1959 Austin-Healey 3000

This 1959 Austin-Healey 3000 is a left-hand-drive, North American-market four-seater that was delivered new to Minnesota. The car was later brought to Western Australia, reportedly by the owner of the York Motor Museum near Perth in the 1980s, and was acquired by its current owner in 2013. Finished in black over a red interior, it is powered by a 2.9-liter inline-six mated to a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive. Modifications include driving lights in place of the front bumper, headlight cages, a rally odometer, hood louvers, a long-range fuel tank, four-wheel disc brakes, an oil cooler, and more. The floor pans, sills, and outriggers have been replaced under current ownership and the cooling, ignition, and fuel systems have been serviced. This BT7 is offered by the seller on behalf of its current owner in Sydney, Australia with a color-matched hardtop, a show award, a BMIHT certificate, and New South Wales registration in the owner’s name. The car is finished in black and features a chrome rear bumper, Lucas driving lights in place of the front bumper, headlight cages, hood louvers, a quick-fill fuel cap, and 1960 Liège-Rome-Liège Winners badging. The floor pans and outriggers were replaced under current ownership along with the inner and outer sills. The color-matched hardtop is equipped with a roof ventilator, and side curtains are affixed to the doors. Black-painted 15″ knock-off wire wheels wear Michelin XVS tires. Braking is from discs with red calipers at each corner. The 2+2 cabin is trimmed in red upholstery with black piping and features matching carpets and door panels. Appointments include a banjo-spoke steering wheel on an adjustable column, a heater, and a vintage-style lap belt for the driver. A Halda Twinmaster mechanical odometer is affixed to the dash. Instrumentation includes a 160-kph speedometer, a tachometer, and gauges for fuel level, coolant temperature, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows approximately 25k kilometers (~16k miles), 500 kilometers of which were added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown. The 2,912cc C-series inline-six features twin SU carburetors drawing from a long-range aluminum fuel tank and has been fitted with an an oil cooler. The exhaust flange gasket, choke cable, and fuel tank sender unit were replaced in 2017 along with the fan belt, thermostat, water pump, and hoses. A service in July 2019 included a valve adjustment, tuning of the carburetors, and replacement of the distributor and fuel pump as well as an oil change. A start-up video is provided here. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission with an electrically-actuated overdrive unit. Additional underside images can be viewed in the gallery below. The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate lists original equipment and colors along with a dispatch date of November 23, 1959. The car is said to have participated in a variety of track days and vintage rally events in both Minnesota and Australia. Walk-around and driving videos are provided below.