This 1957 Austin Healey BN4 100-6 is a survivor 2+2 “Longbridge” model that remains highly original with a vast assortment of options still affixed, including the desirable factory works hardtop. Said to have been in a barn from 1970 to 2014, it was reconditioned by the original owners’ nephew and retains its numbers-matching “Gallery Head” engine. The gorgeous red on black paint scheme and corresponding hardtop combine to create one of the prettiest Healeys I can remember seeing. Find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $49,500 and located in Huntington, New York.
I’m a big fan of hardtops on convertibles, and this Austin Healey is no exception. What a great look for an already striking car. Also worth noting for their beauty is the optional 48 spoke wire wheels, including full-size spare. The original owners also spec’d the car with an adjustable steering column, windscreen washer, heater/demister, overdrive, laminated windscreen, and more. As an early production model, these are considered “Longbridge” cars versus the later production examples built in the Abingdon factory. All that is to say, this is an early production, well-optioned, numbers-matching example – does it get any better?
Now, some enthusiasts will say the 2+2 configuration is a detractor for the car, as the two-seaters are both lighter and more sporting in general. Some might even say they notice differences in the proportions of the cars, and that the one without a backseat simply looks and feels “lighter.” I couldn’t care less when the car features a color combination and options like this one does, and come on – it’s not exactly a big-bumper Z-car with a back seat we’re talking about. Healeys are beautiful in almost any configuration you can conceive, and this one is one of the best I’ve seen.
Now, I thought for sure I had found the initial discovery of this particular car on the Sports Car Market website which documented the discovery and auction of a near-identical car just down the road in Connecticut. However, that article mentions how the interior has white piping on the red leather, which does not – but doesn’t that black piping look pretty fresh? However, there’s no mention of a hardtop, so perhaps it’s just an incredible coincidence that two 2+2s with the same paint scheme were discovered in such close proximity. Regardless of the backstory, this is a very pretty example that thankfully hasn’t been over-restored.
Lots of fluff! It IS nice but wouldn’t do well in a concourse or on the track BUT these cars are for driving and this car has the essentially STANDARD specification suitable for a family Sunday convertible where one’s young kids can ride along with your SO!
I could never drive my RHD BN7 with the hood up let alone drive with a hard top fitted. The heat that comes up from the exhaust that lives just under the left side seat is unbelievable. My wife only came with me twice in 2 years and even then she sat with her legs underneath her because of the heat. I loved the car and she hated it, however, she loved the money that I sold it for!
Why has it got a 1972 UK registration number on it?
I can assure you that Ken is correct about the heat off the exhaust system and the transmission. Even in the coldest winters of Idaho near Spokane the soft top was more than enough and when the snow was fresh you could see the profile of the exhaust system between the tire tracks. Stopping just left you sitting in a cloud of steam for a few moments.
I have had three Austin Healey’s including a BJ8 from 1967, a 100-6 and a 2+2 almost identical to this one. Unless pressed very hard there was little to see in a difference as to how they looked and how they drove. The BJ8 being just a shade taller it rode better.
The above write-up indicates the car has the 48 spoke wire wheels (which is original). However it appears the car as 72 spoke wheels on the ground and a 48 spoke in the boot. Most prefer the Abingdon 100-6s over the Longbridge 100-6s due to the 6 port head vs the 2 port head on the earlier 100-6s.
I have owned and loved my Abingdon 100-6 for 40 years.
Well spotted David. Interestingly, it has 48 spoke wheels in the photos without the roof on and 72 spoke ones in the hardtop pictures.
The photos without the roof look older than the others so maybe the 72 ones are a later addition.
These are truly beautiful cars from a classic time. But $49K??? Have AHs really gone that high? I would also wonder where the hardtop was when it came out of the garage. It wasn’t there in the SCM picture. Why would it have been stored separately, I wonder. But it is still beautiful.
Yes, Big Healey’s have gone this high. Depending on the model and condition, they are actually much more expensive. The word “survivor,” in my opinion, has become used too loosely these days. And as much as some people will like the condition of this car, to me it needs some things… carpet and new seat covers for example. They’ve obviously already recovered the dash and added a new Derrington style wheel.
Then I wound want to thoroughly inspect the underside. It’s obviously been resprayed (and the black coves are not original), so I would also look for filler. These cars are notorious for having rust issues and outriggers and sills, for example, can be quite thin. The undercoating makes me suspicious. It may be fine, but I wonder…
Overall, if the frame is solid, this is a good price for this car.