1967 Austin Healey 3000 MkIII

“ Imported from the USA in 1990, it had 'lived' in Jacksonville. ”
One of the best-looking British classic's of all time I reckon.

Background
Launched in 1959, the Austin-Healey 3000 was built by Jensen Motors at BMC’s Abingdon factory. At its heart lies a stiff ladder chassis with the inner sills and tub - comprising the vehicle’s bulkhead, floorpan, inner body, and the A and B posts - contributing significantly to the finished car’s torsional rigidity; a rigid car generally handles well, an engineering truism that the Austin-Healey does nothing to dispel.

Its relatively svelte kerb-weight of 1,157kgs is not to be ignored either, and the combination of a stiff-but-light chassis was a real innovation at the time and one that aficionados and engineering nerds like us appreciate even today.

Available as both a two-seater (BN7) and 2+2 (BT7), the four-seater version opened up the car up to families, a segment that had previously been excluded from the sportscar market.

As a result, the Austin-Healey 3000 sold very well to both young single bucks and enthusiastic parents – and who wouldn’t want to look back at a childhood that included rear-seat memories in a car that can crack 60mph in 11 seconds on its way a top speed of over 100mph courtesy of its three-litre, straight-six engine?

The BJ7 Austin-Healey 3000 arrived in August 1962. The MKII car had a new wrap-around windscreen, wind-up side windows, and a much better folding roof. With a new top speed of 115mph thanks to a power hike to 136bhp, the BJ7 was faster and more luxurious than the cars that preceded it, and it, along with the BJ8 you see here that arrived in 1964 with 150bhp, sold very well ‘Stateside.

In fact, more than 90% of all cars sold were exported to the United States but please don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is a soft boulevard cruiser; the Austin Healey 3000 had considerable rallying and racing success in its day and it continues to fulfil those twin roles in historic motorsport, even now.

Overview
This Austin Healey MKIII was built in December 1966 for the American market as a left-hand drive British Racing Green example. Factory fitted options included wire wheels fitted with Roadspeed tyres, a laminated windscreen, an adjustable steering column, and an overdrive on the gearbox.

It was dispatched on the 10th of February 1967 bound for Jacksonville, Florida. Nothing is known of its life overseas, the paper trail recommencing in November 1990 when the DVLA issued it with the registration number ‘AKX 956E’.

It has been professionally converted to right-hand drive and repainted in this attractive green-over-cream colour scheme. The engine was also stripped and rebuilt with an oversize crankshaft in 1995.

It had just two former UK keepers before the seller bought it in 2008. He’s enjoyed his eighteen years with it, even taking it as far as France. The majority of its journeys with him have been high days and holidays but he’s been meticulous in its maintenance, upgrading things like the starter motor and oil filtration and cooling systems to take advantages of modern upgrades while taking care to retain the core attributes we all appreciate.

Most recently serviced in October 2025, including a trip to the rolling road to get it tuned, it presents and drives very well indeed.

Estimate: £35,000 - £45,000

View Current Bid Price HERE