1961 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II BN7
- Engine
- Triple SU carburettor inline-six, rebuilt to factory specification
- Colour
- Shadow blue
The Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II BN7 is the rarest of all production Austin-Healeys, with only 355 units built between March 1961 and March 1962, and just 204 of those equipped with the later centre-change gearbox. This two-seater, triple-carburettor example — the 34th centre-change BN7 produced — was assembled in late November 1961 and dispatched on 11 December 1961 to Okinawa, Japan, reportedly for a US serviceman. It subsequently spent most of its life in California before arriving in the UK in February 2018. A comprehensive restoration costing over £130,000 was carried out by JME Healeys in the original Donald Healey factory workshops in Warwick, retaining all original outer body panels and matching-numbers drivetrain components.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €126,500 (≈ $139K)
- 1961-12-01 →Factory deliveryUS military serviceman based in Okinawapartial documentation
Believed to be the original recipient of the car when it was dispatched to Okinawa in December 1961; identity unconfirmed but consistent with the delivery destination.
- → 2018-02-01California-based owner or ownerspartial documentation
The vehicle is understood to have spent most of its life in California before being imported to the UK; the arid climate is cited as the reason for its good pre-restoration bodywork condition.
- 2018-02-01 →Private saleCurrent UK-based vendorfull documentation
Imported the car from the US and commissioned a full ground-up restoration by JME Healeys in Warwick at a cost exceeding £130,000; the completed car has covered only around 250 miles since restoration.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —RestorationJME Healeys
Comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration by JME Healeys at the original Donald Healey factory workshops in Warwick. Work included new sill assemblies, floors, boot boxes, and a new boot floor, while all original outer body panels were retained. Total documented restoration expenditure exceeded £130,000, and the car had covered only approximately 250 miles after completion.
A full photographic record of the restoration process accompanies the car.
- —Engine rebuildJME Healeys
Engine fully rebuilt to factory specification; original crankshaft, connecting rods, flywheel, and front pulley were balanced. The cast-iron cylinder head was converted to run on unleaded fuel. Triple SU carburettors were fully rebuilt, and the exhaust manifold received a Zircotec thermal coating. Engine and carburettors were subsequently tuned and balanced on a rolling road.
Engine retains its original block and identification plate; painted in the correct Healey engine green.
- —MechanicalJME Healeys
All suspension components stripped, blast-cleaned, and powder coated; fully overhauled with new bushes, bearings, and seals while retaining original springs. Original steering box re-bushed and rebuilt. Entire brake system replaced with new components including all-new hydraulics; no brake servo fitted, consistent with the original specification. Original gearbox and rear axle retained.
- —MaintenanceJME Healeys
Interior fully retrimmed to correct Austin-Healey 3000 Mk II patterns by JME's in-house trimmer, using full leather for seats, dashboard, door cards, kick panels, and rear quarter panels. Hood, tonneau cover, and spare-wheel cover tailored to match in Shadow blue. Original gold-faced instruments fully recommissioned and rebuilt.
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