1956 Austin-Healey 100M W/Factory LeMans Kit

The Austin Healey 100 was built by the English manufacturer between 1953 and 1956. Styled by Gerry Coker, the 100 was a beautiful roadster, based around Austin A90 mechanicals, and the car that kick started the relationship between Austin and Donald Healey. Called the 100 for its ability to reach 100 mph, the 100 was built in a few different variants – namely the BN1 and BN2, and then the 100M and 100S high-performance variants.

Of these, the most well known is likely the 100M- which was first shown at the 1955 London Motor Show. Immediately identifiable by its fold flat windshield and louvered hood, the 100M received numerous performance modifications from the factory that included larger carburetors, a cold air intake, high lift camshaft and new 8.1:1 compression pistons. This equated to a stout 110 horsepower at 4,500 rpm which was plenty for a car weighing sub-2,000 lbs. Only 640 100Ms were produced from the factory, but Austin Healey made the “LeMans Kit” engine and visual upgrades available to standard 100 owners, but the factory built cars are significantly more sought after.

This 1956 Austin-Healey BN2 Roadster is one of the 640 100M examples produced over a 10-month span and was completed on May 10, 1956. It was originally dispatched to Toronto, Canada and acquired around 17 years ago by the previous owner, who commissioned a subsequent refurbishment by Lynn Martin of Forever Healeys in Post Falls, Idaho. This is a show quality car that would be the star of any English car show, but drives even better than it looks. Upon acquiring the car in 2022, the consignor spent an additional $6,000 on dialing the driving experience in at Seattle-area British car specialists BritSport, and the car has seen less than 1,000 miles since the work was completed.

The Austin Healey 100 is arguably one of the most fun to drive English roadsters and the 100M takes that enjoyment to the next level.