The Big Healeys

The story of the iconic and powerful Big Austin-Healey sports cars.

This is the authorized biography of one of the best-liked bad boys in British motorsport. John Chatham, driver, racer, repairer, rebuilder, tuner, trader and lover of Austin-Healeys, was in the words of Geoffrey Healey “uncontrollable” in his youth, and has only mildly mellowed with age. Burly and genial but formidably competitive, and not above bending the rules when he thought he could get away with it, to many he is the archetypal club racer. John is so synonymous with Austin-Healeys that the most famous racing Healey in the world, DD300, is so well-known mainly because John campaigned it for decades, notching up tens of thousands of racing miles. But his career embraces far more than one car, and until this biography no-one had attempted to fill in the gaps. The book is not a dry description of one club race after another. It does include a list of John’s principal sporting achievements, but no complete record exists of the hundreds of events which made up his competitive career, so the writer has not attempted to compile one. Instead Norman Burr, who was himself acquainted with John in his youth, has created a more rounded and personal account, full of motoring and sporting anecdotes, but also telling the story of John’s family, his work, his business, his three wives and his lovers. John has a comprehensive photo library from which the book is generously illustrated, with cartoons added to illustrate some of the moments that a camera was not around to record. Thoroughly politically incorrect even by the standards of the 1960s, it’s an account which will strike a chord not only with admirers of Big Healeys, but also with anyone who believes that independent thinking, and the courage to apply and enjoy it, is the greatest virtue of all.

Bring your Big Healey back to life! If youre looking to restore your Austin-Healey - youve come to the right place. This authentic restoration guide discusses the differences between model years, identifies parts numbers, year-to-year changes, correct finishes, and more. Charts and tables cover production figures, paint schemes, wiring codes, and provide thoroughly detailed information on mid-year production changes. Contains a detailed appendix on British fasteners and deciphering the fastener codes in the Austin-Healey service manuals.

For over ten years big Healeys, from the 100/4 to the 3000 Mark III were a force to be recokoned with on the track - at Sebring, Le Mans, in the Mille Miglia and in club competition - and, particularly, on the rally stage. Later the Jensen Healey too was raced by a small but dedicated band of drivers. This book looks at the competion history of these remarkable sports cars in rally, race and record attempt, including the competition history of many individual cars and the the works cars. This carefully researched title sheds new light on the still-glittering glories of the Big Healeys.

The essential and beautifully photographed guide to the quintessential British sports car features all-color photography of restored and original examples and detail close-up shots ideal for do-it-yourselfers.

The Austin Healey – or ‘Big’ Healey – is one of the iconic British sports cars. The first Austin-Healey 100 model was unveiled at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show, and when the last car rolled off the production line in 1967, over 73,000 examples had been built.

This first title in a brand-new series of Porter Profiles throws the spotlight on one of the most successful Big Healeys of all time. It is one of few cars to have such a varied history throughout a racing career that spans its entire life. Registered UJB 143, it was a works entry for the Sebring 12 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours in 1960. After being sold to the privateer Ecurie Chiltern outfit, it was re-registered DD 300 and returned to the famous French enduro in ’61 and ’62. It then passed to Healey stalwart John Chatham and would regularly be raced over the next four decades, in everything from Modsports to sprints and finally historic events. The Healey’s long and successful career continues with its current owners and it is all covered in this fascinating new book, complete with a superb selection of period photographs.