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Model year 1967 was the end of the line for the Austin Healey 3000 (aka the “big” Healey as opposed to the teensy Sprite), with the final BJ8 being the most-powerful, luxurious and now most-sought-after version of the classic British sports car.
The Pick of the Day is a gleaming 1967 Austin Healey 3000 BJ8 Mk III with just over 55,000 miles on the odometer and said to be factory original, aside from a repaint to its correct British Racing Green.
While some Healey fanatics prefer the simpler roadster form of the earlier models, the Mk III edition was quite an upgrade, boasting 150 horsepower from its 3.0-liter inline-6 engine – fed by a pair of large SU HD8 carburetors – an electric overdrive for highway cruising and an upgraded interior with burl-walnut dashboard trim.
“The big Healeys … were considered by many to be the nicest driving of all of the classic British sports cars; even after all of these years, this car is no exception,” notes the Allison Park, Pennsylvania, dealer advertising the Austin Healey on ClassicCars.com. “Even by today’s standards, performance is surprisingly good!”
The roots of the burly Healey started out in 1953 with the collaboration of renowned British engineer and car designer Donald Healey and the British Motor Corp., with a roadster originally powered by a large-displacement Austin inline-4, named the Austin Healey 100.
In 1956, the joint venture replaced the four-banger with one of Austin’s venerable inline-6 engines. That was renamed the Austin Healey 100-6, with the first 3000 arriving in 1959 with the BN7 model. The pushrod six-cylinder engine was simple but effective, with burly torque, smooth power delivery and a luscious exhaust note.
From the start, the Austin Healey was designed as an affordable sports car that provided performance rivaling more-advanced and pricier roadsters, such as those from Jaguar. A major draw for the Healey was its dashing body design that looked both sleek and muscular, a style that was especially popular in the US, which became the sports car’s strongest market.
This BJ8 looks to be in wonderful condition, and is ready to head out on the highway, according to the ad description, which notes that the car has had recent work done on the front suspension and steering, and the carburetors rebuilt.
While the gallery with the ad shows very nice shots of the car’s exterior, there are no photos of the interior or under the hood.
Even though mostly original, the 50-year-old convertible drives and shines like new, the seller adds.
“The three-liter inline-six runs smoothly, pulls strong, and provides one of the most beautiful engine sounds to come out of an exhaust pipe!” the seller says. “The chrome trim and chrome wire wheels still sparkle like new! The interior is original including the polished wood trim and is still in surprisingly great shape.”
Healey 3000s can go over $100k at auction when in perfectly restored condition, so the asking price for this low-mileage survivor seems reasonable at $59,960.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Interested in this car. Please email me the contact information and I will schedule a time for a call. Thank you
Have been looking for a good solid 67.Would like to know more
You need to contact the seller. Here’s the link:
https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1165203/1967-austin-healey-3000-mark-iii-for-sale-in-allison-park-pennsylvania-15101
is your healy still for sale?
is this car still available
I bought one just like this, same color, in 1969 for $2,000 and drove it for eight years. It fairly quick and had a nice sound. My only comment negitive comment for this post is that I do not believe they they came stock with chrome wire wheels. I could be wrong on that though. I base that belief on the fact that mine did not have them. I do appreciate the fact that the steering wheel is authentic and not made from wood, which is a common mistake on these cars today. I also like the extra lights on the grill. Having said all of that, here is the down side. My heater never worked well, nor did the gas guage, a common occurance with British sports cars. The muffler is situated under the driver’s seat, making for uncomfortable driving on warm days. The result is that in the summer the drivered suffered and the passenger didn’t. The opposit was true in the winter. The Les Cocque de Normanville overdrive was handy. The electronic system was set up to a positive ground which was weird for me at that time. The toneau top provided a nice look too. I drive a Porsche Boxter S today which is an all-around better car but lacks the clasic sports car tradition that the big Healey has. If I had to chose between the two, I’d stay with my Porsche.