I entered the Healey in a concours type show last weekend. I wasn’t even sure if they would let me in, but it was just across the river from my home and thought it was worth a shot. My wife and I had already decided that if they turned me away, we would just pick a nice restaurant and make a road trip for the day. I had worked for several hours the day before and the Healey was shining about as well as it ever will.

The event was put on by the Rolls Royce and Bentley club and the fellow that was running the show seemed like a friendly chap who was, without a doubt, British. I gave full disclosure when I registered that my car was not an original Austin-Healey, but he said no problem.

It was a fairly formal affair with mostly Rolls and Bentley entrants, but there were several Ferraris, a Maserati, several other British makes and a few Porsches. My old car was flanked by royalty and most of the cars in the show cost more to maintain than mine did to build.

But, the Healey was truly a hit with the spectators and a few of the participants! There was a crowd around it pretty much all day. Many pictures were taken and several folks returned for a second look. Had a few good conversations and let a few kids sit in it for photo ops. It was interesting to see people cruise right by Porsches and Ferraris only to stop for several minutes to stare at the old kit car from all angles. One woman even found me to tell me that it was, by far, the prettiest car in the show. Quite a compliment, considering the machinery that was there, and taken as such.

At the end of the event, I wasn’t expecting any award other than the participant ribbon I had received that morning, but my name was called for a second place plaque and ribbon in the Healey division. There was a little grumbling that was overheard about letting “that kind of car” in the show. I didn’t think that was too bad, though, for a car built from cast off bits from the scrap heap by a man in a shed, as the Brits would say. It held it’s own against the big dogs. I probably won’t go back next year since I’m pretty sure the rules will be changed and “that kind of car” will be excluded, but it was still mucho fun for this one day.









And here’s the old girl in all her glory! That's an Aston-Martin Vanquish beside her. Funny, that several folks seemed to think my car was some kind of Bond car, when a real Bond car was parked 2 feet away!