Stored Since ’75: 1957 Austin Healey 100-6

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This 1957 Austin Healey 100-6 seemingly has a great story that begins with being bought new in San Francisco as the new ride for a newly minted college professor. After a few years in California, it went to Kansas for a teaching gig at Kansas State, and the vintage faculty parking stickers remain affixed to the glass. Nothing specific is said about the Healey as it’s capture in the picture above, but we can assume it was stored for some time in a dusty garage before being extracted. Find it here on eBay as a relatively complete example with rocker rust and listed with an opening bid of $12,995 and no action yet.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Chad B. for the find. Today, the Healey looks eminently restorable, with no signs of a restoration started and then paused, or long term exposure to the elements. The body is impressively straight and true, and aside from the rust in the rocker panel and in the front portion of the rear fenders, I don’t see any major corrosion to deal with. The chrome is far from perfect but remains presentable, and all of the trim items – from the fender-mounted mirrors to the factory badges to the indicator lenses – all remain affixed and in good condition. The original color was Primrose Yellow.

The interior is original to the car and in decent shape – not perfect, but definitely one you can live with. Part of that may be due to the original soft top still looking quite robust and hopefully capable of keeping the water out. The seller notes that the cabin retains its original Motorola radio and “Lighted Hull” compass. The rear of the car doesn’t deviate much from what we see around front, which is an undamaged example that remains highly original. Trunk photos show a full-size spare and what looks like an original jack. Inside and out, this Healey is surviving well.

The engine is numbers-matching and still runs. The seller notes the Healey has no brakes at the moment, so it will need attention before being driven. The frame and pans are in good order, but the seller does disclose there is a dent in the right-hand side rear fender. Overall, there is very little to fault on a car that’s been parked since 1975, and I’m in awe of the fact that the engine still runs. Despite its long slumber, it doesn’t appear this Healey was ever truly neglected – and that’s a very good thing for the next owner. Is the opening bid realistic for a car like this?

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Comments

  1. bobhess bobhessMember

    One of my favorite Healeys but with no real good look at the underbody my bid would be 8K to 10K and no more. Even if I got a good look at it the numbers and time to restore it aren’t going to be small. It appears to have good bones but you are looking at a car you can’t just hop in and drive.

    Like 4
  2. art

    I don’t know about the price but the car looks cool.
    Imagine the stories if it could talk.

    Like 3
  3. CJinSD

    I guess the price was right.

    Like 0
  4. Little_Cars

    Could the photos used be any worse! What the hell, it’s 2020. Use a good camera or phone to show us your big Healey for $13k???

    Like 2

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