Beschreibung:

The ex-Works, Pat Moss, Rome-Liege-Liege Rally-winning 1960 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 SPORTS 2-SEATER Registration No. URX 727 Chassis No. HBN7/8446 Engine No. 29D HUH/12161 Red with black interior & white hard-top Engine: Six-cylinders in-line, push-rod overhead valves, induction by triple 2-inch SU carburettors, 2,912cc developing 150bhp at 5,500rpm; Gearbox: four-speed manual; Suspension: front independent by wishbone and coil-springs, rear live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and hydraulic shock-absorbers; Brakes: four-wheel Girling hydraulic disc. Right-hand drive. The natural development programme by the British Motor Corporation's Austin Healey Company introduced the new '3000' model as an improved version of the previous '100/6' type, and noted changes were an enlarged version of the well proven 6-cylinder push-rod unit bored out to nearly 3-litres, whilst suspension was uprated and disc-brakes fitted. By 1959 competition successes had been continually rising, especially with cars in the hands of private entrants and Works-supported entries alike. In 1960 the BMC Competition department prepared a team of special cars to participate in all Major European Rallies, which was a sport enjoying enormous popularity and providing an excellent marketing tool in selling production performance cars from the major manufacturers. The cars were basically standard with the exception of some important modifications which included all aluminium body panels throughout, featuring a louvred bonnet and vented wing panels for extra cooling from the engine bay, a reinforced gearbox with better ratios, a larger capacity long-distance fuel tank, which necessitated a modified boot-lid, larger diameter 2-inch triple-carburettor induction system, and different gear ratios, variable for such events as appropriate. The first outing of a 'Big Healey' in 1959 had resulted in a 2nd overall place in the Deutschland Rallye and a 2nd in class in the Alpine Rally. The new Team cars were ready for action early in 1960, and Pat Moss, who had already achieved much success for BMC products through involvement with Austin and MG, was inducted alongside one of her regular co-drivers Ann Wisdom and early in the season won the Coupe des Dames in the Geneva Rally, following this into their first major International event with the new car in the Tulip Rally in May, wherein this experienced & skilful combination finished a remarkable 8th overall and first in Class. The car at that time appeared in very standard trim having the normal chromed grille and full-width front bumper as well, such fittings being required by regulation, although the car had been fitted with a special lower rear-axle ratio giving much better acceleration, rather than a higher top-speed. Only a month later Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom competed in the more famous Alpine Rally, where driving almost faultlessly in this demanding event, they went one better by coming second overall and again taking the Class win with their astonishing performance, by which time Pat was becoming accustomed to the car which she really enjoyed driving and ultimately claimed to have been her favourite Healey. Amazingly this result was to be eclipsed some three months later in September 1960 this effective duo tackled what is known by most contestants as probably the most gruelling of all the European rallies, the Liege-Rome-Liege event. On form, no doubt some kind of success may have been expected, but what took place was the stuff of legend, for they not only achieved yet another Class win, but this outstanding performance clinched overall outright victory - ahead of not only their Austin-Healey team-mates, but out in front of the best that the rest of the world's top manufacturers could put up in opposition. As a matter of interest, in some of these latter outings, the cars bore a slightly altered external appearance, as changed regulations allowed some of the weighty chrome-ware to be removed, so now the cars had an o