Austin Healey 100/4 BN1 “Ward Special”
This 1955 Austin Healey 100/4 RHD is a full aluminium one off fascinating car and a real piece of Australian motoring history.
Very special: Full aluminium “one off” race body.
Full history starting from 1955 :
Very special: Full aluminium “one off” race body.
Full history starting from 1955 :
1955 Austin Healey 100/4 BN1 “Ward Special”
1955 This Austin Healey rolled off the Longbridge production line in 27 January 1955;
1955 Shipped from the factory in Longbridge to Sydney, registration no. GLE 273;
1956 Paul England built an Ausca race body for this car (only 7 Ausca race body’s were build;
1957 Clive Millis fitted the Ausca fibreglass body (copy of a Maserati A6GCS/53);
1959 Clive Millis registered the car GTV 116 with the Ausca body (see photo);
1959 Clive Millis sold the car to Tony Pickett, a Melbourne car dealer;
1963 Tony Picket sold the car to Bob Gray;
1964 Bob sold the car to Lindsay Hughes (Panda Motors);
1964 Lindsay developed the Ausca bodies GTV-116 to a serious race car.
Lindsay raced the GTV-116 extensively with varying degrees of success at
Australian raceway’s Sandown, Winton, Albury, Philip Island and Calder;
1967 Lindsay removed the Ausca body and commissioned coachbuilder Sid Ward.
Sid built the fully aluminium coupe body known as the “Ward Special race car” the car is wears today;
1967 Linday sold the GTV-16 to John Best;
1968 John sold the car to Peter Rowland;
1968 Peter sold the car to Ozzie Tice, A retired policeman;
1969 Ozzie sold the car unregistered to Peter Marshell;
1970 Peter completed the Ward Special and registered it with the number KNG 338;
1971 The car sat in storage until 1980;
1985 Peter sold the car to Rob Rowland who had built, raced and restored the Austin Healey. Rob painted the car in Holden Maranello Red and effected many special race improvements;
1986 Peter sold the Ward Special race car to John Best;
1995 John sold the car to Rob Rowland’s brother Peter Rowland;
1996 New number registration GTV 100 (the nearest available to the original GTV 116);
1997 The car moved to Brisbane, Queensland, fully registered as GTV 16 (again the
nearest available).
The car is road ready and great to drive, very taught and “modern” on the road.
2017 The Austin Healey “Ward Special” was exported from Australia to The 1111 Netherlands.
*** Altogether it’s a fascinating car and a real piece of Australian motoring history. As the Healey Factory put it in their ad: “Although there were a few Australian-built Austin Healey coupe “specials” in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, none of the others was as professionally built as a race car. This car has many fine fitments like the hand-made front and rear bumperettes that complete the look of the era and are the true mark of quality craftsmanship (look at the recessed rear lights as well). The car has an interesting race history that is very well known and documented, but its true appeal is the stunning styling that was way ahead of its time then and is still both interesting and attractive today”. It makes an interesting and completely coach-built on-off aluminium vehicle ***
1955 Shipped from the factory in Longbridge to Sydney, registration no. GLE 273;
1956 Paul England built an Ausca race body for this car (only 7 Ausca race body’s were build;
1957 Clive Millis fitted the Ausca fibreglass body (copy of a Maserati A6GCS/53);
1959 Clive Millis registered the car GTV 116 with the Ausca body (see photo);
1959 Clive Millis sold the car to Tony Pickett, a Melbourne car dealer;
1963 Tony Picket sold the car to Bob Gray;
1964 Bob sold the car to Lindsay Hughes (Panda Motors);
1964 Lindsay developed the Ausca bodies GTV-116 to a serious race car.
Lindsay raced the GTV-116 extensively with varying degrees of success at
Australian raceway’s Sandown, Winton, Albury, Philip Island and Calder;
1967 Lindsay removed the Ausca body and commissioned coachbuilder Sid Ward.
Sid built the fully aluminium coupe body known as the “Ward Special race car” the car is wears today;
1967 Linday sold the GTV-16 to John Best;
1968 John sold the car to Peter Rowland;
1968 Peter sold the car to Ozzie Tice, A retired policeman;
1969 Ozzie sold the car unregistered to Peter Marshell;
1970 Peter completed the Ward Special and registered it with the number KNG 338;
1971 The car sat in storage until 1980;
1985 Peter sold the car to Rob Rowland who had built, raced and restored the Austin Healey. Rob painted the car in Holden Maranello Red and effected many special race improvements;
1986 Peter sold the Ward Special race car to John Best;
1995 John sold the car to Rob Rowland’s brother Peter Rowland;
1996 New number registration GTV 100 (the nearest available to the original GTV 116);
1997 The car moved to Brisbane, Queensland, fully registered as GTV 16 (again the
nearest available).
The car is road ready and great to drive, very taught and “modern” on the road.
2017 The Austin Healey “Ward Special” was exported from Australia to The 1111 Netherlands.
*** Altogether it’s a fascinating car and a real piece of Australian motoring history. As the Healey Factory put it in their ad: “Although there were a few Australian-built Austin Healey coupe “specials” in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, none of the others was as professionally built as a race car. This car has many fine fitments like the hand-made front and rear bumperettes that complete the look of the era and are the true mark of quality craftsmanship (look at the recessed rear lights as well). The car has an interesting race history that is very well known and documented, but its true appeal is the stunning styling that was way ahead of its time then and is still both interesting and attractive today”. It makes an interesting and completely coach-built on-off aluminium vehicle ***
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