[Healeys] History of the engine for the Healey 100??

Michael Salter msalter at precisionsportscar.com
Wed Jan 16 06:24:54 MST 2008


Although I don't recall the source I am pretty confident that the following
is the outline of the 2660c.c. Austin Healey 100 engine development.
Prior to the Second World War the Austin Company was contracted to produce a
4 liter OHV engine for a smaller size military lorry (truck).
They came up with a 3990 c.c. OVH six cylinder engine but this was never put
into production.
As part of the huge export drive after the war Austin found a need for a
four cylinder design for cars to be produced for export particularly to the
U.S. for such cars as the Austin 16 and the A70. 
To come up with a suitable engine 2 cylinders were lopped off the 6 cylinder
design to create the engine which was originally produced in a smaller bore
version.

Michael Salter
100 (1953)
AHX12 (1953)
Bugeye (1961)
http://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/

-----Original Message-----
From: healeys-bounces+msalter=precisionsportscar.com at autox.team.net
[mailto:healeys-bounces+msalter=precisionsportscar.com at autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of mike brooks
Sent: January 16, 2008 5:41 AM
To: healeys at autox.team.net
Subject: [Healeys] History of the engine for the Healey 100??

Does anyone have definitive information on the history of the 100 engine? In
different books and magazine articles I have read various stories about
Bedford van engines, engines for the war effort, 4 cylinder version of the
Chevrolet Stovebolt six etc. etc.

Mike Brooks
'56 BN2
Milano, Italy


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