Today’s car is a 1955 Austin-Healey 100 BN1 that is owned by Mike Scroggie. I saw this car at the 20th Annual San Juan Capistrano Classic Car Show held by their local Rotary Club. It is finished in black with a black interior, that features Alfa Romeo seats and a black tonneau cover. It is powered by an aluminum block Buick 215 cu in V8 with 2-2bbl Bendix carburetors with velocity stacks, sitting on an Edelbrock intake manifold. The engine is mated to a Borg-Warner T-50 5-speed manual transmission. Slowing this beauty down are disc brakes in the front and Girling drums in the rear. The front independent suspension incorporates double-wishbones with coil springs and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension has rear live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs. The 15 inch chrome wire wheels and the chrome tucked side pipes are the perfect contrast to the black finish.
A little history. This award winning car was acquired in California as a project car in 1990 by Ken Deringer, He refurbished the car over the next decade. This frame-off restoration included chassis modifications including reinforcing the frame. Body modifications consisted of frenched running lights, a louvered hood and fenders, a decked trunk lid and accommodations for the tucked side pipes. Other modifications include the addition of bumperettes and a later-model dashboard that was signed by Gerry Coker, the body engineer who styled the body of the Austin-Healey 100. When Gerry Coker saw Ken Deringer’s car his comment was “We would have gone in this direction”.
There were 10,030 BN1s built from May 1953 – July 1955. Mike’s recent purchase of this beautiful and tastefully modified Austin-Healey was the right move. One would think that the Austin-Healey collectors would look down their noses at this modified creation. It is just the opposite, this car has won many Best in Show and First Place awards at “Healey Week” events. To add more credence how really special this car is having Gerry Coker’s signature on the dash board. What a great car to take to Healey events and British/European car shows, Cars and Coffee events, or just cruising. Thanks for riding along. Frank
