December 2015 Classic&SportsCar 153Thekeener-eyedamongyou mighthave
noticedone particulardifferencein detail.
“As a coupéstylingexercise,it providedan
opportunityfor a higherlevelof securityover
the 100’s soft-topand side curtains,”says Jarick.
“Theslidingwindowswerelockablefrominside,
so withoutexternaldoorhandlesit wouldbe
difficultto enter– the 100’s internalcord-pull
wouldnot havebeenaccessiblewhenthe
windowswerelocked.Therefore,handleswere
incorporatedinsideand out.
“Also,the ‘anti-burst’doorlocksfittedare of
a type that was not introducedon a production
Healeyuntilthe 3000SportsConvertiblealmost
10 yearslater!In a similarvein,the rear chassis
modifi cat ion to all ow greate r sus pensio n tra vel
did not appearon a productioncar untilthe
3000 Mk3in May 1964.”
Inside,it’s all recognisableenough– the
uprightbucketseatsand steeringwheel,the
gearleverthat’sareachawayon the far side of the
transmissiontunnel– but ONX113 boastsa
satisfying patinathat can be achieved only on a
genuinelyunrestoredcar.
“I did cleanup the interior,” says Carter, “and
I rebuilt the engine with the help of a mechanic I
employedon my farm[noneotherthanRick
Hall,who wenton to establishHall & Hall],but
that was aboutit. I reallyenjoyedtinkeringwith
it – that’s whatI lovedto do.”
“Todrive,Ididn’tfind it to be as well balanced
as anormal100S,”he continues.“It was carrying
a bit moreweight,I guess.”
Maybeso, but in manywaysthe different
bodystyletransformsthe Healey’s road
manners,and this coupéshouldnot be consid-
ered in any way portly. It’s far morerigidthan an
opencar,for astart,and doesn’trattleor crashits
way downthe road.It rideswell,too, and is
remarkablyciviliseduntilcockpittemperatures
startto creepup. If you’vebeenin a Healey,
you’llknowthat it can soonget warmin there;
imaginewhatit’s like in a closedexample.
Jarickestimatesthat ONX113 has “no more
than140bhp”,and it’sa
gruff,willingunit.
TheBN2four-speed
gearboxfeaturesa
longthrow, andis
matchedto the 100S’s
3.66:1differential–
the optional‘short
circuit/hillclimb’ratio.Thatgivesthe Healey
strongacceleration,its big ‘four’spinning
enthusiasticallyto 4000rpm,the poppingon the
overrunbeingdistinctlyaudiblethanksto an
exhaustthat exits beneaththe driver’s door.
Carteroncetookthe coupébackdownto
Cornwallto visit DonaldHealey, whounsuc-
cessfullyofferedto buy it back.The car has been
littleseen over the decades,and now Carterhas
decidedthat the time has cometo sell.
“Appearingon rare occasionsseemsto have
onlyaddedto its mystique,”says Jarick,and
expectationsare that it will commanda healthy
six-figuresumwhenBonhamsoffersit in
December. “It has an appealbeyondthe usual
marqueenthusiastsdue to its stylingand history.
By any standardsit is a handsomecar, but then
you add in its famousownerand the fact that it
incorporatesthe pickof the SpecialTe st Car
programmewith componentsthat have ahistory
all of theirown.Wheredoes it stop?”
“I was quiteyoungwhenDonaldsoldthe
coupé,”concludesPeter, “but I do recallit. He
talkedvery fondlyaboutthe car, and I thinkhe
enjoyedit morethanany otherHealey. It’s a
greatshamethat it didn’t go into production.”
Surelyhe wouldhave likednothingmorethan
for his old favouriteto onceagainbe seen on the
road.It wouldbe a star at any concours,but it
wouldbe evenbetterif the new ownerwereto
driveONX113 downto Perranporth,charta
routethat avoidedmotorways,resettheirstop-
watchand set theirsightson Warwick.ThankstoJoeJarick;JamieKnightatBonhams:
http://www.bonhams.com;ArthurCarter;PeterHealeyFromtop:ONX 113 at
testingof Healey’s ’54
Carrera Panamericana
entries;well-resolved
roof;familiardetails;hard
corneringprovokes roll‘IT’S MORERIGIDTHAN
ANOPENCAR,DOESN’T
RATTLEDOWNTHE
ROADANDRIDESWELL’