p60. Drawing, b&w, showing Gerry Coker's first sketch for a coupé top on the 100
p61. Photo, b&w, showing the prototype 100S on the track at Sebring. Lance Macklin and George Huntoon drove the car to third place overall and first in class
p62. Photo, b&w, of George Huntoon in the prototype 100 S, No. 29 (same car as on p61) at Sebring, March, 1954
4. Improving the 100
p65. Photo, b&w, of the power unit of the 100 S
p66. Photo, b&w, showing the front elevation of the first production 100 S, in white livery, with Brian Healey at the wheel in customary flat cap
p67. Photo, b&w, showing an overhead view of the internal seating and instrument arrangement of the first production 100 S. The cockpit contains a David Brown gearbox from an earlier car
p68. Photo, b&w, of six 100 S cars and two Nash Metropolitans being loaded on board Austin transporters for the 1955 Sebring races
p69. Photo, b&w, of one of the seven 100 Ss that competed at Sebring 1955, passing a Ford Thunderbird. 100 Ss took first, second and third in the class, as well as sixth place overall (photo by Robert Mottar)
p70. Photo, b&w, of Stirling Moss passing the timers' shack at speed in the 1955 Sebring race in car 44: he was placed sixth overall and first in class (photo by Robert Mottar)
p71. Photo, b&w, of Stirling Moss passing one of the new and potent 550 Porshes at Sebring 1955 (photo by Robert Mottar)
p72. Photo, b&w, of Stirling Moss retiring with a broken front stub axle in the 1955 Nassau trophy (photo by Daniel Rubin)
p73. Photo, b&w, of the author waiting at the head of the works 100 S team for the 1955 Mille Miglia, after scrutineering in Brescia
p76. Photo, b&w, of a 100 S prototype (NOJ 393) and a 1955 works car (OON 439) being tested at Brize Norton Airfield by Lance Macklin and DMH respectively
p77. Photo, b&w, of the basic 100 M engine kit. High compression pistons were an optional extra
p78. Photo, b&w, of a two tone livery 100 M fitted with a Healey aeroscreen
p79. Photo, b&w, of a hanger or large shed (the Cape) full of 100s awaiting conversion to the 100 M specification. The white 100M 'SLP 7' occupies the foreground: Angela Lane, a top model of the fifties (1950s) stands next to the door of the car whilst talking with Brian Healey
p80. Photo, b&w, of Keith Boyer's 100 M 'XPF 100', a beautifully restored two tone liveried car, which was a frequent winner in concourse events. It's highly modified engine made it a real performer
5. The 100 Six
p83. Photo, b&w, of the engine of the 100 Six, showing the early gallery head which gave poor results
p84. Drawing, b&w, of the cockpit of the 100 Six occasional 4-seater
p85. Copy of a page from the catalogue introducing the 100 Six
p87. Top of page: B&W publicity shot showing a woman with a tennis racket sitting on the edge of the UOC 741 before modification for rally use by Tommy Wisdom. This ex-Austin publicity 100 Six became the first of the rally cars
p87. Bottom of page: B&W photo of Tommy Wisdom trying UOC 741, rally car 264, round the Warwickshire roads
p88. Top. B&W photo of Tommy Wisdowm at the wheel of UOC 741 with Cecil Winby, at the Ravenna control of the 1957 Mille Miglia. George Phillips of Autosport took the photograph, capturing Autocar's Harry Mundy on the same assignment. The near standard condition of the 100 Six is typical of the way cars were raced in those days
Bottom. Photo, b&w, showing the interior of UOC 741, prior to the 1958 Monte Carlo Rally. The reader should note the simple extras of the day: Lucas dipping mirror, cowls to improve defrosting of the screen, two Huer stop watches, a Halda speed pilot, and extra switches for fog lights
p89. Photo, b&w, of Tommy's navigator, Cyril Smith, checking chain clearance with mechanic Bill Hewitt. Dunlop snow tyres and studs mean that today snow chains are obsolete
p90. Photo, b&w, of 100 Six cars used to parade drivers round the circuit for the benefit of the spectators. In the front car in this picture were Fangio and Gill Jones of Austin
p93. Photo, b&w, of Stuart Mackenzie, sculling champion, using the 100 Six in this picture for transporting both himself and his equipment
6. The 3000
p96. Photo of the Austin Healey 3000 at the 1959 Earls Court Motor Show. Readers should note the illuminated chassis on the plinth - not many cars of this era had separate chassis
p97. Photo, b&w, - actually a publicity shot of the 3000, taken near Abingdon. For some reason, BMC were very keen on horses and often used them as background in their catalogues
p99. Cover design, b&w, of the 1959 Austin Healey catalogue announcing the 3000
p101. Photo, b&w, of the 3000 MkII, in white, showing the new grille. The 3000 is distinctive from any angle, but this three-quarter front view is perhaps the most impressive
p102. Photo, b&w, showing the cockpit of the 3000 MkII showing the original metal dash panel carried over from the 100
p104-5. Photo, b&w, giving a view of the 3000 MkII (in white), highlighting its excellent and easily erected convertible top. The backlight panel could be unzipped to improve ventilation
p107. B&W drawing by Doug Thorpe showing a scheme for a 3000 coupé. This scheme was modified to use more of the existing panels, without so much alteration to the front
p108. B&W line drawing showing the highly efficient exhaust system of the MkIII, which gave power without adding to engine stress
p109. Photo taken from overhead, b&w, showing the power unit of the 3000 MkIII - the 2-inch SUs and duplex choke control are shown
p110. B&W photo showing the extensive use of ICI's Ambla trim material in the interior of the 3000 MkIII. Ambla was the closest material at the time to a leather finish with no danger of cracking in the hot sunshine. Together with real wood panels, large ashtray and thick carpets, this gave a degree of luxury no longer obtainable in open sports cars
p111. B&W photo of the 3000 MkIII with Dunlop white wall tyres that featured a very narrow white section which had no effect on their high-speed performance
p112. B&W photo of the 3000 MkIII from the front - the phase 2 version which this is had separate side (parking) and indicator lamps
p113. Photo, b&w, of the author and family - Margot, Kate and Cecilia (at the wheel), in Malcolm Eykin's 3000

COLOUR PLATES:
1. Colour photo of the 100 Six finished by Austin specially for the Earls Court Motor Show. All plated parts were plated in gold, and the seats were trimmed in mink. Some metallurgists were alarmed by the gold plating of the wheels as this could have caused spoke failure
2. Colour photo of a beautiful version of a long-nose 100 Six race car created by an enthusiast. The drum brakes and one-piece lift-up nose are distingushing features of the car in this photo. It is not one of the works cars
3. Colour photo of the Morley brothers, Don and Erle, driving a 3000 rally car to victory in the 1962 Alpine Rally
4. Colour photo of John Harris giving the first SR its final test before racing at Le Mans, 1969

7. The Sprite
p115. Photo, b&w of the first Sprite prototype (reg 116 AC) with pop-up lamps - a system adopted 20 years later by Porsche
p116. Photo, b&w, of Basil Cardew of the Daily Express driving DMH round the circuit outside Monaco during Austin' press presentation of the Sprite in 1958. Photographed in front of a sign pointing to the N7 showing Roquebrune 8km away and Menton 12km away to the left; with Moyenne Corniche 4.3km away to the right, Beausoleil 6km away
p117. Photo, b&w, of Count Aymo Maggi, the driving force behind the Mille Miglia races, welcoming DMH and his sprite to Brescia in 1958
p118. Two photos, b&w, of DMH with an early production Sprite, reg YAC 740, on the Mille Miglia circuit. Pictured in front of a sign reading P.so della Raticosa (968 s/m) on the top photo. Bototm photo shows W Healy graffiti on a wall with DMH and the sprite next to it. A farmhouse sits on the low hill in the background
p119. Photo, b&w, of Tommy Wisdom daubing pro-Healey graffiti on a wall on the Mille Miglia circuit in white paint
p120. Photo, b&w of a brand new XQHS Sprite with Coventry Climax engine outside the new showroom at the Cape
p121. Photo, b&w, of two early face lifts on the MkI Sprite - two cars reg 266 AC and 116 AC stand side-by-side. Neither face lift was considered radical enough for the MkII
p122. Photo, b&w, of a clay mock-up of the front end that was to become the MkII Sprite and Midget (photo by Edward Eves)
p123, Top b&w photo of the 1968 special-bodied Sprite under construction, prior to its use at Le Mans. Bottom photo of Alec Poole testing the 1968 Le Mans Sprite at Silverstone. With Roger Enever as co-driver, he was placed fifteenth overall and won the Motor Trophy, at 94.798 mph for 24 hours. The power bulges were necessary to clear the fuel injection system
p124. Top b&w photo of the wooden buck on which panels for the special-bodied Sprite used at Sebring and in the Targa Florio were made. Bottom photo, b&w, shows the 1964 Targa Florio Sprite, the first of a series built for this great race. Wisdom and Hopkirk had to retire from the race sadly with a broken half-shaft
p125. Top - photo of a white 1966 Targa Florio Sprite (reg EAC 90C, 1965 model with saloon bodywork added). Baker and Aaltonen took it to sixteenth place overall and third in the prototype class. Bottom - b&w photo of a steel-bodied version of the Targa Florio Sprite. Built with a view to limited production, only this one car was ever made. It was sold to Richard Budd of Leamington
p126. Top - b&w photo of the special Sprite and a 3000 being prepared for the 1961 Sebring races. Bottom, b&w photo of the first Lucas fuel-injected Sprite at Sebring, 1968, with an MG alongside. The Sprite is emblazoned with '73' and the MG (reg MBL 546E) with '44'
p127. Top - b&w photo of the Pan Am flight that took the 1961 Sprites to Sebring. The cars had their screens removed. The small size of the car made the flight economically viable. Four of the cars are to be seen in the foreground of the picture fanned out with one of the Sprites up on the forklift next to the plane, which has its cargo bay doors open on the side
Those Special Cars
p131. B&W photo of the grand prix 2.5 litre Ferrari after being rebuilt at the Cape (the Ferrari was reputedly the same car as the one with which Trintignant won at Monte Carlo)
p132. B&W photo of a special car on show at the 1977 National Day, registration JNP 543K. This Austin Healey consists of an X250 'T' (for tourer) chassis fitted with a front end used as a styling exercise (X230) in grafting on 4 head lamps. The chassis incorporated a De Dion rear axle assembly and was road tested in August 1960
p135. B&W photo of one of the many special Sprites: the Dalton-Colgate Sprite for Le Mans 1960, which used a special Falcon shell. The screen had to be that big to comply with regulations. The car won its class at 85.6 mph for 24 hours (photo by Edward Eves)
p136. B&W photo of SR under construction, showing the Hewland gearbox, Coventry Climax 2-litre V8 engine, Girling light alloy racing caliper, side-mounted Sprite radiator and the monocoque chassis frame
p137. Photo, b&w, of Clive Baker testing SR, a very special car built for Le Mans, at Silverstone with unpainted Birmabright light alloy body panels
p138. Rear view of SR, still unpainted
p139. SR in the pits at Silverstone. Left to right can be seen John Harris, Jim Cashmore, Barry Bilbie, Brian Healey, GCH and DMH. The photo is interesting for showing the side intake to the radiator
8. Replacing the 3000. No plates in this section
9. Competition
p151. Photo, b&w, showing a range of trophies won by the three Austin Healey 3000s after the 1960 Alpine Rally. Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom stand either side of one of the cars in bright sunshine
p151. Photo, b&w, showing a Healey mid-race in the 1962 Alpine Rally with Don and Erle Morley on the way to their second consecutive victory in this tough event
p152. B&W photo showing Peter Browning, Stuart Turner and Timo Makinen in the competition department at Abingdon with two 3000s (No. 3 and 53 emblazoned on the doors) for the 1964 Spa-Sofia-Liege
p153. Top, b&w photo showing the works team for the Spa-Sofia-Liege Rally, 1964: Timo Makinen and Don Barrow: Rauno Aaltonen and Henry Lidden (who won the race outright); and Tony Ambrose and Paddy Hopkirk. In those days, these six men were the best. Bottom - b&w photo showing a Healey on the way to sixth place overall in the 1963 Liege-Rome-Liege3 rally with Paddy Hopkirk and Henry Liddon in the driver's and passenger's seats
p154-155. Great b&w photo stretching across both pages showing Timo Makinen in action in a Healey (reg. DRX 257C) racing through the middle of a forest
p156. Top - b&w photo of Don and Erle Morley climbing one of the tough mountain passes in the 1965 Alpine Rally in which they achieved 2nd overall position. Bottom - b&w photo of Timo Makinen setting the pace for second overall position in the 1964 RAC Rally. Co-drivers like Don Barrow had to have nerves of steel and a singular ability to concentrate upon their duties
p157. Super b&w photo of Timo Makinen in action on the 1965 RAC Rally in Healey reg. EJB 806C with all six headlamps illuminated (over 300 watts of Lucas lamps!). Light and sound helped warn spectators of the cars' rapid approach
p159. Timo Makinen in the 1965 Targa Florio with co-driver Paul Hawkins in Healey reg. ARX 91B. They came second in class. On roads like these, a very long drop awaited any reckless or unlucky drivers!
p161. Photo of the 200-hp engine of the 1967 RAC car with its 3 Weber carbs, reg. PWB 57
p162. B&W photo of the 1967 RAC car under construction. The raised exhaust system, occupying part of the door aperture, increased ground clearance considerably and also helped to keep the navigator awake! Many owners would have appreciated this modification
p163. PWB 57 is shown in this b&w photo; it was the last competition 3000, the 1964 rally car after it had been rebuilt for the 1967 RAC Rally. The rally was cancelled due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease
p164. B&W photo of Healey reg. 54 FAC at Nassau in 1963 with Clive Baker standing alongside. This car was one of the works Sebring 3000s
p165. Drawing of the clever layout of the Sebring race track, Florida built on the old Hendryk's Field wartime B17 bomber base. The first FIA 12-hour Grand Prix of Endurance was held there in 1952. Sebring, at the time, was one of the longest (5.2 miles) circuits based on an airfield. Aircraft use the wide runway (the backstretch) during the race
p166. B&W photo of Sebring, 1963: DMH can be seen between Ronnie Bucknum (left) and Bob Olthoff, who finished in twelfth place overall in the 12-hour Grand Prix of Endurance
p169. B&W photo of Peter Browning keeping the Sebring lap charts and timing, while GCH takes it easy
p170. B&W photo taken at Sebring showing Rauno Aaltonen, Stuart Turner, GCH and Clive Baker worrying over the fine print in the regulations. Stuart's knowledge of what race organisers intended played a large part in many successful forays
p171. John Gott, in this super b&w photo, can be seen racing his ex-works rally 3000 to great effect in a club race
10. Record Breaking
p174. B&W photo where DMH shows the 1953 high-speed endurance car to George Harriman and Len Lord on Gaydon Airfield near Warwick
p175. Hand-drawn graph of the power curve in 1953 for the hurriedly produced Weslake 4-port head unit. Readers should note the good fuel consumption figures. The engine was No. SPL 235/B 2.66 litre aluminium 4 port head 9:16,R, CAMSHAFT 1B2892 13/4" SU HD6 Carburettor. Running on Esso Extra Fuel Champion NA10 Plugs
p177. Outline drawing of the layout of the prepared straightaway and 10-mile circle on Bonneville Salt Flats, which was used for so many record attempts
p179. B&W photo of George Eyston (in the cockpit) and Roy Jackson-Moore during night testing at Bonneville in 1953
p180. Refuelling the 1953 endurance car in the 'garage' on the salt flats
p182 - 3: Table summarising the Record Results of the Austin Healey 100 on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA
p184. Performance table from the 15th and 16th September 1953 using drivers Healey, Cooper, Jackson-Moore, Benett, Eyston in an American Stock Car-'Unlimited' and an American Stock Car - Class 'D' with all performances certified by the Contest Boar of the American Automobile Association
p185. B&W photo of GCH testing the 1954 streamliner at 150mph on the 9,000-foot runway at Gaydon Airfield near Warwick
p186. B&W photo of the Shorrock supercharger driven by Laycock couplings from the nose of the crankshaft, on the 1954 streamliner (photo by Robert Morris)
p187. Chart showing a comparison of the wind and road resistance of the 1954 standard and streamlined record cars. The actual results at Bonneville corresponded very closely with these wind-tunnel figures. Chart is titled: 'Total Road Loads Required by 1954 Austin Healey Record Cars at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA'
p188. Photo (b&w) of Bonneville in 1954 with George Eyston, Roger Menadue and GCH waiting for the wind to drop before starting high-speed runs (photo by Robert Mottar)
p189. B&W photo showing a dawn in 1954 with George Eyston leading the way across the unscraped salt to the prepared straightway. Pushing the streamliner can be seen Roger Menadue, GCH, Jimmy Harrison (of SU), and Roy Jackson-Moore
p190. B&W photo taken on the Utah salt flats showing DMH lifting the canopy of the 1954 streamliner after completing runs at 192.6 m.p.h (photo by Robert Mottar)
p191. B&W photo taken on the Utah salt plain showing the 1954 endurance car passing the pits. In the background can be seen the mountains to the west of the salt flats
p192-193. B&W photo. A page and a half of DMH driving the 1954 streamliner on the straightaway, and overtaking the photographer's plane at 192 mph. The black oil line at the edge of the scraped surface provided a guide for the driver
p194. B&W photo: Roy Jackson-Moor entering the 'garage' for a pit stop in the 1954 endurance car. The condition of the scraped salt in the foreground is in marked contrast to the ridged salt in the photographs
p195. B&W photo of GCH timing the 1954 endurance run. The Healeys kept their own time to control pit stops and Smiths loaned the Healeys the board together with the super-accurate chronograph clocks
p196. Table showing distance and speed (mph) for the Modified Austin Healey 100 on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA. Dates: 22nd, 23rd and 24th August 1954 with drivers: Donald Healey, Carroll Shelby, Captain George Eyston, H. Morris Goodall, and R. Jackson-Moore. National Class 'D'
p198. B&W photo of the 100 Six streamliner just after unloading from the Queen Elizabeth ship at New York, July 1956. DMH exceeded 200 m.p.h with this car
p200. Shown in this b&w photo is the refuelling stop for the 1956 100 Six endurance car. Carroll Shelby can be seen about to climb in, whilst Jack Bough of Lucas watches the fuel lever with a torch (photo by Daniel Rubin)
p201. Top of page: Roy Jackson-Moore leaves the 'garage' in this b&w photo after a pit stop in the 1956 endurance 6-cylinder. Lower photograph shows a happy crew after the 1956 endurance car had completed six hours. Left to right: an unknown, Bill Pringle, George Williams, George Eyston, Carroll Shelby, Phil Harris, Roger Menadue, Roy Jackson-Moore, Eric Vale and GCH. (photo by Daniel Rubin)
p202. B&W photo of the cockpit of the 1956 streamliner showing the rectangular wheel with fireswitch, and oil temperature, oil pressure, boost pressure, rev counter and water temperature gauges. The fuel pressure gauge is just discernable through the wheel (photo by Robert Mottar)
p203. B&W photo of DMH at the wheel of the 1956 streamlined car, at over 200 mph on the straightaway
p204. Historic b&w photo of Roy Jackson-Moore, DMH, George Eyston and Carroll Shelby standing in a line behind the 1956 streamlined car just after DMH had been officially timed at 203.06. A windsock can be seen in the background of the photo
p205. The 1956 London Motor Show stand featuring the 100 Six record breaker with streamlined bodywork (b&w photo)
p206. Table of the Austin Healey 100 Six. Summary of Record Results: Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA taken from the 21st August 1956 on the 13-mile straightaway course with driver Donald Healey in the supercharged 100 Six. Average speed: 203.11 mph
p207. Scale model of the 1954 streamlined record breaker being tested in Armstrong Whitworth's wind tunnel at Whitley, Coventry for airflow
p208. B&W photo of the 1956 endurance car in Austin's full size wind tunnel, complete with bubble fairing to try to reduce drag. Page also contains a table of the Healey cars tested with AWA predictions and true speed obtained
p209. Graph showing a power curve giving the results of Austin's development work on the 'S' type engine. It also shows the reduction in output available at the high altitude of the Bonneville Salt Flats
p210. Graph of the 1956 Austin Healey Sprint Car (Supercharged) Total Power Requirements Calculated for Atmospheric Conditions At Utah and Corrected to Normal Temperature and Pressure. The graph shows BHP (vertical axis) against road speed m.p.h (horizontal axis) with engine speed in RPM as a secondary axis. For 1956, Austin modified the streamliner to reduce drag. The graph demonstrates that though the improvement was small, it did enable DMH to break the magic 200 mph figure
p211. Graph of the 1956 Austin Healey Endurance Car Total Power Requirements Calculated for Utah Conditions and Corrected to Normal Temperature and Pressure. 6 Cylinder 2639CC. Engine Unblown. Shows BHP on the primary vertical axis against road speed in mph (horizontal axis) versus RPM on the secondary axis. The 1956 unblown endurance car also benefited from improved drag reduction
p212. B&W photo showing the Dunlop tyre and wheel arch of the 100 Six, showing the build-up of salt on the wheel arch after a 6-hour run (photo by Robert Mottar)
11. The Clubs
p215. B&W photo showing a small selection of t-shirts worn by enthusiastic Healey club members
p216. B&W photo showing the Sprite team at Le Mans, 1966. Left to right are drivers Hedges and Hopkirk, GCH, D. Morley, C. Hendrie, J. Cashmore, T. Wellman, Mrs Wellman, 'Dan' and drivers Baker and Rhodes
p217. An Austin Healey 3000 leads the field in a black and white photograph of an American club race
p218. B&W photo of the 'Healey Hotspurs' - the Midland Centre football team in 1968
p219. Top. This photo shows some of the 315-plus Healeys assembled at National Healey Day, 1977, lined up for viewing by 1,500 enthusiasts
p220. B&W photo of a late low-mileage 3000 MkIII found by the leading Midlands sports car specialist Roy Standley. The car was owned by Derek Ross of Leyland at the time of publication of the book and was voted winner of the Concours d'Elegance at the 1977 National Healey Day
p220. Eureka in 1976, in a b&w photo showing some of the over 130 Big Healey's assembled there for DMH's visit to the US clubs (photo by Kevin Faughnan)
p221. DMH being guided through the Healey line-up by Doris Cross at Eureka in 1976 (B&W photo by Kevin Faughnan)
12. Later Days
p225. Cartoon (b&w) by Jon published in the Daily Mail on 18th January 1968 showing a British Leyland manager or CEO picking up the phone and saying, with a smile on his face: "Take the Healey Out of Production", which was referring to the end of the production line of the Big Healey on that same day
p229. B&W photograph of the last 3000 leaving the MG plant at Abingdon
p230. Graph of the power and fuel consumption at full load of the 2.66 litre engine for the Austin Healey 1000. Fuel M. T. 80 C. R7.39 ToL. NA8 Spark plugs. Ignition set for optimum at 2000 RPM
Appendices
p233. Graph 2 showing the Austin Healey 100S Performance Curves Production Unit with production given also for the 1955 LeMans Engine SPL261Bn (2-2" SUH8 Carburettors. 9.48 to I C.R. Long Period Camshaft 9D6324. Inlet opens 30 degrees BTDC. Exchange opens 60 degrees BBDC. Inlet closes 60 degrees. ABDC. Exhaust closes 30 degrees ATDC. 270 degree period 0.435" Valve lift)
p234. Graph 3. Austin Healey 100 power curves
p235. Graph 4. Power curves for C26W engines. Engine as suggested for 100-six in 1955. and as improved for production
p237. Graph 5. Comparison of 6-port engine of 2,639-cc with BN7 engine of 2,912cc.
p238. Graph 6. Power curves of 2,639-cc endurance engine at Utah, 1956
p239. Graph 7. Power curves of BN7 engine XSP 1064/5 of 2,912-cc, used in special car at 1959 Nassau Races
p240. Graph 8. Power output of production 3000MkIII and as modified for Sebring 1963
p241. B&W photo from March 1960 showing Eddie Maher's first edition of the 3000 competition engine, showing the 45DCOE carburettors, aluminium alloy head and cast iron exhaust manifolds. This engine gave 174 bhp at 5,500 rpm, and a maximum bmep of 157 lb/sq in. at 2,700 rpm
p242. Graph 9. Performance of 3000 racing engine used at Sebring, 1965, taken at rear of gearbox

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• British Leyland: The Truth About the Cars [top]
  Written by Jeff Daniels
  First published in 1980 in Great Britain by Osprey Publishing Limited in hardback with dustjacket, 192pp, ISBN 0850453925

About this book: This strong title of "British Leyland" suggests that a lot of untruth has already been published about the cars of the British Leyland conglomerate. It goes further to imply that 'cover-up' stories have been in the majority. This may be so, but for once, perhaps even for the first time, the story told in this book is neither 'knocking copy' (better known as 'Leyland bashing') nor sweet-talking praise of the disguising sort. Here is an attempt at setting the hardware straight, giving praise where praise is due, but at the same time giving reasoned criticism without mincing words when the wrong decisions were made, simply resulting in bad cars. Author Jeff Daniels, a highly-respected automotive writer, winds his entertaining way through the whole of the Leyland car production story starting with Nuffield, then BMC, through the various British Leyland, Leyland and BL cars bannered manufacturing. Weaving the personalities, politics and finances into his 'car' history, he names his chapters appropriately: BMC; Mini and 1100; the 1800; the 3-litre; the Maxi; the poster-merger plans; the Marina; the Allegro; the Princess; Rover and Triumph; Jaguar; the sports cars; and, the present and future. This book is full of personal anecdotes previously unrecalled comments from the contemporary scene and around 150 photographs of the representative cars and many unknown prototypes and designs of 'might have beens' - some excellent in concept, and some terrible. Here is the full product story of Britain's largest truly indigenous car manufacturer

Contents:
Foreword by Graham Turner, author of The Leyland Papers
Introduction
1. BMC: the growth of an Empire
2. Revolution: Mini and 1100
3. Misjudgement: the 1800
4. Irrelevance: the 3-litre
5. Disaster: the Maxi
6. Misalliance: the post-merger plans
7. New convention: the Marina
8. Vital stumble: the Allegro
9. Better shape: the Princess
10. Solid Quality: Rover and Triumph
11. Eternal Pinnacle: Jaguar
12. Export or die: the sports cars
13. Parting clouds: present and future
14. Appendices: sales and model policies
Index

Illustrations and Photos (all black and white, unless otherwise stated)
pages 8-9, overhead view of the sprawling Cowley factory with a bridge over the Oxford Eastern bypass so that both parts of the factory on either sides of the road were joined up; and an 'in white' body would therefore not have to be taken outside
p10, top. 100mpg at 30mph prototype as a possible successor to the Metro
p10, bottom. Unimate robots build the Metro - the most designed BL car ever to take advantage of new technology
Introduction
p13. Sir William Lyons holds the stage. Jaguar XJ6 collects Car Magazine's 1969 Car of the Year award
p16, top. Split-screen Morris Minor, here in its second form with headlights lifted from the grill to front wings
p16, bottom. The Morris Minor 1000 with a larger OHV engine
p17, top. A Timber-framed Morris Traveller was always popular even though the frame itself gave maintenance problems
p17, bottom - in the factory showing off the one millionth Morris Minor to roll off the production line
p18, top. First sign of BMC badge intentions were served by the lining-up of the MG Magnette
p18, bottom. The other first sign of BMC badge intentions were served by the lining-up of the Wolseley 15/50. The bottom car's registration plate is 586 AWL
p20, top. The Pininfarina-developed lines of the A40 to be can clearly be seen in this full-scale study, firmly labelled A35 because that is what it was going to replace, of October 1956
p20, bottom - a stage in the development of the Pininfarina A40
p21, top. Austin A40 Farina parked next to a boating pond
p21, bottom, a small MG Coupé thought to have originated from the work on the A40 and pictured here in April 1959
pages 22-23: various serious proposals were made for squaring-off the Minor body in line with 1950s styling trends, though (as is evident here) the front end treatment remained volatile. It's possible to see a hint of the Mini or alternatively the Ford 100E with added cyclops eye
pages 24-25: The Wolseley 1500 (p24) and the Riley 1.5 were badge-engineered versions of the same 'shoehorn job' on the Morris Minor chassis. The Riley was the more potent, with its twin-carburettor B-series engine, but the Wolseley sold more cars
p26, top and bottom: bulbous calm before the storm: the Cowley-styled Morris Oxford III
p27, the prototype study stage of the Farina 1.5-litre cars produced some odd sights. Here is pictured one idea for the Farina MG Magnette which seems to have involved grafting the MGA front end on to the bulky saloon body
p28-29 - the badge engineers could hardly have been busier: Morris Oxford IV, MG Magnette, Wolseley 16/60 and even more importantly, the tough and roomy Oxford Traveller adaptation
p30-31 show a range of BMC styling and engineering exercises for new car models starting with the sketch scale diagram, top of Pininfarina's first proposal drawing for the A90 Westminster; and (bottom) artist's illustration of a more exotic variation on the sports and GT cars in the Austin Healy mould, through to series studies of rear-engined and hatch-backed cars, sometimes combining the both to produce a completely new shape that was more reminiscent of cars made overseas, e.g. France and Italy
p32-33. In the 1950s before the link with Pininfarina, BMC styling was driven by its desire (and need) to find the way to go; and here is a study intended to clothe a rear-engined 1.5l project undertaken for BMC by ERA
p34-35. An actual full-scale prototype build of a rear-engined vehicle with brake lights in the roof corners (borrowed from Citroen), a reverse-rake window and shades of the Ford Anglia, with the whole thing tied to the rear-engined layout. The boot lid features a grille across the top of it, which is quite ugly and already discredited
2. Revolution: Mini and 1100
p38-39: three photos: the Wolseley Hornet; and the Riley Elf, reminders of what happens to a car when every BMC dealer and marque manager demand their version of the Mini; and of course a photo of an early Mini itself with its little boot. The existence of the Mini-Cooper stood in the way of MG building its own Mini, but by April 1967 it's clear from a design drawing that someone was anticipating the end of the Cooper agreement
p40. Different versions of the Mini spawned, such as the Traveller (top photo), with its timber framing and its twin rear doors (rather than tailgate), with the intention of saving space on the line. The bottom photo shows the Mini Cooper in 1967, Mk2 form with angular grille, which in a more powerful Cooper form was proved consistently able to win the Monte Carlo rally (photo on page 41)
p42. Full double-page photo. When the Mini Mk 2 range was first announced in 1967, BMC was so proud of the way tha the Mini had evolved, that it published this picture of the seventeen forms in which Issigonis' masterpiece could be bought
p44-45 - evolution of the ADO16 was quick: from the bare-looking XC 9001 (p44, top) with the already recognisable profile of October 1958 to the XC 9002 (p44, bottom) of January 1959 with its distinctly slab front; to the production form at the top of page 45 of July 1959. The photo at the bottom of page 45 shows a 1967 facelift proposal
p46. An ADO16 estate car was created and this shows the first ideas worked up with a two-piece rear door with an horizontal split, photographed for the archives in May 1963
p47. In its final form, the Morris Traveller had a one-piece rear door. This car's registration is TFC 198K
p48. Badge-engineering reached its heights in the ADO16 with versions carrying almost every grille the BMC cupboard possessed, apart from covering two- and four-door forms. Therefore we see the Morris on the top photograph as a 'red label' 1300 4-door and the Austin in the bottom photo as an 1100 2-door
p49. Top, a rare 2-door 1300 Mk 2 form; and the more traditional Wolseley, always with four doors
p50. The Riley Kestrel, which revived a famous name and allowed the Riley 1.5 to be killed off
p51. The plush, but expensive Vanden Plas Princess
p52, full page photo of a car which shows the tentative move towards rationalization of the ADO16 range in 1969 with the appearance of the twin-carburettor 1300 GT, sold in either Austin or Morris form and pictured by the new British Leyland management. Registration plate: WWK 418K
p54. The Mini Cooper S
p55. The only major facelift to the Mini range was carried out on the Mini Clubman, whose longer nose added four inches to the overall length of the car, for no obvious purpose, unless a) you liked the look of it, or b) liked the improved engine access
p56. The Mini Clubman, registration MFC 442H, an attempt to take the Mini up-market without actually spending too much. Base engine became the short-stroke 998cc A-series, and was applied to both the saloon and the Estate (shown top of p.57). Some attempt was made to salvage the loss of the Mini-Cooper S by substituting the 1275 GT of similar engine size but much reduced power output
p58. A P-registered Mini (1977, NJO 907P) 1000, which differs little from the first Minis of nearly 20 years previous, except in the grille shape. By now, the Hydrolastic suspension had been abandoned in favour of the original rubber-cone type, with little effect on ride
Chapter 3. Misjudgement: the 1800
p61. Photo of XC 9000 model, 1956. This was the origin of Issigonis' big-car thinking. It was rear-driven and is in many ways sympathetic to the spirit of Citroen (Traction and DS) with an ultra-long wheelbase
p62, top, the XC 9001, October 1958 - evidence that the big-car thinking had started again: this mock-up shows six-light form and cropped fins, together with a rather Rootes Group grille. It makes an interesting contrast with the slightly earlier XC 9001 shown on the bottom of page 63, where there is a strong family resemblance to the ADO16 ancestor, although it has a much longer wheelbase to provide more space inside
p64, top, the ADO17 gradually evolved, always in six-light saloon form, until by June 1960, it could be photographed alongside the Austin A60, the car it was supposed to replace
p65. By April 1963, XC 9005 had become AD017 beyond all doubt. Enthusiasts reading the book can at this point look for detail differences between this prototoype, and the first production-standard model shown here at the 1964 launch press pack
p66. The ADO17 offered an amazing amount of interior room with the space-saving advantages of the transverse front engine. It meant that the car could challenge the big 3-litre cars of its day. A drawback was the poor control layout. This car had overwhelming appeal as the basis of the AD061-3-litre on one hand and the Maxi on the other
p68. For those who did not want an Austin or a Morris, there was the inevitable Wolseley 18/85 with its different grille, badge on the grille and better trim
p69, top. There were plans for a Riley vehicle like this mock-up (pictured early November 1962), but they never came to pass. A panel van design was also drawn up (bottom sketch)
p70-71, top. The obvious potential of the AD017 as a load-carrier was never exploited in a 'proper' estate car, but in 1966, BMC carried out this study on a car with an extended glasshouse and a one-piece tailgate. Production plans fell foul of the need to avoid spoiling the Maxi
p72-73. ADO17 - three pictures, side & front left, rear and front right, rear. A car widely acknowledged to be ugly and one which defied attempts to improve it because of its unconventional proportions. This 1968 study had four headlamps and a revised tail layout. From the front and in the open, it was an Austin; in the workshop, its rear sported a Morris badge
p74. The width of the ADO17 meant it was possible to instal a six-cylinder in-line engine across the car without undue problems. The engine in question was the 2.2 litre E-series, equipped with twin SU carburettors and driving through the typically Issigonis transmission underneath. When it was put into the car, the radiator had to be moved from the side to the front (see top photo on page 75)
p75, bottom. The notably powerful and willing twin-carburettor 'S' B-series engine
p76, top, a six-cylinder Morris (Reg: PRC 889L); and bottom, a six-cylinder Wolseley Six (Reg: DJH 207N). Both these cars had to wait for 1972 and British Leyland for them to be introduced to the market
Chapter 4. Irrelevance: the 3-litre
p79. BMC's big cars had been projected in many different forms. Here is the big Austin of 1952 vintage, which in this mock-up form combines the Austin grille and Austin-of-England badge with a body that evidently owes much to the Riley Pathfinder (itself then still to emerge). The A125 (bottom picture) was much more evident at some levels of society, serving as the basis for both ambulance and hearse!
p80, top and bottom: studies for Vanden Plas derivatives of the big 1950s saloons were carried out under the intriguing designations of Wolseley 6/120 (top) and Austin A120 (bottom)
p81, top, The Wolseley 6/90 was the more expensive of the pair of big BMC saloons, differing from the Austin Westminster in trim and badgework. The Vanden Plas 4-litre (bottom) was an altogether new kind of concept, but not altogether successful (Reg. 529 NOF)
p82, photo of a bold-fronted Wolseley, recorded for the archives in March 1957
p83, top, photo of the AD061 prototype, looking close to final form.
p83, centre, photo of the pre-production consumer test batch model where the four headlamps have been replaced by two mean-looking little rectangular units
p83, bottom, photo of the production 3-litre model where the four round lamps have returned
p84, Photograph of the interior centre section of the ADO61 where it can be seen how much space had been lost to the transmission tunnel. The manual gear lever looked anything but strong; and the hydrolastic units for the rear suspension added weight and complication to the car. The hydrolastic system was complete with self-levelling, using pressure from an engine-driven pump
p85, top, small illustration of the ADO61 with the hydrolastic and self-levelling device shown
p86, photo of a prototype Vanden Plas produced of the ADO61, carrying their DEV 1 registration
Chapter 5. Disaster: the Maxi
p87. Photo of a 1966 vehicle (AUS 66) - a cut down ADO17 - produced to meet the need for a replacement to the A60 (once it was realised that the ADO17 would not fit the bill). The shorter rear side windows give a clue to the abbreviated tail which became a Maxi hallmark. The tailgate here is also a feature used by the definitive Maxi
p90-91. Illustrations from 1967 showing how designers coped with a constraint on the A 60 designs whereby they were obliged to fit two doors into each side of the A60 saloon from the ADO17. At the top of p90 is an entirely new design, whilst the one at the top of p91 uses the existing doors. The designs are both captioned and have tabulated dimensions on them
p93. A photo of one of the first 1.3-litre E-series engines. This smaller engine size was dropped
p94, top, photo of a prototype attempt to shorten the Maxi to be less than ADO17 and different-looking. This led to some awkward nose arrangements as seen here in this top photograph where there is a nasty and needless V-kink in the grill; a mock-up of December 1967 can be seen in the bottom left photo showing that someone was having second thoughts; and in the bottom photo is a prototype car from July 1968 based on Donald Stokes' instruction
p96, Illustration - official cut-away of the E-series engine issued with the original Maxi press launch pack. It shows the main features of the unit, including those which made life so difficult for Harry Webster in trying to get extra capacity from it
p97, photo of the cable-operated gear change, which was an extra headache, posing severe problems of selection in the new 5-speed gearbox
p98, top photo - a 1976 version of the 1750 Maxi 2
p98, bottom photo - the latest 1750 Maxi 2 in its 1980 facelifted form
p99, bottom, table of data for the ADO16 1100, ADO16.5 midway car, ADO14 Maxi and the ADO17 1800, showing wheelbase, length, width and weight
Chapter 6. Misalliance: the post-merger plans
p101, top photo, plans for new Minis came and went throughout the 1960s and 1970s, such as the so-called Barrel Car built on an 84-inch wheelbase and aimed at cutting costs and finding more interior space; and bottom: a cutaway illustration of Alec Issigonis' more revolutionary 9X with the ohc K-series engine, front radiator and electric fan
p102, photo of the front and right hand side of a new Mini (reg. 3289RX95) built by Italian company Bertone and commissioned by long-standing Italian mini builders Innocenti. It had a new body on existing mechanical components and was equipped with a hatchback. However, it was much more expensive to build
p103, photo of the rear of the Italian Mini (reg. MIV2 7361)
p104, Main photograph shows the ADO16 with a smaller illustration of the ADO17 below it. These were aerodynamic prototypes by Pininfarina in the late 1960s, a company now run by Sergio Pininfarina and brother-in-law Renzo Carli. Both cars predated the Citroen GS and CX, which in many ways so closely resembled them. A missed opportunity for BL?
p106, photo of a Gipsy Moke prototype, which was based on ADO16 running gear
Chapter 7. New convention: the Marina
p109. The idea of the Marina was born out of the 1968 Leyland merger - the car took shape quickly. The mock-up here, photographed for the company archives in January 1969 (over 2 years before the actual launch) is very close to the two-door production Marina. Leyland made their 2-door the 'base' model (to their credit) instead of calling it a Coupé and charging extra for it
p110. Photograph of a scaled-down clay model of the Marina, front and right elevations visible
p111. Photograph of a scaled-down clay model of the Marina, rear and right elevations visible
p112. Photo of a Marina 1.8 Coupé, white, registration HON 68M against a lake foreshore, lake and mountain background. The Marina 1.8 Coupé in production form was 200 lb lighter than the MGB GT and probably had a better aerodynamic shape. In view of the potential performance of the car, it was a shame that the crude Minor-type suspension raised doubts about the car's handling
p114. Photo of Morris Marina, reg. NBW 120P. The Marina was a stop-gap design developed in a marketing environment, not an engineering one
p115, bottom. The Morris Marina came in different versions like the Special with inset extra lamps and vinyl roof (bottom); and also in an Estate version (top)
p117, bottom, data table of the British market for mid-range cars (Car sales in 000s) for the years 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979: showing figures for the ADO16/67, the Farina/Maxi, the Marina, Total A-M, % of the UK Market, the Cortina and % UK market imports
Chapter 8. Vital stumble: the Allegro
p119, top: A study of the YDO9 car (an enlarged ADO16) for Australia intended to take the E-series engine; and bottom: a running prototype of the YDO9 pictured only four months later. In the end, Australia, South Africa and Spain were building these derivatives
p120-121, photo of an Austin Allegro, reg. KOH 282R. The Austin Allegro was deserted by the majority of ADO16 owners. The Allegro had no styling and even after it was revised to regain some interior room (and the quartic wheel had been thrown away), little attempt was made to give the car some character
p122, photo of the Allegro Estate, reg KOH 292P, a car which took some time to emerge. It carried on the oddball styling of the Allegro with a swept-up rear hoop which hid the tailgate hinges and was supposed to act as a spoiler. The Allegro continued the tail-sagging progress of the ADO16 when carrying a heavy load
p124-125, photo of two large limousines (The Daimler DS420 reg. HUB 509N, the Jaguar XJ12, reg. RBJ 14N - both with fluted Daimler grilles); and the Princess 1500 Allegro with a 'proper' Vanden Plas grille on the right of the picture, reg. WFL 992N
p126, a Vanden Plas Princess 1500, reg. VDP 74N (a.k.a an Allegro. BUT - the marketing team never called this car an Allegro and it sold quite well anyway)
p127, top data table: the 1100 and Allegro: Ground Surrendered?. This table of data gives the year (1965 - 1979) and the number of ADO16/67 of BL sales, % share of sales by BL overall; and % UK market share
p127, bottom data table: compares the 'superminis' and ADO16: the Datsun Cherry, Fiat 127, Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 104, Renault 5, VW Polo and ADO 16. It gives figures in inches and weight (kerb) in pounds for the wheelbase, length, width, cc and weight
Chapter 9. Better shape: the Princess
p129. Harris Mann illustration of a wedge-shaped car, which bears the beginnings of the Princess personality
p130-131. The ADO17 replacement was given three badges: those of Austin to the left (bottom photo on page 130, reg. GOM 101N), Morris, reg. WFL 992N (top photo on page 130) and Wolseley, reg POC 804N (top of page 131). Those who cared reckoned the Austin was the best bet with the trapezoidal halogen headlamps - and it looked better too. The Wolseley was built only as a six-cylinder car
p133, After only a few months of ADO18-22, the new unified Leyland marketing policy made the Princess into ADO71, in effect a marque on its own. One of the relaunch ideas was to show the Princess in contrast to the split-screen Morris Oxford of the 1950s (top). As for the headlamps, the 1800 models got the four sealed beams (centre photograph, p133, reg HOE 21S) and the six-cylinder 2200s inherited the superior halogen units (bottom photo, p133, reg. HOE 13S)
p135, top table of data: ADO71 power units, actual and possible plotting engine data against Carburettors, Capacity (cc), Power bhp and Used
p135, bottom table of data: gives you wheelbase, track front, track rear, length overall, width overall and weight (1800) for ADO17 and ADO71. The weight is in pounds - all the other figures are in inches
Chapter 10. Solid quality: Rover and Triumph
p137. Photo of a conference in Solihull where British Leyland explained engineering policy to the press in 1969. Around the table, from closest to camera: Stuart Bladon (Autocar); Peter Wilks; the author; Gordon Bashford; and David Bache. One of the main topics of discussion was the Range Rover, then near to announcement
p138-139: the large family of small Triumphs all sprang from Harry Webster's front-drive 1300 of 1965. In 1970, this car went two ways to become the short-tailed rear-driven Toledo pictured on page 138, reg. RKV 215N, conceived pre-merger as a Herald replacement, and the bigger-engined front-driven 'Silver Label' 1500 at the top of page 139, reg. WKV 781K. Eventually, rear-drive and the bigger engine came together in the 1500TC at the bottom of page 139
p140-141: the Stag (a car) in the top photo carried the unmistakable hallmark of Michelotti and was launched with a flourish in 1970. It was unique in body and engine. In the bottom photo on page 141 is the Dolomite, reg. NBW 108P, which went to the other extreme using the old 1300 shell yet again, adapted to rear-drive and this time with the ohc slant-four engine of 1.85 litres
p142, top photo, Triumph's Dolomite Sprint, white, reg. GAC 869P was an earnest attempt to produce a medium sized saloon car of genuinely hight performance on a tight budget. The result was a clever adaptation of the Dolomite slant-four engine to sixteen valve operation (bottom illustration on page 142), while retaining the single chain-driven camshaft, which had to be installed in a body which even then was beginning to look narrow-tracked, high and heavy. The car won races, even though it did not have a lighter and stronger two-door shell
p143, top and bottom photos, the heart of the Dolomite Sprint was its highly efficient combustion chamber shape with two inlet and two exhaust valves per cylinder. The whole head design was sufficiently ingenious to win a Design Council Award - it looked neat when installed in the car, too, if you can ignore the oil filler cap shaped into a new Leyland badge. Performance was always superb and ways were found to make the car handle despite the age and derivative nature of the chassis
p144, a white Triumph Dolomite, reg. LOP 292R. The Dolomite range was pulled together under the single name leaving customers with the choice of either the Dolomite 1850HL in the photo, or the 1500 in the photo on page 145, which had fewer lamps and stripes. This was as well as the Spring at one extreme and the 1300 (formerly the Toledo) at the other
p146, photo of the Triumph Mark 2, which had a longer nose and tail grafted onto the body; and the engine was changed
p147, top, photo of the high-performance estate, reg. PWK 708N; bottom: photo of the later Triumph dolomite 2500S with carburettors and a bigger engine
p148, the 2200 SC with classic David Bache line, reminiscent of the original Rover 2000. The original Rover 2000 also grew into the 2200TC and the V8-engined 3500S looking magnificent on page 149. The V8-engined 3500S was easier to spot out of the Rovers because of the huge 'chin' air intake grill under the bumper
p151, photo of a room in Solihull full of tables with mockups of potential new models to replace the Rover and Triumph big cars. Both design teams were asked to come up with ideas leading to Triumph's Puma facing Rover's P10. The Rover won, and went on to become the refined SD1
p152, The smooth Leyland line of the 1980s was seen in the Rover SD1 3500, which emerged in 1976, once more styled by David Bache. It gained widespread approval and won the Car of the Year award. Later, when the new six-cylinder ohc engine was finished, it gained 2.3-litre and 2.6-litre stablemates and a large share of the prestige market in Britain and Europe
p153, UK sales figures table of Rover-Triumph's larger cars: Triumph 2000/2500, Rover 2200/3500, Rover SD1, Total and % of UK market for the years 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979
Chapter 11. Eternal Pinnacle: Jaguar
p155, top photo, Jaguar's capacious 420g saloon could not be directly replaced by the original XJ6 (bottom photo)
p156, photo of the Daimler Sovereign, a badge-engineered XJ6 with the famous fluted grille. Much more significant in most ways was the arrival of the long-wheelbase XJ6, seen on page 157 in its Vanden Plas form, reg. DST 564N. It has longer rear windows and doors
p158, photo of the Jaguar E Type Series 2, reg. PVC 93G (this Jaguar still exists - July 2018) which retained most of the sheer glamour of the pure original E type in its original cigar form. The V12 Series 3 in the photo on page 159, reg. FKV 899M added changes that spoiled the purity of the original car like a longer coupé wheelbase, flared wheel arches and more aggressive nose
p160-161 - top photo is of the author sampling one of the last 4.2-litre E type coupés in his Autocar days. The bottom photo shows the XJ-S when it finally appeared, reg. JVC 901R, marking the end of the days of open-topped Jaguar sports cars
p162, top photo shows the XJ12L, which marked the arrival of the V12 engine and a longer wheelbase
p162, bottom photo shows the pillarless two door Jaguar coupé built in small numbers and offered with either the 4.2-litre or the V12 power unit and built on the original 109-inch wheelbase
p163, a photo of the unloved 2.8 litre Jaguar XJ 3.4
Chapter 12. Export or die: the sports cars
p165, top photo is of the Spitfire, a Triumph sports car, reg MLF 726L, in its facelifted Mark IV form and 1.3-litre power. It had rear suspension changes to overcome the handling evils associated with the Herald chassis. The bottom photo shows the TR6, which had the handling tricks of a different type, but well known and appreciated by those who had grown up with the line from its TR2/3 days
p166, top, the Austin Healey 3000, a very capable car in brave and skilled hands, which achieved some impressive rally performances, and which at one time was in the frame for an upgrade to a 4-litre GT using the Rolls Royce B60 engine. A full size mock-up of this was built with the fictitious name of 'Firrere' - see bottom photo. But this idea was squashed when it was realised it would have to compete with the Jaguar E type at the same price
p167. Instead of the 'Firrere' therefore, the next idea raised was to badge-engineer the whole MG range to accept the Austin-Healey name such as the MGC-try out of 1966 in the photo here, reg. 444 MO
p168. The ADO34 car seen here was a variation on the Mini sports car theme
p169. The Austin-Healey Midget in hardtop, in the form of ADO70, as styled by Michelotti in response to a request from the post-merger management
p170. Photo of the 'frog-eye' Sprite, which was a great idea by the standards of the late 1950s. It made use of standard components and reduced the cost of owning a sports-car, bringing it to thousands. By 1971, the Healey contract had expired and the final rare Sprite was badged as a purely Austin model (photo at top of p171, reg. TOX 709J)
p172-3 - the BMC sports car range grouped together in 1970 showing how nearly identical the Sprite and Midget had become. All had their slim chrome bumpers
p173. Photo of a later MGB with a large black plastic-skinned device forced on it by the American '5 mph' bumper regulations, which was made standard in all markets
p174-5, photo of the Rover V8 engine neatly and tightly packed into an MGB GT V8
p175, top right corner - photo of an MGB GT, reg. HUD 411M
p176, early drawing of the TR7 by Harris Mann, showing an ingenious fixed headlamp bridged by a front wing together with a Targa bar and T-piece arrangement
p176, bottom photo: an actual TR7 with solid 5mph bumpers, pop-up headlamps and fixed roof
Chapter 13: Parting Clouds: Present and Future
p182-183, top photo is of ADO77 - a definitive conventional Morris to replace the Marina. It would have been much bigger and the first user of the O-series engine and the never implemented five-speed 66mm gearbox. The bottom photo is of SD2, an intended Dolomite replacement based on TR7 running gear. It was abandoned for a number of reasons
p185, top - photo of the main hope for the 1980s - the Metro, which needed to reclaim a fair slice of the British market for BL to turn around. This model here is the top-line Metro 1.3HLS, reg. GJW 371W (which still exists today - as of July 2018)
p186, photo of the Ital, reg. ABW 500V (which still exists today - as of July 2018), borrowing its name from the styling studio Italdesign with sound touches from the maestro Giugiaro. It is in fact a mild Marina facelift as a stop-gap until the LC10 can take over (the Maestro, launced in 1983)
p187, table of market share for BL and imports from 1971-1979
Appendices: sales and model policies; BL and Ford sales in UK market; Model development Sports cars; Model development Rover-Triumph; Model development Austin-Morris
Index