1961 Austin-Healey 3000

Beautiful and desirable 3000 BT7 in fantastic colors. Lifetime Texas car. Documented frame-off restoration in early 2000s, still in excellent condition. Bright chrome wheels with radials. The last of the big Healeys is also the best!

There were a lot of variations of the Austin-Healey sports car, and depending on who you ask, they all have their own special appeal. What we like about this 1961 3000 BT7 however, is that burly 6-cylinder engine under the long hood. That s why the 3000s are consistently the most sought-after of the Healeys. Technically it s a 4-seater, but the proportions are the same as the 100-6 that preceded it and I m not sure I d call the small divots in the back area seats in the traditional sense. This remains a roadster in the traditional sense of the word. This car spent the entirety of its pre-restoration life in Texas, which means rust was a non-issue, and that was entirely the point. It was a long search to find just the right car to transform into the stunning black 3000 you see today. We have restoration photos showing the car stripped down to a bare metal shell and rebuilt from there by the experts at Panelwerks. The black paint is deep and glossy, surely better than new, and the fit and finish is extremely good, especially for a largely hand-built British sports car. It is holding up superbly with almost no signs of use or age this car could easily pass for a much more recent restoration. All the chrome was refinished, including the bumpers, grille, and small pieces, and all the emblems remain bright and crisp. This car is just gorgeous!

The red leather interior is part of why we love this Healey so much. It s the perfect complement to the brilliant black bodywork, sophisticated yet flashy, and entirely appropriate for a big kid s sports car. Everything inside the car is new, including the upholstery, carpets, door panels, and even the dash pad. There s a big wood-rimmed steering wheel that warms things up a bit inside and there s a matching shifter knob for the 4-speed manual gearbox. All of the Smiths gauges were rebuilt and remain fully operational, and even though it spent its life in Texas, this car is equipped with an optional Smiths heater unit under the dash. The factory overdrive unit is operational and is actuated by a simple toggle switch on the dash, and it really transforms this into a grand touring car that can eat up a lot of pavement in a single sitting. The back seats are probably best for small children, but it does provide decent storage space, along with the good-sized trunk, which is fully finished with correct mats. The car comes with a correct convertible top frame and side curtains, but a fabric top is not included as the owner never felt the need for it (replacement tops are readily available from the usual sources).

The reason the 3000 is special, however, resides under the hood: a 2912 cc inline-6 that is a big step up from the unit found in the 100-6. Smoother, torquier, and just as willing to rev, it turned the big Healey into a genuinely fast car for the era. The engine was fully rebuilt to stock specs and still inhales through a pair of SU carburetors (this car pre-dates the 3-carb setup, which is a relief). The engine bay is correctly detailed with Austin Green paint on the engine itself, proper fittings and copper lines, and a new fabric-covered wiring harness. It starts easily with a little choke and settles into a burbling idle that almost feels like the car is impatient and ready to go. On the road, the exhaust note is epic and there s torque available all over the tach, which was surely the goal with the upgraded engine. The 4-speed shifts cleanly and as I mentioned, the overdrive turns it into a comfortable cruiser on today s highways. The exhaust system is stainless, and you can see the results of the frame-off restoration throughout the undercarriage, which is still extremely clean. It brakes confidently, steers crisply, and rides surprisingly well given its primitive suspension setup. Chrome wire wheels are the perfect finishing touch, and they carry 195/70/15 blackwall radials that look right and handle great.

Documentation includes receipts and photos from the restoration.

I can t stop looking at this car. It s just lovely. The black paint looks deep enough to swim in and the combination of black with a red leather interior is hard to beat. Add in the fact that this is the most powerful of the big Healeys with the best road manners, and you end up with a car that does everything well. Available for a fraction of today s restoration cost, this is a special car. Call today!

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