Donald Healey - My World of Cars

Cars bearing the Healey name were conceived purely as competitive sporting machines, and they were bought in large numbers, on both sides of the Atlantic, almost entirely to give pleasure to their drivers, a role they continue to fulfill long after the last of them was built. Donald Healey's genius as a car designer was a natural extension of his flair as a rally driver. During WW1, he flew on active service with the RFC in France, and between the wars he competed very successfully in events at home and abroad, driving Invictas, Riley and Triumph cars and even winning the 1931 Monte Carlo. This success led naturally to employment in the motor industry, first with Riley and then Triumph (including having involvement with the 8 cylinder Supercharged Dolomite). After service with the RAF in WW2, he set up the Donald Healey Motor Company, which was to be responsible for the Healey Silverstone, the Nash-Healeys, and most successful of all, the Austin-Healeys. Healey continued to drive for several years in competition events, and while driving a modified Austin-Healey 100 he set a production car world speed record of 203.06 mph. There was also a side track into speed boats with ‘Healey Marine’. This account of a lifetime's involvement with sports cars by Donald himself and with his son Brian's help, includes a record of his competition career and has been compiled by Peter Gamier, who first met Donald in the 1930s. Later, during the period 1959-61, Peter was a member of the Austin-Healey works team, co-driving with Jack Sears in international rallies.