The Austin Healey was extensively raced by the Donald Healey Motor Company in Europe at Le Mans and in Sebring in the U.S., in classic rallies by the BMC competitions department, and was recognized from the very beginning by the Sports Car Club of America. Healey models raced in club racing in D, E, and F production classes, winning National Championships in both D and E Production. The last Big Healey to win an SCCA National Championship was the class E Production Austin-Healey 100-6 driven by Alan Barker at the Daytona ARRC in 1965. In 1953, a special streamlined Austin-Healey set several land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA.
Successors
The name Austin is now owned by Nanjing, which bought the assets of MG Rover Group out of bankruptcy in 2005. After Donald Healey sold his original business, Donald Healey Motor Company, the Healey brand was registered to a new firm, Healey Automobile Consultants, which the Healey family sold to HFI Automotive in 2005. In June 2007, Nanjing and Healey Automobile Consultants / HFI Automotive signed a collaborative agreement that aims to recreate the Austin Healey and Healey marques alongside NAC's MG. No timeline has been given as to when the Healey and Austin-Healey brands will return, although MG will be back on the market in China and the UK by the year's end.
In popular culture
In Mad Men S7/E1: "Time Zones", Megan picks up Don at LAX in a green, 1969 Austin-Healey convertible.
Harry O. Private Investigator TV show 1974-1976 starring David Janssen. In the series he drove an Austin-Healey Sprite Mark III dove grey with red interior..
In Losing Chase, Chase, the main character of the movie, played by Helen Mirren, drives a red 1965 Austin-Healey Sprite. The car represents her freedom and had seat belts added to the back seat so her kids could ride in the back.
In Endeavour S3 Ep1 “Ride” Joss Bixby tells Morse he has just taken delivery of “The new Klipspringer Continental”. In actual fact it is the Austin Healey 3000.
In Transformers Sam Witwicky’s father Ron Witwicky owned a 1961 Austin-Healey 3000, While driving Sam Witwicky to a local dealership to purchase Sam’s first car.
