This actually looks fairly serious, folks. The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday that HFI, the British-American consortium that purchased the rights to the Healey name, may launch a new "Healey 3000" at this year's London Motor Show. Is that the new Healey above? Read on to find out why we think it might be...Meanwhile, icWales (via the Western Mail) revealed that HFI is considering a site near Cardiff "for production of an updated Austin Healey 3000." Warwick, England, is also being considered for the facility, which will employ up to 400. According to icWales, HFI paid in the neighborhood of $1.8 million to the Healey family for the rights to use the Healey name for the new car.
So, what will it look like? HFI managing director Paul Fenna is reported to have said that the new design would be instantly recognizable as a Healey, in the same way that BMW's MINI recalls the original.
We're wondering if HFI's Healey 3000 is based on the "Project Tempest" concept (pictured) of Prof. Krish Bhaskar, who led a failed bid for MG Rover, before the company was ultimately acquired by Nanjing Automobile. Professor Bashkar is the founder of the Motor Industry Research Unit, an automotive industry forecasting firm.
When information on Project Tempest was released in September 2005, Bashkar indicated that design of the car was "in an advanced stage" and that he was "currently in discussions with a number of potential partners, to re-establish a well-known brand from the heydey of the British motor industry."
Sounds to us like Project Tempest has found a home.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
speed42 @ Jan 29th 2006 5:04PM
Is that a Pontiac Solstice under that disguise?
Nice Photoshop work.
Christopher @ Jan 29th 2006 5:15PM
Wow, wow, wow! That thing looks great! Reminds me of old British sports cars, with just a touch of vintage Corvette and Pontiac Solstice thrown in. I love the windshield and grill, but I could do w/ different wheels.
Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/
Armen @ Jan 29th 2006 5:24PM
Uhhhh can you say Buik Velite?
vin. @ Jan 29th 2006 5:32PM
#2, That IS a Pontiac Solstice. Look at the seats. #1 is right, its just a photoshop.
The British motor industry of the last 10 years is littered with attempts at making a throwback classic british roadster. I'll believe it when they make a real car.
Sam Gonzalez @ Jan 29th 2006 6:02PM
Yep, its a solstice, a pretty bad pchop at that, but its owned by nanjing auto, so... they'll probably just steal the kappa from GM and produce... I'll believe a healey when I see it.
KazO @ Jan 29th 2006 6:58PM
I agree with #4. Whether it's from one of the 10 iterations of Rover in the last decade, some offshoot of BMH (who owns rights to some names, among other things), BMW, or whoever else.
But the BMW/MINI roadster story has popped up recently yet again, and back in 2002, I was at a private reception at Designworks/USA where I spotted a ~1:8 scale model of what looked very much like a modern Healey (not much unlike the one above) in one of the design studio areas...
far jr @ Jan 29th 2006 7:07PM
I think it's a very sharp looking car either way.
jrhmobile @ Jan 29th 2006 8:58PM
Dudes, don't slam it. If it is Photoshopped, I'm impressed. I work with the program for a living and I couldn't DREAM of knocking out work like that ...
Impala SS '94 @ Jan 29th 2006 9:09PM
Is it the reflection or are those whitewall tires? OK Pinstripe... whatever but still UGH!!!
Car-la @ Jan 30th 2006 12:24AM
Might really be a Solstice. Looks nice though. I wouldn't mind if they built a car like this.
Fooman @ Jan 30th 2006 1:39AM
One thing, the Austin family will not let that named be used... The BMW Z8 was originally going to be an Austin Healy since at that time BMW owned rover/mg. The Austin family said no way... so end of story... We may get a Healy but no Austin.
Brenda @ Jan 30th 2006 2:55PM
As an admirer of the vintage Austin-Healey 3000, I am thrilled to read that there may be a new Healey 3000 in the works. The image above has the feel and appeal of the vintage Healey with a modern edge to it. I love it.
Mike @ Feb 6th 2006 7:51PM
Healey don't look like Solstice, It's Solstice that look like an Healey... because Healey's were there before! and those designers at GM are sketching on everything they can to try to make a hit. Only the Corvette was a hit.
jake @ Feb 17th 2006 8:25PM
photoshop or not, folks, #13 may be onto something. think about it, the car industry's going nuts for all things retro. new cars sporting old styling cues. healey was around long before solstice (and btw, the seats look like the saturn sky), so it may be true that the 3k will become the next phoenix to rise from the ashes. I'd love to mate one to my '67.
Dr. Michael D. Schall @ Mar 3rd 2006 7:58AM
I want one!
Dr. Michael D. Schall @ Mar 3rd 2006 8:23AM
I want one.
David Layton @ Mar 22nd 2006 5:32PM
According to the US News & World Report article, there is a prototype that has been assembled to help sell the concept. The photo above looks most like a BMW Z4 that has been altered.
Hope to see this come to fruition.
George N Burkhardt @ Jan 10th 2007 2:15AM
Does everyone feel wound up yet??
martin @ Feb 28th 2007 7:05PM
I don't understand why you are making so much noise about this picture ,you all know that the final product will NOT in any way look like this one,they just put a picture there to fill the hole.Lets wait and make comments after. bye bye !
GB @ Apr 1st 2007 4:48PM
I've got a '62 Mark 2.
I'm ready for another one, after 45 years mine still runs nicely--It is dry in the barn.