[Healeys] WINNINGEST HEALEY

[Joe and Lenore Armour]

 From memory back in 1981, todays well respectected F.1 journalist, 
Simon Taylor, road tested DD300 and as part of the article backgrounding 
John Chatham he reported that John in DD300 was the Winningest driver of 
all British motorsport for taht year. A very impressive record.

In my humble opion from way Down Under in Quinnland, Healeys would have 
almost disappeared had it not been for the efforts of John and DD300 
keeping Healeys in the motoring public eye.  Remember we are talking 
road racing cars not the BMC rally cars that were not built and entered 
by the small but effective Donald Healey Motor Company.

Maybe that is why Australian enthusiasts bought works Healeys when not 
many people appreciated them.  We had numerous 100.S models, I think 5 
being original deliveries to Aus. Then we bought all those abandoned USA 
cars and a few others from UK/Europe.
I remember one Friday night prior to our National Rally squatting in the 
driveway of my host and drilling another set of holes in the sacred left 
hand fender of the new second UJB143 to fit the headlight.  I was not 
happy to be drilling the umpteenth set of holes as none of the existing 
holes aligned.   I did this using the headlights of DAC953C so that both 
works cars could show at the weekend activities.  Such practical and 
usefull motor cars! 

For the next Melbourne National Rally, Geoff and Margot were special 
guests. Again on Friday night Geoff was a amazed that the 1965 Sebring 
12 Hour car had been driven 500 mile down the highway from near Sydney 
with two people and luggage.

Today we have;
the last racing 3000 from Sebring in 1965 - DAC953C
the last Austin Healey entered by the Healey Company - the 1967/68 
Lemans car - HNX456D
the last Healey, SR.37 the Coventry Climax V.8 coupe of 1968/69 that was 
converted to the 1970 open roadster fitted with a Repco-Brabham F.1 V8

Rally replicas are nice but real Healeys were Donald's race cars.

John Chatham and John Gott are very important to Healey history.

PS. The 1955 Le Mans million pound 100.S is in Australia for restoration.