Dare to be different: buy an Alvis-Healey

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Everyone knows the Austin-Healey. True enthusiasts know the Nash-Healey. But how many people have ever seen an Alvis-Healey in the flesh?
Exactly.

That may well make the Alvis-Healey one of the most underrated British sports cars of the 1950s. While collectors jostle for position to acquire the familiar names, this exceptionally rare Anglo-British collaboration has remained largely under the radar. And that is precisely why now may be the perfect time to buy one.

The car currently offered by RM Sotheby's is chassis G524, a 1953 Alvis-Healey 3-Litre Sports Convertible with an aluminium body by Panelcraft. Just 28 examples of the model were built, of which only 25 were equipped with the characteristic Alvis six-cylinder engine and transmission.

Donald Healey was a busy man in the early 1950s. In addition to his collaborations with Nash and later Austin, he also built cars under his own name. The Alvis-Healey emerged from combining Healey’s G-type chassis with Alvis’s dependable 3-litre six-cylinder engine. The bodywork was designed by Gerry Coker, the same man who would later achieve worldwide fame with the Austin-Healey 100. The lightweight aluminium body was constructed by Panelcraft in Birmingham.

The result was an elegant roadster that closely resembled the early Nash-Healey in appearance, yet was entirely British. Beneath its long bonnet sat a 2,993 cc inline-six mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. A classic grand touring sports car, built for both speed and distance.

Most collectors will never have the opportunity to buy an Alvis-Healey. Even fewer will ever encounter one at an event. Take it to Goodwood, Salon Privé or Villa d’Este and there is a good chance you will be the only one there with one. And, frankly, we believe that is exactly where its charm lies.

RM Sotheby’s estimates the car will sell for between $80,000 and $100,000 and is offering it without reserve. That seems remarkably modest for one of the rarest Healey variants ever built. By comparison, an excellent Austin-Healey 100 or 3000 will often command similar money—or more—despite the fact that thousands were produced.

Anyone can buy an Austin-Healey. But an Alvis-Healey? That is for people who would rather stand apart than fit in.

Text: Laurens Klein, photo: RM Sotheby’s

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