Healey by Caton Updates a Million-Dollar Classic To Post-War Perfection

The Healey by Caton is a $515,000 reincarnation of one of Britain’s most legendary write-up-war sports activities cars. Just 25 will be crafted, and yep, it really is expensive. But an original, aluminum-entire body, disc-brake Austin-Healey 100S – the S stood for Sebring – just 50 of which have been designed among 1953 and 1954, is now a million-dollar traditional in superior situation, so Caton is featuring a discount.

Donald Healey acquired there ahead of Carroll Shelby. His 1951 Nash-Healey blended British sports activities car or truck engineering with an American powertrain. Just above 500 had been constructed right until 1954, when American Motors killed it off against the more recent, less costly Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbird.

Far more profitable was the Austin-Healey 100 in 1952: a brawny, more cost-effective roadster aimed at the American marketplace, the place demand for athletics automobiles experienced exploded in the aftermath of Entire world War II.  By 1956 extra than 75 % of all Austin-Healey 100s coming off the assembly line at the Austin manufacturing unit in Longbridge, England, had been currently being transported to the U.S.

Currently, Caton is a new coachbuilding business based mostly in Britain’s Midlands, however the heartland of what continues to be of the British automotive field. It is really backed by Envisage Team Ltd, a bespoke engineering expert services corporation that, among other things, delivers a lot of the back-close assist for Jaguar Land Rover’s Basic Will work procedure, and builds principle vehicles for OEMs.

The Healey by Caton starts with a donor car or truck, an first BN1-sequence Austin-Healey 100 built in between Might 1953 and August 1955 that delivers the chassis amount that lets it to be registered as an Austin-Healey. At the heart of the car is a 3.-liter four-cylinder motor that is centered on an authentic 2.7-liter Healey 100 block. Fully refurbished by British Healey expert J.M.E. Healeys, upgrades contain a steel crankshaft and stronger principal bearings, significant compression pistons, a race camshaft with roller rockers, greater SU H8 carburetors, and a functionality exhaust program with a aspect outlet.

In the authentic BN1 automobiles, the motor, which also run the sick-fated Austin A90 Atlantic, created 90hp and 144lb-ft of torque. The Healey by Caton engine would make 185hp and 195lb-ft of torque, much more than adequate to take the motor vehicle over and above the 100mph top pace that gave the authentic car its identify. Although the initial BN1 Healeys were being fitted with a 3-speed handbook transmission, the Healey by Caton is equipped with a contemporary five-speeder and strengthened driveshafts to cope with the further ability and torque. Brakes are disc all round in its place of the authentic drums, and the front suspension is multi-hyperlink with adjustable coil springs.

The rear conclusion is nevertheless previous college, with a reside axle, cart springs and lever-arm dampers, while like the front conclude, it has a custom made, fully rose-jointed stabilizer bar. The chassis is new and strengthened at weak details identified by J.M.E about many years of racing and rallying Healeys. New structural metalwork includes much better front and rear bulkheads, and the exterior metallic has been reworked by previous McLaren designer Darryl Scriven. “We asked ourselves ‘What would Healey have accomplished when setting up a automobile in the 50s if it experienced the resources and producing approaches that we are in the exclusive placement to have at our disposal now?'” Scriven stated.

Up entrance is a hexagonal grille that riffs on the first Healey 100 style. The authentic quarter-size bumpers have been removed and the valance prolonged to disguise the front of the chassis. The redesigned front fenders, which feature substantial facet vents that emphasize the bodyside line diving to the rear of the car or truck, are hand-crafted in aluminum on an English Wheel, and have none of the seams discovered on the original Healey 100.

The rear bumpers have also been eliminated, alongside with the external trunk lid hinges, which have been replaced with new inside hinges running on modern day fuel struts. The trunk handle is deleted way too, the lid opened by an inner release system. The vehicle retains its first Austin-Healey badging, with the Caton brand emblem engraved into the brightwork over the facet vents.

The body’s shell is primed and covered with an OEM-common anti-corrosion security layer in advance of last portray in any colour the buyer wishes. Black finished, 15-inch 72-spoke Borrani aluminum alloy wheels are secured with a few-cornered knock offs and shod with common-design and style 185/70 VR15 Michelin XWX tires. There is no roof. A wrap-all-around windshield, slightly increased than the first, supplies the only security from the aspects. In real truth, it truly is not likely any one investing much more than 50 percent a million bucks on a hand-built Austin-Healey restomod will select to generate it on nearly anything other than a sunny day.

Caton has fully redesigned the Healey’s cabin, taking benefit of the far more compact proportions of the five-velocity manual to slender the transmission tunnel. A new pedal box has also elevated legroom for motorists: In unique Healey 100s, anyone over 6ft tall struggled to get relaxed at the rear of the wheel. The strengthened seats are trimmed in Bridge of Weir leather. The inside is also a minimalist luxury. There is certainly no infotainment procedure, despite the fact that two USB ports are offered to help charging of electronic units if required. The door pockets have been enlarged healthy a h2o bottle and other merchandise.

This motor vehicle is meant to be all about the push, suggests Tim Strafford, CEO of Envisage Team. “The Healey by Caton intentionally exposes its occupants to the factors and locations them correct at the coronary heart of a visceral driving experience,” states Strafford. It is really a vehicle for these who love the scent of gasoline and the seem of a significant-performance engine working on carburetors.”