1959 Austin-Healey

1959 Austin-Healey 100-6 BN6
s/n BN6-L/2253, engine no. 26D-RU-H/67103
Two Tone Black and Red with Black Leather Interior

The 100-6 was Austin-Healey’s first six-cylinder “big Healey” and helped to cement the company's reputation as a producer of serious, macho sports cars. While the Mark III variant, with its four seat configuration, and wood dash, was sophisticated, the earlier cars, with their pared down metal dashes shared with early cars, have a purer sports car ethos. With an open top, side curtain, no rear seats, and a fantastic exhaust note, this car is everything that a sports car should be. Furthermore, with 50% more power and 100% more torque than a contemporary MG, the Healey was a pretty serious piece of performance kit in its day.

This particular example is a matching numbers example that has won several awards following a high caliber restoration. It was dispatched to its original selling dealer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the 30th of July 1958, delivered in the color combination it still wears. Its early history is unknown, but by the 1980s, it belonged to Ed Rosensteel, who owned Showroom Restorations in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The show earned several local, regional, and national awards for its restorations, and when Mr. Rosensteel restored this car, it was no exception. He performed a restoration to his typically high standards, which was completed in 1995. In July of 1997, he sold the car to Fred and Alice Hoover of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who showed the car at national AACA events (including Hershey), from 1998 to 2002, winning the following awards:
1998 2nd Junior
1999 1st Junior
2000 1st Senior
2001 1st Preservation
2002 2nd Preservation

In April of 2003, the Hoovers sold the car to Brian Olson, who showed the car in the 2004 Grand Nationals Buffalo, New York and in Watkins Glen in 2005. He kept the car until 2011, when Austin-Healey expert Kurt Tanner acquired it. The current owner purchased the car from Tanner in March 2013, fitted new Vredestein Sprint Classic tires new Dayton chrome wire wheels, new Karvel carpet from England, and had the undercarriage detailed.

Today the car remains extremely clean, with a few signs of mellowing to the restoration, but a strong overall presentation. The paintwork was done to high standards and aside from some swirls that could be improved with correction measures, still presents very well. The body is extremely straight and displays excellent fit. The chrome is also excellent, as is all other exterior trim. The lights and glass are also in excellent condition. The car has a badge bar and auxiliary fog lamps.

The interior is also in excellent condition. The dashboard was beautifully restored and remains in excellent shape, including all switches and controls. The underside of the dashboard is equally impressive, and the door panels and carpets are also excellent. The leather upholstery was redone to high standards and shows some mellowing in the form of some light creasing and dryness.

The engine compartment was obviously restored to show standards remains very attractive. It shows light soiling but could be brought back to show-ready or near show-ready condition with relative ease. The correct decals and stickers are present on the components such as the ignition coil and brake fluid reservoir. The firewall is nicely detailed and the wiring harness was included in the restoration and has the correct cloth insulation. A spin on oil filter conversion was performed. The trunk was correctly restored and is in excellent condition. The spare is in place, along with the weather equipment, which includes full tonneau cover and side curtains with bag.

This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a six-cylinder Healey that was restored to the highest standards. It has a host of awards to confirm the quality of the restoration and today it presents extremely well, with minor aging but still as a very high level driver. It is a matching numbers car that is still finished in its original color combination, and is complete with original owners manual and service manual, as well as a reproduction parts catalog. The car also has a complete set of original tools, jack, toppy bar, jack bag, jack handle bag, and weather equipment.