Since this warhorse, racing driver, chicken farmer and Texan Carroll Shelby has been occupying us for many decades and we know about his thoroughly enterprising efforts in the last 50 years of his work, we dare to ask a daredevil but quite justified question to the circle of all connoisseurs:

Couldn't Carroll Shelby have come up with an Austin Healey when he was looking for a light, English chassis to implement his idea of planting a powerful V8 engine in just that one? Whoever has read the book "Inside Shelby" or the reading "Nasty Boys" hardly needs to strain his imagination. If Austin Healey, the bestseller at the time, or MGB, which had just come onto the market, hadn't sold like hot cakes in the USA, if Shelby hadn't negotiated very special purchasing conditions with the ailing manufacturer AC and thus chosen the rolling chassis of the AC Ace, today - 58 years after the presentation of the first AC Cobra 289 and the associated creation of the legend of this probably unique car - the common "Cobra" would perhaps have looked completely different? Maybe even like this Austin Healey, which we present to you here?

Wasn't there a certain Ted Sutton mechanic at the good Shelby? And didn't he have the task of the feasibility test "Ford V8 in English light chassis"? These mainly practical tests were carried out in series on suitable donor vehicles of willing owners, who were happy about the many additional horsepower. How drivable and suitable for everyday use the conversion finally turned out was written in the stars... But let's not forget: Back then, the cars had at best a six-month warranty or 5,000 km, after that every owner of such vehicles was on his own.

At this point, we could still have many, many points to think about, but let's take our splendid guy and show you on a living object how such a thing would have felt.

Our Austin Healey probably "fell victim" to the aforementioned Ted Sutton, who, together with the venerable Phil Remington, taught him how to run a good five years after his first registration in October 1958, i.e. 1964, in the form of a brand-new Ford V8 engine in the "pocket" size 289 c.i. (powerful 4,700 cc).

This means: This specimen has carried this engine for 55 years now. Let's drop this for a moment and dedicate ourselves to the following dry technical reading.

"This vehicle was first delivered to the USA (proof British Motor Museum birth certificate)

Sold around 1963 to a friend of Ted Sutton.
In 1964 the order was placed and the implementation was carried out in cooperation with Phil Remigton to install a 289 Ford engine in an Austin Healey to compare the data obtained with the supercharged Healey from the test drive in Bonneville. This vehicle was converted by Ted Sutton and his team in 1964, and in the same breath the Shelby Cobra ́s was created.
Later the vehicle had several owners in the States until the Healey was imported to Germany in 2005. The following owners had no knowledge about the history. This information was given by telephone due to the demand for technical changes to the vehicle. In the book Inside Shelby and the reading Nasty Boys the different modifications are described, and this corresponds to the procedure and description of Ted Sutton.

Ford 289 CUI fine balanced with drive shaft, aluminum heads with larger inlet/outlet valves, modified intake manifold, with the following precious chunks,
Engine
E-Street Cylinder Heads, Flat Tappet Performer Plus Camshaft Kit, Hardened Pushrods, Performer-Link Timing Set, Head Bolt Kit, Double Camshaft Driving Train, Edelbrock Performer Carburetor 4 compartment with E Joke, Performer Air Filter, Contactless Ignition System with Racing Candles and High End Ignition Cables, Ignition Coil Master Blaster 2, Aluminium Valve Cover for adjustable Pushrods, Racing Thermostat, High Performance Aluminium Cooler. Alternator with higher power, adapted electrical system with Spal E-fan automatic and manual. Modified and adapted exhaust system with cast iron manifolds and stainless steel Big Bore re/li. We were told that the power was about 321 HP. However, 224 PS are registered. These stand very well in the lining...
Transmission
Borg Warner T5 5 speed manual transmission with hydraulic clutch and special bell. Single tank for hydraulic clutch. Modified short gear ratio max. speed 195km/h but therefore extremely good acceleration. The transmission is filled with high performance oil and is therefore also designed for higher performance. Complete overhaul in 12/2018
Chassis
Complete conversion to BILSTEIN telescopic shock absorbers (Putzke ́s Fahrspaß)hinten mit Racingfeder von Denis Welsh with additional longitudinal struts and Unibal joints of additional Stabi with modified bushings, additional stabilizer with modified sockets. In front large and adjustable stabilizer with racing springs 180Kg, lowering.
Brakes
Single reservoir for brake circuit with brake booster, front disc brakes with Pagid brake pads and steel braided lines, rear alloy brake drums with cooling fins and steel braided lines, brake force control valve in the engine compartment. Racing brake fluid.
Rims and tires
Spoke rims 5.5 X 15 black chrome with 205/65 R15 H and central locking spare wheel in the trunk.
Fuel tank
Denis Welsh Racing Tank Works 80/85 liters with suitable display and reserve warning. Improved range compared to the 50 liter original tank, no more fuel consumption compared to the straight six cylinder.
Double fuel pumps, individually switchable with anti-reverse and dash connections.
The tank has two outlets and a built-in catchtank all made of aluminium. Trunk completely lined in aluminum with built-in emergency stop.
Bodywork:
Completely overhauled with the necessary changes by the engine conversion, frame treated over years with Mike Sanders and in very good condition. New painting and partial restoration in the oldtimer specialized enterprise color Black 122 with many new parts and improvements. Overhauled and improved electrics. Black windows and hood.
Overall result:
A great Austin Healey in original and changeable optics (bumpers yes/no) which is better to drive in all positions than the version with a 6 cylinder. For someone who wants to drive a unique Big Healey with perfect optics, convincing driving performance and the corresponding sound, probably has a unique opportunity to acquire such a vehicle.
This vehicle is also for women no problem!
By the overhauled steering the brake booster and the short shifting the vehicle drives as unproblematic as a modern vehicle. All described conversion parts were newly installed in 2017/2018. A corresponding value appraisal, accompanying pictures and invoices are of course available and will be handed over.

How does that read? We do not know how you feel when reading these details. We, however, are in a state of excitement and can hardly wait to describe to you an extensive ride in this dreamlike roadster.

Stay tuned!
Your DLS Team