1953 Austin-Healey 100 / 4 - BN 1

• One of the first Austin Healeys ever built, the first in Sweden

• Detailed history dating back to 1953

• Extensively raced with a rich and well-documented heritage

This 1953 Austin Healey BN1 is believed to be one of the earliest Healeys ever built. It was the first Austin Healey in Sweden and one of the first in the world. It has recently undergone a no expenses spared restoration that has been thoroughly documented and is in magnificent condition.

Built on August 18th, 1953, this example was initially bound for the States – and was delivered with a speedometer showing miles per hour - but was commandeered by Raymond Sjöqvist, an entrepreneur with ties to the royal family. He famously helped Prince Bertil – the motoring prince – out of a speeding mishap.

This Austin Healey made its way to Swedish shores by August 28th, 1953, upon which it was inspected with its Healey blue metallic paint job, dark blue interior, and matching roof. It received its Swedish registration – A63830 – on September 15th, 1953. It has the chasse number 140280, body number 134 and is part of batch 4327.

With this BN1 being such an early car, this specimen is built entirely in aluminum while cars from July 1954 utilized lots of steel. As such, BN1 Healeys were 80 kilograms lighter than their successors. This unique specimen has spent its entire life in Sweden and carries a rich motorsport heritage.

It was raced extensively – especially in Sweden, and on its first outing – on March 7th, 1954 – it set a new Swedish record for series produced sports cars in the 2–3-liter class in the 1,000 meters with a flying start with a speed of 144 kilometers per hour.

All owners are of this 1953 Austin Healey BN1 are well-documented, and its entire history is documented in books and newspaper articles. This specimen is not only a part of Swedish motoring history, but also an integral part of Austin’s history books.