1951 Healey Tickford Silverstone Recreation

Lot details
Registration No: MGP 943
Chassis No: C1977
Mot Expiry: None

The most interesting Healey project offered here started life in 1951 as a genuine Warwick-built Healey Motor Company chassis (number C 1977), powered by a 2.4-litre 4-cylinder 104 bhp Riley engine (number G 74894) with Riley transmission, and fitted with 2-door closed bodywork in aluminum by coachbuilders Tickford.
The Donald Healey designed sports saloon was not cheap at £2500 including tax - but then it would only consume 28 mpg at 70 mph, which it could cruise at, whilst the 100 mph top speed was mighty impressive for a 4-seater in its day.
In this standard Tickford form, MGP 943 gave good service to various owners on the UK mainland before becoming an Irish resident in 1969/70, since when it would appear to have been bodily converted into an open Silverstone sports with GRP bodywork. Indeed, the current V5 from our own DVLC describes the car as being a `Healey Silverstone' under Make and `2-Axle-Rigid Body Convertible' for Model/Type. The original Healey of Warwick, England, chassis plaque in brass confirms both chassis and engine numbers and can be inspected with the V5 and various correspondence in the auctioneers Documents Office at Buxton.
Although as presented, clearly there is much to do in the workshop before the car can be returned to the road in its present form, the project could form the basis for an authentic replication. Fitted with faithfully reproduced bodywork in aluminum, it would almost certainly be recognized as a Silverstone-rep by the Association of Healey Owners and the later AHC, and could therefore be run in all manner of events in the appropriate class for a 1951 Healey.