[Healeys] 100-Six with XK150 engine for sale : why jaguar won at Le Mans

Bruno Verstraete brunoverstraete at mac.com
Sun Jul 24 00:08:35 MDT 2011


Dear all,

Just to mention the facts: the Donald Healey Motor Company was the first company to experiment with Disk brakes (in Bonneville) and was the first company to put them on a production car (the 100S). 

This testing gave Jaguar a lead in Le Mans over the drum braked Mercedes'es at Le Mans. Without the racing spirit and the good negotiation skills of Donald at the time of the agreement with BMC, this would never have happened. Jaguar would not have taken the lead in their D-types. Both companies had restricted budgets compared to for example Mercedes. 

The amazing thing is that companies with limited financial resources had the capability of beating the big over-engineered brands. Look at the successes of the  Streamlined Sprites in Sebring in 1965, at the time that Cobra's, Ferrari GTO and other even more sophisticated cars were around and beating them. Jaguar no where to be seen. A streamlined Healey Sprite (developed by Healey!) took 15th in general and first in class (repeated that in Le Mans some years in a row). The car was measured 152 Mph with 1300cc. Beat that Jag and others!

We have enough reasons to be proud on our brand. We just don't know it enough sometimes.

Saying that E-types attract a younger public is not true in Switzerland! We have a young and active Healey driving public. If it is the case in other countries the sole reason I see is that E-Types are cheaper than Healeys to buy at the moment. To maintain on the other hand...

Just my thoughts,
Happy Healying,

Bruno Verstraete
Zurich, Switzerland


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