Austin-Healey was a British automaker established through a partnership with the Austin Motor Company, and Donald Healey Motor Company. This outfit produced quintessential British sports cars in the 1950s and 1960s. Whilst many Austin-Healey models such as the Sprite were dinky little things, the Austin-Healey 3000 was known as the ‘Big Healy’, as it was much larger and more suited for markets such as the US. Produced from 1959 to 1967, the ‘Big Healey’ could be had as a roadster or convertible. What we’ve got here is one of these British gems, a 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 BJ8 Mk III from Rhode Island with just 54,200 miles under its skin, with a BMIHT certificate to boot. Only 17,712 Mk IIIs were manufactured.

Exterior and Interior

The BJ8 designation of this 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 BJ8 Mk III denotes it as a Sports Convertible, which saw some interesting upgrades under the skin, however the iconic long hood and ‘cab-rearwards’ stance of a classic British roadster remained. This example showcases it’s Donald Healey styling cues in a clean slate of Ivory White, with fender-mounted mirrors and rolls on 15-inch wire wheels. All badging is present and correct and a luggage rack adorns the rear for added luggage space, as these cars were often used for long-distance touring. The interior is in black, and this example features the 2+2 interior, with two small ‘child seats’ behind the driver and front passenger seat. This car has been installed with a Retro Sound AM/FM radio with AUX input and the original radio and speakers are included in the sale. The bucket seats have been reupholstered in Black Ambla vinyl and feature gold piping for a touch of distinctiveness, as well as contrasting well with the Burr Walnut dashboard. Sound and heat dampening has been installed too, for added comfort.

Engine

As the name suggests, this 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 BJ8 Mk III is powered by Austin’s 2,912cc C-series in-line six-cylinder engine. The BJ8 variant saw some upgrades under the hood including a higher-lift camshaft, twin SU carburetors that have reportedly been rebuilt on this example, and an increased choke size. This helped the BJ8 produce 150hp, up from the previous 136hp, which is healthy for a car that weighs just 2,550lb. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive. This car also features power-assisted front disc and rear drum brakes with brake booster and has seen the rear springs and brake lines replaced. A Petronix ignition unit has also been installed, whilst the original ignition unit, as well as the original starter are included in the sale. A new gas tank and in-tank sender unit have been installed too.