Description:

This is a rather famous Austin-Healey. PJB 828 started life as the factory demonstrator for the press. It appeared in road tests in both Autocar and The Motor, and was also used in the Austin-Healey advertisements in 1958. A year later, the car was loaned to the British Film Company (Ealing Studios) and stared in the movie "School for Scoundrels" with Terry Tomas and Ian Carmichael. In 1960, the Healey Company was contacted by Ted Worswick (a successful private racer and in good favour with the competition department) with the question to purchase one of the works cars. Unfortunately none were available as a lot had been written off and Pat Moss's car was still in use. So the decision was made to turn the factory demonstrator PJB 828 into a works race car and being upgraded to 3000 MkII specification. This included a full works engine, a Sebring straight cut gearbox, fitting of competition disc brakes and a modified suspension - probably all taken from one of the ARX Works cars which was written off in competition. The car was ready for the 1963 season and Ted Worswick and had good results at Goodwood, Silverstone, Aintree and Oulton Park. In 1965, Ted teamed up with Alan Minshaw (founder of Demon Tweeks) and had a very successful Guards 1000 race at Brands Hatch : 500 miles on Saturday followed by another 500 miles on Sunday. They finished 9th. PJB was definitely one of the fastest Healeys of the time, finishing within the top 10 every single time.

In the eighties, the car was discovered by an Austin-Healey enthusiast as he recognised it as a proper Works car because of the sandcast magnesium manifolds and Weber carburetors. The car went through a complete body-off-down-to-chassis restoration and started a second life in competition beginning with the 'Tour Espagna'. Later followed participations in Coppa Classico de Tenerife, Arlberg Classic in Austria and several Gran Premio Nuvolari entries. In 2010-2011, a complete technical revision and overhaul was done by Denis Welch Motorsport at a vast expense. This included a full race specification engine rebuild
offering approx. 240 bhp, overhaul of the original Weber carburetors, overhaul of the straight cut Sebring gearbox with racing overdrive, LSD, strenghtened drive train and axles to cope with the extra power and a dual brake circuit (adjustable between front and rear). In 2012, PJB was sold to the last owner and remained in a world class collection of classic cars since.

Today, this is still a very impressive car to drive. It is very powerful and feels and drives like a proper competition car (which it is indeed). The body is in great condition, just like the engine and drivetrain. The interior is still the original one and has quite a bit of patina. There are some extra switches fitted as necessary for a competition car, but the seats and dashboard are never restored and show some signs of age. PJB 828 is very well documented with a full and uninterupted history. The huge file contains 1958 articles and advertisements with the car, pictures from the car in the movie "School for Scoundrels", period competition pictures and results and a big amount of invoices. Also the full overhaul by Denis Welch Motorsport is detailed with some big bills.... The car also appeared in some Austin-Healey books : "Big Healeys in competition" and "Healey the handsome brute".

A car with this kind of history is of course eligible to participate again in Goodwood events or Silverstone Classic when upgraded to actual FIA standards, and would make a great historic racer in many competitions. It comes with an old FIA HTP which will need renewing, and has a European registration at the moment. This ex-Works Austin-Healey is now available at an attractive price and ready for both road and track.

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