Journal: Which Sixties English Drop Top Twists Your Key?

Which Sixties English Drop Top Twists Your Key?

By Petrolicious
July 8, 2013

We’ve featured a lot of roadsters in this feature over the past month or so, of which we’re completely unapologetic—when the weather’s this fantastic, there’s simply no other type of car we’d rather be driving. Six months from now perhaps we’ll be featuring a lot of Ur Quattros or 911 C4s, but then again probably not, as it’s always this nice here in Southern California.  Sorry.

Austin Healey is a proper British name, stately, with just the right mix of sounds. They also built proper British sports cars back in their heyday, devices which may not have been at all stately, but definitely emitted an intoxicating array of sounds.

This particular AH dates from 1967, a 3000 MKIII BJ8. Claimed to be a numbers-matching car with 62,000 original miles, and in stunning cosmetic and mechanical condition, it looks like a million bucks in striking red and black over black hides and burl walnut. What it eventually sells for cannot be known, but with just under six days left bidding and reserve not met at $40,000, it likely won’t be inexpensive.

Daimler, on the other hand, sounds a bit like German, which turns out to be completely apt because it is. We’ll spare you the details of how such a British car wound up with a Teutonic name, and rather fill you in on what makes it such a special old thing to drive, instead.

Better known (from 1960 on, anyway) for re-badged, home-market Jaguars, the SP250, or Dart, was Daimler’s first and last deviation from this formula. Equipped with a 2.5 liter, iron block, alloy hemi head, OHV V8, it made roughly 140 HP and was quite quick for its day, with sub 9 second 0-60 MPH times reportedly on offer—it was also said to flex so much that the doors would pop open during hard cornering. The styling of its fiberglass panels is also a matter of taste—a bit of a mixed bag, overall, but a very intriguing one nonetheless.

Which would you have?

1967 Austin Healey 3000 MKIII BJ8

Click here for more details on eBay.

1962 Daimler SP250 Dart

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J Mason
J Mason
11 years ago

Going to go with the less expensive “hybrid”, Sunbeam Tiger

JellyBeanDonuts
JellyBeanDonuts
11 years ago

I’ll take the Healey, excellent choice on the paint.

john tolle
john tolle
11 years ago

Yep, Healey here also. A great car in so many ways.

Jebby Deringer
Jebby Deringer
11 years ago

First of all this is the classiest car blog in existence. If choosing between the two, the Healey is much more attractive. In general Im not a fan of the British Roadster Styling MG’s especially. I like the Jaguars and the Bug Eye Sprite. The Jaguar XK 120 would be alright 🙂 though the E-Type more so. I daily drive an S2000 and now I feel like I want a garage full of Roadsters from classic to modern.

Matthew Lange
Matthew Lange
11 years ago

Healey please, just can’t get over the looks of the Daimler. The V8 engine in the SP250 was also used in Daimler versions of the Jaguar Mk II.

Adam Holter
Adam Holter
11 years ago

Healey, please.

Pete McLachlan
Pete McLachlan
11 years ago

Oh, what a great choice to contemplate! As much as I admire the Daimler 250 Dart for it’s period high tech engine and quirky “in your face” styling, I would rather be tucked into that Austin Healey. I can smell the oil and leather and hear it shifting through the power-band now.

jecollins
jecollins
11 years ago
Reply to  Pete McLachlan

Ditto. I bet that car smells as good as it sounds, and I bet it sounds as good as it looks!

UncleWalty
UncleWalty
11 years ago

I’ll take the “hybrid”:
[url=”http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/accobra.jpg”]427 Cobra[/url]

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