Wednesday 13th January 1988

Briton Donald Mitchell Healey, the man behind Austin-Healey and Austin-Healey Sprite cars, former chairman of Jensen Motors and speed-record holder, died in Perranporth, Cornwall at the age of 89. In 1945, he formed the Donald Healey Motor Company Ltd, based in an old RAF hangar in Warwick. In 1949, Healey established an agreement with Nash Motors to build Nash-engined Healey sports cars. The first series of the 2-seaters were built in 1951 and they were designed by Healey. The car used a Nash Ambassador 6-cylinder engine, an aluminum body, and the chassis of a Healey Silverstone. However, Pininfarina restyled the bodywork for 1952 and took over the production of its new steel body. The company is best remembered for the Austin-Healey and the Austin-Healey Sprite cars developed through a licensing arrangement with the British Motor Corporation in 1952 and 1959.