Austin-Healey NOJ 393 from 1953 Le Mans

[RESSE]

Link to an article about NOJ 393 here:

http://www.expressandstar.com/lifestyle/motors/201...

[LotusOmega375D]

59 years of patina seemingly lost with a 12 month restoration?

I might be talking stott here, but weren't the works cars prepared at A-H's Cape factory in Warwick, not at Longbridge at all?

[RESSE]

LotusOmega375D said:

59 years of patina seemingly lost with a 12 month restoration?

I might be talking stott here, but weren't the works cars prepared at A-H's Cape factory in Warwick, not at Longbridge at all?

Quite correct - Donald Healey Motor Company, Miller Road, Warwick.

[john2443]

Wasn't owned by 'a chap in Birmingham' either, and I don't recall ever hearing anyone call the cars Noj, everyone I know (which includes lots of 'inner circle' AH people say N - O - J and the number as 391 and or 392 still exist, Noj deosn't define a single car.

I first saw it at the NEC in about 1993 on the AHC stand and thought then that it would be a shame if it was restored, it's lost so much of its history - I wonder what % of the original remains? Rather than the way it sounds in the vid that it was wrong for the previous owner to keep in it storage for a long time I think it was a good thing that he did, but now that good work has been destroyed and it's become just another over restored AH which if it's raced and bent will gradually lose more of its history.

[pacoryan]

john2443 said:

Wasn't owned by 'a chap in Birmingham' either, and I don't recall ever hearing anyone call the cars Noj, everyone I know (which includes lots of 'inner circle' AH people say N - O - J and the number as 391 and or 392 still exist, Noj deosn't define a single car.

I first saw it at the NEC in about 1993 on the AHC stand and thought then that it would be a shame if it was restored, it's lost so much of its history - I wonder what % of the original remains? Rather than the way it sounds in the vid that it was wrong for the previous owner to keep in it storage for a long time I think it was a good thing that he did, but now that good work has been destroyed and it's become just another over restored AH which if it's raced and bent will gradually lose more of its history.

Does 391 still exist? It was co-owned by my father back in the day when it was crashed heavily at Silverstone killing the co-owner and driver. He always said it was destroyed but had heard rumours that bits had surfaced in the eighties. The car was always known as NOJ in our family, but we are hardly Healey aficionados, it was just another racing car that my dad owned in the sixties.

Edited to add : sorry John, I take it from what you are saying the number still exists but doesn't necessarily correspond to the car it was on originally.

Edited by pacoryan on Friday 10th May 13:46