Austin-Healey production stretched from the early 1950s into the 1970s, combining the larger Big Healey roadsters with the smaller Sprite. The marque was established in 1952 through a 20-year arrangement between BMC’s Austin division and Donald Healey. About 74,000 Austin-Healeys were produced during the roughly 20-year run, which ended when the agreement came to an end in 1972. These figures describe historical production, not surviving cars or current availability.
Contents
- Marque timeline
- Austin-Healey 100 and special versions
- The 100-6 transition
- Austin-Healey 3000 production
- Sprite model development
- Annual Sprite production
Marque timeline
The Austin-Healey story can be divided into two related production lines. The Big Healey family covered the Austin-Healey 100 from 1953 to 1956, the 100-6 from 1956 to 1959, and the 3000 from 1959 to 1967. Alongside them, six Austin-Healey Sprite models were produced between 1958 and 1971. This gives the marque a useful overlap: the Sprite arrived while the 100-6 was still in production and continued after the 3000 ended.
| Family or milestone | Historical period | Reported figure or scope |
|---|---|---|
| Austin-Healey marque | 1952-1972 | About 74,000 cars overall |
| Big Healey 100 | 1953-1956 | 14,634 cars |
| Big Healey 100-6 | 1956-1959 | 8,391 cars |
| Big Healey 3000 | 1959-1967 | Mark-specific figures below |
| Austin-Healey Sprite | 1958-1971 | Six numbered models |
Source: About The Marque. The model totals and periods below come from the Austin-Healey Club of America Big Healey Guide and the Healey Sprite Guide.
Austin-Healey 100 and special versions
The Austin-Healey 100 had total production of 14,634 cars between 1953 and 1956. The model used a 2,660 cc four-cylinder engine, placing it clearly within the larger, traditional sports-car side of the range. Its production was divided between the BN1 and BN2 versions.
The BN1 was built from May 1953 through June 1955. Its transmission was a three-speed unit with overdrive. The BN2 followed from August 1955 through August 1956 and used a four-speed transmission with overdrive. The dates overlap the wider 100 period only in the sense that the model family transitioned from one body designation to the other during 1955; the supplied production figures do not provide separate BN1 and BN2 totals.
Two limited-production derivatives make the 100 period especially important for production-history research. Only 50 Austin-Healey 100S cars were produced during a run from February through November 1955. The factory produced 640 Austin-Healey 100M cars from September 1955 through July 1956. The contrast between 50 cars for the 100S and 640 for the 100M shows how sharply production scale could vary among closely related versions.
| Version | Production period | Reported production or specification |
|---|---|---|
| Austin-Healey 100 | 1953-1956 | 14,634 cars |
| BN1 | May 1953-June 1955 | Three-speed transmission with overdrive |
| BN2 | August 1955-August 1956 | Four-speed transmission with overdrive |
| 100S | February-November 1955 | 50 cars |
| 100M | September 1955-July 1956 | 640 cars |
The Big Healey Guide is the source for these historical production periods, counts, engine size, and transmission descriptions. The figures are reported historical totals and should not be read as a registry count of cars that remain today.
The 100-6 transition
The Austin-Healey 100-6 was produced from August 1956 through June 1959, with production of 8,391 cars. Its 2,639 cc six-cylinder engine marked a mechanical change from the 2,660 cc four-cylinder engine listed for the Austin-Healey 100. The 100-6 used a four-speed transmission.
The body series divided the 100-6 into two distinct seating configurations. The BN4 was an open 2+2-seat car and was associated with twin 1.75-inch SU carburetors. The BN6 was an open two-seater and was produced during 1958-1959. The supplied figures identify the model-level total but do not provide separate production totals for BN4 and BN6, so the 8,391-car figure should be kept at the 100-6 family level.
| Model or series | Period | Body or mechanical detail |
|---|---|---|
| Austin-Healey 100-6 | August 1956-June 1959 | 8,391 cars; 2,639 cc six-cylinder engine |
| BN4 | 1956-1959 | Open 2+2-seat body; twin 1.75-inch SU carburetors |
| BN6 | 1958-1959 | Open two-seater |
This transition is significant in the production timeline because the 100-6 ran after the 100 and immediately before the 3000. The dates also place the BN6 at the end of the 100-6 period, while the Sprite was beginning its own production history in 1958.
Austin-Healey 3000 production
The Austin-Healey 3000 used a 2,912 cc six-cylinder engine and remained in the Big Healey family from 1959 through 1967. The supplied mark-level counts show three principal production stages: Mark I, Mark II, and Mark III.
The 3000 Mark I was produced from July 1959 through April 1961, with production of 13,650 cars. Its body series included the BN7 open two-seater and the BT7 2+2-seat version. The Mark II followed from May 1961 through March 1962. Production of the Mark II BJ7 numbered 6,113 cars, while 5,451 Mark II cars had the triple-carburetor specification. The guide separately reports those two Mark II figures, so they describe different classifications rather than a single total to be added automatically.
The Mark II triple-carburetor specification used three 1.5-inch SU carburetors. That detail helps distinguish the specification from the later Mark III, whose reported production was 17,712 cars. The Mark III was produced from March 1962 through December 1967, the longest stated production period among the 3000 marks.
| 3000 mark or specification | Production period | Reported figure |
|---|---|---|
| Mark I | July 1959-April 1961 | 13,650 cars |
| Mark II BJ7 | May 1961-March 1962 | 6,113 cars |
| Mark II triple-carburetor specification | May 1961-March 1962 | 5,451 cars |
| Mark III | March 1962-December 1967 | 17,712 cars |
The Mark III received a documented update in February 1964. Quoted power rose from 136 bhp to 150 bhp, while carburetor choke size increased from 1.75 to 2 inches. The Mark III guide reports a 30.6% increase in total carburetor choke area after that change. These are specification changes dated to February 1964, not separate production totals.
Source for the 3000 periods, counts, body series, engine, carburetor specifications, and 1964 update: Big Healey Guide.
Sprite model development
The Sprite supplied a smaller-displacement counterpart to the Big Healey range. The Sprite Mark I, produced and sold by Austin from 1958 to 1960, totaled 48,987 cars. It used a 948 cc engine and a four-speed transmission. That Mark I total is a model-period figure; it is separate from the calendar-year production series discussed below.
The Mark II included the AN6 and AN7 variants during 1961-1964. The AN6 used a 948 cc engine during 1961-1962, while the AN7 used a 1,098 cc engine during 1962-1964. Thus, the supplied history records an engine-size change within the Mark II period rather than treating the entire mark as one engine specification.
The Mark III used a 1,098 cc engine and was produced from 1964 to 1966. The Mark IV was the fourth numbered Sprite mark, used a 1,275 cc engine, and was produced from 1966 to 1969. The overall marque timeline identifies six Sprite models between 1958 and 1971, while the supplied model-detail claims specifically describe the Mark I, the Mark II’s AN6 and AN7 variants, the Mark III, and the Mark IV.
| Sprite model or variant | Period | Engine or production detail |
|---|---|---|
| Mark I | 1958-1960 | 48,987 cars; 948 cc engine |
| AN6, Mark II | 1961-1962 | 948 cc engine |
| AN7, Mark II | 1962-1964 | 1,098 cc engine |
| Mark III | 1964-1966 | 1,098 cc engine |
| Mark IV | 1966-1969 | 1,275 cc engine; fourth numbered mark |
Source: Healey Sprite Guide. The guide’s 48,987 figure refers to Mark I production and sales by Austin, whereas the annual table below presents calendar-year Sprite production.
Annual Sprite production
The separate historical production table reports annual Austin-Healey Sprite production from 1958 through 1971. The series begins with 8,729 cars in 1958 and reaches its highest listed annual figure, 21,566 cars, in 1959. It then records 18,665 cars in 1960 and 10,059 in 1961.
| Year | Austin-Healey Sprite production |
|---|---|
| 1958 | 8,729 |
| 1959 | 21,566 |
| 1960 | 18,665 |
| 1961 | 10,059 |
| 1962 | 12,041 |
| 1963 | 8,852 |
| 1964 | 11,157 |
| 1965 | 8,882 |
| 1966 | 7,024 |
| 1967 | 6,895 |
| 1968 | 7,049 |
| 1969 | 6,129 |
| 1970 | 1,292 |
| 1971 | 1,022 |
The table shows production continuing through 1971, with the final two listed years much lower than the earlier peak years. The 1970 figure is 1,292 cars and the 1971 figure is 1,022 cars. These are calendar-year counts from the historical reference table, not estimates of surviving vehicles, current registrations, or a forecast.
Source: MG Midget and Austin-Healey Sprite Production Information. The annual series and the model-guide totals use different historical compilations and scopes, so they are best read as labeled figures rather than combined into an unsupported grand total.