1963 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 MK II SEBRING 12-HOURS COMPETITION CAR

THE EX-WORKS PADDY HOPKIRK

The Austin-Healey 3000 was produced from 1959 through to 1967 as a development of the Austin-Healey 100 introduced in October 1952 at the Earls Court Motor Show. The 100S and the 100M quickly established a significant racing and rally heritage being entered into events such as Sebring, Mille Miglia and Le Mans. The ‘Big Healey’ as the 3000 six-cylinder variant is known was no exception and as well as being a very popular road going sports car, it too had a marvellous competition history.

This remarkable racing two seater hardtop coupe has been confirmed by the British Industry Heritage Trust as one of the three competition cars built by the Donald Healey Motor Company for the 1963 Sebring 12-Hours race. The three BJ7 style cars with wind up windows were road-registered as ’54 FAC’, ’56 FAC’ and ’57 FAC’. Each was much modified and lightened with mainly aluminium bodies, aluminium cylinder heads and triple twin-choke Weber carburettors. The cars also featured disc brakes all round and we are told the use of Perspex rather than glass wherever possible. ’57 FAC’, the car offered here was used as the team’s practice car for Sebring and driven by South African Bob Olthoff, American Ronnie Bucknum, Donald Morley and the great Paddy Hopkirk.

In 1964, ’57 FAC’ won the 4-Hour ‘Sundown Grand Prix’ in torrential rain during the Player’s ‘200’ meeting at Mosport Park close to the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada. Don Kindrie and Al Pease won in front of 1300 soaked spectators who could see little on account of the spray. Kindree was crowned 1964 Canadian Racing Drivers Champion with his successes at the wheel of ’57 FAC’.

The car, we understand, was painstakingly restored in North America to its 1963 Sebring spec sometime in the 1980s and subsequently sold at the end of that decade. In 1990 it was purchased by Victor Gauntlet owner of Aston Martin, and then in turn by a well known Queensland collector in Monaco in May 1992 who in turn undertook another major restoration of the car before it came into its present ownership.

This ex-Paddy Hopkirk Sebring Healey is beautifully presented in its original finish of ice blue with ivory hard top. It is a most important genuine factory works competition car in excellent condition with outstanding provenance and history.

CHASSIS NO: HBJ763H7310

ENGINE NO: XSP/1973-3

UNREGISTERED

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