HAN9-R-250 ~ or TFR 7
Line of Ownership: DHMC - Ed Bussey of Ship & Shore Motors ~ Chris Waldron ~ Bob Fine ~ Dan Miller ~ Scott Hensel ~ Steve Coleman.
As Geoff Healey says in his book "More Healeys", the tenth and last of the Healey Sprite prototypes was this open ‘roadster’ intended for the 1969 Targa Florio. Geoff details how it was built on pages 118-121 (see PDF). Like the previous 3 'streamliners' it was fitted with a cross-flow head, Lucas fuel-injection and the 5-speed gearbox. Geoff was very sad not to have the opportunity to race the car which was sold, initially to Ed Bussey of Ship & Shore Motors from whom it went to Chris Waldron of Waldron Motors in Florida. Waldron entered it for the Sebring 12 Hours in March, 1970 where it was to be driven by Reggie Smith, Donley and Buttari. Rather ironically in the circumstances (it having been sold off by the Healeys when BMC support was withdrawn) it was entered as a BMC or, in some records, as an MG Midget! I notice they had already changed the steering wheel (perhaps wanting a smaller one). Unfortunately it managed only a couple of laps before retiring with a burned piston. It was later sold on to Bob Fine who raced it in a number of US events including the American Road Race of Champions, in 1973. It was still racing in 1977 (Texas World Speedway).
The car ended up in the ownership of Dan Miller in the 1980's alongside the coupé, HAN9-R-238. Following Dan's death the cars were sold to Scott Hensel but sadly he also died suddenly and Roger Williams brokered a sale to current owner Steve Coleman who painstakingly restored them to their original spec'. The roadster returned to racing again in November 2010 at The Annual Vintage Fall Festival. See its restoration and history on:
The 'roadster' taking part in the Sebring 12 Hours in 1970 [Photos from the Alec Ullman Collection, courtesy of Iconobooks] |
Rob Fine at the wheel |
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Steve Colman shows David Piper and Alan Anstead around his 'roadster' at Silverstone, June 2014. |
HAN9-R-250 was the fourth, and last, aluminium 'roadster' built by the Healeys having been preceeded by 8426 UE built for Sebring 1961, 693 LAC, a Targa car for 1964 and EAC 90C, the very similar-looking '65 Targa car, both these last two subsequently modified to become closed coupés.