[Healeys] BJ8 at RM Hershey auction

[Earl Kagna]

You are correct. As the owner (for 38 years) of an original Golden Beige Metallic (not MGB) late BJ8 (# 42845), I have done a bit of research over the years. From memory, approximately 550 late BJ8’s were produced, all in 1967.  Approx. 50 of these were trimmed in red, the rest Black. Indeed, an original red trimmed car is very rare.

It is known that the factory did have problems with the paint – many cars had to be repainted – both at the factory and the dealerships. A lot had the colour changed at the same time.  Metallic paint technology (without clearcoat) was not what it is today.  An original GBM BJ8 would look almost completely silver in certain light because of the very fine aluminum flake in the paint. Today’s paint technology is far superior resulting in truly beautiful GBM paint jobs on restored BJ8’s – these cars look far better than anything from the factory in 1967.

The colour has become quite popular on restored Healey’s because of the auctions over that last few years, especially Barret – Jackson, who had a couple of restorers doing them up for them because they sold very well.  The colour has been called sandy beige, champagne, elc. etc. but what they have been trying to emulate is the original Golden Beige Metallic.  If the colour is on any Healey other than a very late BJ8, it is not original to that car, as in the Hershey example.  I have seen the colour on almost every model of Healey over the years,  no reason why not, it’s a nice colour!

At one point, there was a register of original Golden Beige Metallic cars, but I haven’t heard much about it in recent years.  If memory serves, I believe that register has now been  incorporated into Steve Beyer’ overall BJ8 register.

Comments Steve?

Earl Kagna
Victoria, B.C. Canada
BJ8, BT7 tri-carb


From: Deejay2650 
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2018 7:16 PM
To: healeys at autox.team.net 
Subject: Re: [Healeys] BJ8 at RM Hershey auction

G'day all,
My BJ8 was factory finished in Metallic Golden Beige (Code BG19) with a build date of late April early May 1967 according to my BMIHT Certificate and has a black interior.
According to Anders Ditlev Clausager's book "Original Austin-Healey", Metallic Golden Beige is a rare colour, that I am led to believe to be only applied to the 1967 BJ8's, with the MGB/Red interior being the rarest of all. Steve Byers, please chime in mate if I am wrong.
If this info is correct, any BJ8 in MGB that is NOT a '67 model then it is not the original colour.
Cheers,

Darryl Ross
HBJ8L/41258
Wagga Wagga NSW

Australia

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