Porter Profiles

Austin-Healey 3000 The story of DD 300

Porter Press International

©Simon Ham

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First published in December 2017

978-1-907085-70-3

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Porter Profiles

Simon Ham

Austin-Healey 3000 The story of DD 300

Porter Press International

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Contents

Introduction 7

1 Debut in Florida 8

2 Racing in the Rain 14

3 Joining Ecurie Chiltern 20

4 African Adventure 46

5 End of an Era 48

6 The Chatham Years 50

7 Fresh Lease of Life 64

8 DD 300 in Detail 76

Index 94

IntroductionAcknowledgements

If I may, I will divide my thanks to those who have assisted with the production of this book – a first, both in terms of the Porter Profiles series, and for me personally – into two distinct groups.

Firstly, my sincere thanks go to those who provided inspiration rather than direct factual or technical assistance. In this respect, none are more worthy than my mother and late father, Andrea and David Ham, without whose enthusiasm, knowledge and support it would have been highly unlikely that I would have ever found motor cars – specifically, racing cars – quite so fascinating or diverting.

To say that I lament not having had the opportunity to interview four significant UJB 143/DD 300 associates – Jack Sears, Peter Riley, Sir John Whitmore and Bob Olthoff – is an understatement. During my research, I have not found a bad word to have been written nor said of any of them; something practically unheard of in a sphere as competitive and necessarily abrasive as motorsport. It would therefore be remiss not to thank them, albeit posthumously, for their respective contributions to the car’s history.

As a fellow competitor, ‘paddock fixer’ and friend, I also offer my sincere gratitude to the late Denis Welch – someone whom I looked up to greatly as an aspiring racer, and who would routinely mesmerise me (and countless others) with the outrageous angles he could achieve with his beloved Healey 3000 ‘Bulldog’. If anyone can lay claim to being responsible for my long-standing respect and fondness for all things Healey, it is him.

Of the second group, I must first thank the Porter Press International team, without whose faith and support it would not have been possible for me to write this book. To Philip and Julie Porter, James Page, Mark Hughes, Louise Gibbs, Octavia Pollock, Tania Brown, Annelise Airey and Albert Wall, my sincere thanks for your respective and invaluable contributions.

Underpinning the Porter Profiles series is a wish to showcase some of the magnificent period photographs available of cars

such as UJB 143/DD 300. To this end, my sincere thanks go to the incomparable Pete Lyons, Paul Vestey of GP Library, Mark Vargas of the Revs Digital Library, Tim Wright of LAT Photographic, Hans van de Kerkhof and Albert Voogd of the Healey Museum, and fellow Porter Press author Richard Heseltine, who have all assisted immeasurably with assembling the remarkable selection of images here. The considerable abilities of John Colley and Andrew Garman, respectively our studio photographer and designer, cannot be overstated either.

To the irrepressible John Chatham – whose association with DD 300 has endured longer, and has encompassed more races, than any other – and his ever-loyal and supportive wife Vicky, my thanks for their warmth, enthusiasm and hospitality during my visit to interview them. Although his association was rather shorter, thank you also to erstwhile DD 300 associate (and occasional driver) Alain de Cadenet – someone whose racing exploits are surely worthy of a book in their own right.

I am also indebted to Pete Stowe – noted West Country motor-racing authority and historian – for his exceptional detective skills in identifying the location for DD 300’s post-rebuild debut in 1965. Little did anyone know what a formidable partnership this proved to be the start of.

Bringing the story of this remarkable car right up to date, it would be impossible to overstate the importance of Jeremy Welch and Mark Gibson of Denis Welch Motorsport in contributing to the impeccable preparation and reliability that DD 300 presently enjoys. Their technical assistance and help in preparing and delivering the car for the studio photoshoot is also greatly appreciated.

Finally, to the car’s current custodians – Karsten Le Blanc and Christiaen van Lanschot – with whom the car has continued to be raced with all the enthusiasm and vigour of their predecessors, thank you for your unbridled enthusiasm for this project, and for your support throughout.

There can be few racing cars extant that offer such a fascinating and varied tale as that of DD 300 (née UJB 143), nor which can have been as active throughout

their entire racing careers. A handful of ERAs may run it close – the ex-Prince Bira, ex-Hon Patrick Lindsay R5B ‘Remus’ springs immediately to mind – but if ever a racing car was worthy of the moniker ‘Old Warhorse’, it is surely DD 300. From its debut at Sebring in March 1960 right up to its most recent races at Goodwood and Castle Combe in the autumn of 2017, the car has been used, enjoyed – and occasionally abused – practically every year of its life.

Along the way, it was driven by several of the very finest and most respected drivers of the day – Jack Sears, Peter Riley, Dickie Stoop, Jim Clark, Bob Olthoff, Tony Maggs and Sir John Whitmore to name but a few – in some of the most significant races on the international calendar. For any car (or driver), to compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours is a high point of their career. For one to do so on three separate occasions, having also competed in the Sebring 12 Hours, Tourist Trophy and Kyalami 9 Hours in the same period, is the mark of a very significant car indeed.

In later life, and in the long-term ownership of the indefatigable John Chatham, an illustrious career

in British club racing was carved out. Indeed, if a single season were to sum up the energy and sheer determination of the doughty Bristolian – not to mention the resilience and reliability of the car – it has to be 1968: 36 race meetings, 12 overall race wins, 16 class victories and 10 class lap records.

Once the wonderfully eccentric ‘Modsports’ years of the late 1960s and early 1970s had run their course, DD 300’s third ‘life’ was embarked upon – out went the wide rims and flared wheelarches, and back came the wire wheels and standard bodywork. In this form, Chatham continued to race DD 300 over the next three decades – often sharing the car (and winning) with big names including Stirling Moss, Gerry Marshall and Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams.

It is this Appendix K (the contemporary rule set for GT cars) form in which DD 300 remains to this day. Currently in the enthusiastic ownership of Karsten Le Blanc and Christiaen van Lanschot – who purchased the car from Chatham in 2005 – now, as then, the car continues to delight and entertain around the circuits of Europe, as it surely will do for many years to come.

Simon Ham, London, October 2017

7

Debut in Florida1960 Sebring 12 Hours

Chapter One

The three works cars assembled on the pit

straight prior to the race. A cheerful-looking Geoffrey

Healey stands to the left of the shot, but regrettably

the other personnel remain unidentified. It is possible

that they were Hambro employees who served as

race mechanics.Healey Museum

Over the winter of 1959-’60, preparations were made – under the watchful eye of stalwart BMC Competitions boss Marcus Chambers – for the entry of a team of three Austin-Healey 3000s

in the following spring’s Sebring 12 Hours. Bearing the consecutive registration numbers UJB 141, UJB 142 and UJB 143, these would be prepared in the Competitions Department at Abingdon and, it was hoped, would be a competitive proposition in the up to 3-litre GT class.

Upgrades included the fitment of a Weslake-modified cylinder head, race camshaft, twin SU HD8 2in carburettors, competition clutch, baffled sump, improved front coil springs and rear leafs, heavy-duty anti-roll bars, uprated brakes and a 25-gallon fuel tank. In ergonomic terms, better cockpit air ducting – to counter the potentially intense Floridian heat – was prioritised, a competition bucket-type seat replaced the standard item, while a 5in tachometer was fitted to reduce the risk of over-revving. Quick-lift jacking points were also incorporated to speed up pitstops, while other typical endurance-racing alterations included the mounting of a spare coil in position (but not connected) and the use of twin SU fuel pumps in place of the standard single item.

Debut in Florida

98

Peter Riley was the nominated test driver for the project and recalls the story of a winter test session – most likely in late January or early February 1960 – at Silverstone when he drove UJB 143 for the first time. Stirling Moss was at the circuit testing for another team and, due to the mutual Healey connection through his sister Pat, asked if he could drive the car. Riley had been lapping the Grand Prix circuit in almost exactly two minutes for most of the morning, but he remembers that by the time of his third flying lap, Stirling was already down to 1m 57.9s, before proceeding to lower this to 1m 55.9s on laps four and five.

Somewhat humbled after Moss had handed the car back to him, Riley proceeded to lower his lap times to the mid-1m 57s ‘without any conscious difficulty’ – adding, in typical but unnecessarily modest fashion: ‘It is the great drivers who set the standards. We journeymen, run-of-the-mill professionals, having been shown where the limits lie, can then raise our game beyond that which we had accepted previously.’

The three Healeys – together with UJB 140, the practice and spare car – were shipped out to Sebring in advance of the race

UJB 143 on the grid at Sebring in 1960, with Geoffrey Healey to the left of the car and the ill-fated sister car of Colgate/Spross to the right.Revs Digital Library

First introduced at the 1952 London Motor Show, the Healey 100 was based largely upon Austin A90 mechanicals, and was originally intended for only limited production by Donald Healey

at his factory in Warwick. At around this time, however, Austin was looking to replace its underwhelming A90 with a more sporting model, and a deal was struck between the two parties to produce the car in greater numbers, which included rebranding it as an Austin-Healey 100.

In 1956, the Austin-Healey 100/6 appeared, with a longer wheelbase and greater performance courtesy of the 2.6-litre six-cylinder engine hitherto used in the Austin Westminster. Power rose from 102bhp to 117bhp by the time production ceased in 1959, and genuine 100mph performance was available for the modest price of just over £1,300.

The introduction of the Healey 3000 in July 1959 resulted in a further capacity increase to 3 litres, as well as front disc brakes being offered as standard for the first time. A further 11mph was added to the top speed, and the car was a resounding success in export terms. Indeed, in 1963 over 90 per cent of cars produced were sold overseas.

In competition terms, the new Healey 3000 was an instant hit in rallying, with Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom taking overall victory on the 1960 Liège-Rome-Liège marathon, while Donald and Erle Morley took back-to-back wins in the Coupes des Alpes in 1961 and 1962. Rauno Aaltonen and Tony Ambrose took another Liège-Rome-Liège win in 1964, although in the RAC Rally a victory proved elusive, with second-place finishes in 1961, ’62, ’64 and ’65.

On the track, the car’s potential would always be limited by BMC’s tendency to prioritise rallying over racing, as well as the Healey’s comparatively humble underpinnings. While the likes of Ferrari and Jaguar had long since embraced twin-cam technology, for example, the Healey was not afforded such extravagances. Having said that, memorable results did occasionally come its way – Bucknum/Olthoff finishing 12th overall (and fourth in class) at Sebring in 1963 being a case in point.

Despite further power hikes throughout its production life, creeping obsolescence rendered the car an also-ran by the mid-1960s, and production finally ceased in 1967.

The Austin-Healey

on 26 March. UJB 141 and 142 were scheduled to be driven by the respective American pairings of John Colgate Jnr/Fred Spross and Gil Geitner/Lew Spencer, while UJB 143 would be piloted by Riley and the equally versatile Jack Sears.

The race was one of contrasts

Peter Riley in UJB 143 ahead of the team’s spare car,

UJB 140, in practice. The apparent nonchalance of

the marshal behind suggests that they may have just left

the pits together.Ozzie Lyons/petelyons.com

Debut in FloridaPorter Profiles – Austin-Healey 3000 • DD 300

10 11

for the team. The unfancied pairing of Geitner and Spencer in UJB 142 ran strongly throughout to finish 15th overall, achieving a commendable second place in the up to 3-litre GT class behind the winning Scuderia Serenissima Ferrari 250GT California of Carlo Abate, Giorgio Scarlatti and Fabrizio Serena. Colgate Jnr and Spross, meanwhile, exited the race in spectacular fashion, when the former overturned UJB 141 at the end of the main straight on lap 54. Riley recalled viewing the aftermath in horror – the hardtop had been torn off and poor Colgate Jnr was trapped underneath the car – although mercifully his injuries turned out to be relatively minor.

Riley and Sears endured a torrid time in UJB 143, with the gearbox failing during Sears’ second stint in the car. A valiant effort by the mechanics – with high ambient temperatures and

UJB 143 at speed during the race. The enthusiastic (but in some cases precariously positioned) spectators in the background look on.Ozzie Lyons/petelyons.com

Unfortunately, gearbox problems would blight UJB 143 in the race itself, although the strenuous efforts of the team mechanics ensured that the car did at least make it to the finish. Notice the

seat frame and transmission tunnel to the right, which have been removed from the car to improve access.

Healey Museum

a near-incandescent car – led to the ’box being changed in a mere 42 minutes, although with considerable time lost to their competitors. Just after the 11-hour mark, Riley again found himself losing ratios, until only fourth gear remained at the finish – and even that was ‘wailing away like a tram’. The crew crossed the line in 33rd position overall and (an albeit distant) third place in class behind their surviving sister car.

After Sebring, UJB 140 and UJB 142 were retained by Hambro, the US Austin-Healey importer, while the crashed UJB 141 was sold directly to Dave Martin (a Hambro employee) and UJB 143 was the sole team car to return to Europe.

Certainly in the context of UJB 143, the trip had been a disappointment, but Marcus Chambers was already planning the car’s next outing – Le Mans.

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Porter Profiles – Austin-Healey 3000 • DD 300

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