1966 Austin-Healey 3000 in Alpharetta, Georgia

Vehicle Description

The Atlanta Showroom is offering this 1966 Austin Healy. When first introduced at the London Motor Show of 1952, the Austin-Healey was an overnight sensation. This creation, inspired by Donald Healey and designed by B. Bildy and G. Coker, has withstood the test of time, and the body lines remain basically the same, although the car has undergone numerous mechanical changes through the years. British Motor Corporation ceased to enter it in sports-car races when the six-cylinder engine replaced the old Austin 16-based four, but it is now a contender for international rally honors. With a hard-to-beat combination of great structural strength and booming performance, the Austin-Healey has been a consistent top finisher in the hands of drivers like Pat Moss and David Seigle-Morris. The sight and sound of Pat Moss howling over an Alpine pass in hairy-looking Healey, sans bumpers and loaded with lights, is a never-to-be-forgotten thrill. In more than one rally the straight-line performance of the Healey has given it the edge over many more sophisticated, more expensive automobiles. A new centrally located gear lever has replaced the cranked direct-working side lever of previous models, but the remote-control linkage is no quicker than the offset mechanism, and during warm-up requires much more muscle than the old linkage. Body roll is as absent as ever on the 3000. There are no complications about seeing your line through a turn since you sit in exactly the same vertical position regardless of how many times you may have to alter your direction. This is an inherent quality of the Austin-Healey which probably has served to endear it to more drivers than has any other one of its good qualities. The large-diameter steering wheel provides good leverage for taking sharp turns, however, and the steering ratio is high enough to enable everyone to drive it enthusiastically. The Healey will still find an eager audience with the more traditionally minded enthusiast. It is a true sporting machine in the sense that it looks fine, sounds fierce, and goes fast. If it rides hard and crosses cracks in the road with a loud thump, so what? We can remember when unyielding suspension and continual tightening of all the nuts and bolts on the automobile were status symbols to be treasured by any true aficionado. Options include: Wire wheels, radial tires, vinyl interior, seat belts, manual top. To view the car in greater detail, including 100+ HD photos and HD video, please visit www.gatewayclassiccars.com. For more information please call the Atlanta showroom at 678-894-4833.