At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed auction, Bonhams will sell an Austin-Healey 100S with a significant UK racing history. The car, one of just seven 100Ss destined for the home market is estimated at £600,000-700,000 ($825,000-1,154,000). Even rarer than a D-Type Jaguar, ‘EVV 106’ is one of just 55 Austin-Healey 100S models built. Amongst them it is one of the most famous private-owner examples. The car was acquired new by David Shale, a successful gentleman driver whose club racing career spanned most of the 1950s. Of the 60 races entered during this time, Shale would win seven and stand on the podium 24 times – a 40% success rate.
During the 1956 season, Shale piloted ‘EVV 106’ to a convincing 2nd place overall in that year’s Autosport Championship, along the way winning at Aintree and Silverstone.
‘EVV 106’s period race history spanned seven years. David Shale sold the car in 1957 to Mike Kellett, who raced it 18 times in his two-year ownership before selling it on. In 1962 ‘EVV 106’ was purchased by Arthur Carter, perhaps the most famous and best respected of Austin-Healey collectors, and it remained in his possession until 2004 – some 42 years – until it was bought by the current vendor.
Upon acquisition, ‘EVV 106’ was fully restored by former Austin-Healey specialist, the late Jonathan Everard of JME Healey Ltd. This important 100S has appeared in many historic events within recent years, including the Goodwood Revival Meeting and the Mille Miglia retrospective. It is now to be offered fresh from recent ‘fettling’ by noted Austin-Healey specialist Paul Woolmer.
James Knight, Group Motoring Director at Bonhams said, “Bonhams has had the privilege of handling many important Austin-Healeys and ‘EVV 106’ is now adding to that enviable tradition. As the present owner has clearly demonstrated, the 100S is a truly adaptable sports-racing two-seater, equally at home on road or track, and much in demand amongst major event promoters.”
