LONDON.- This 1959 Healey Model 75 Sports Boat was found in a garage. With just 136 hours on its engine from new, it had only seen freshwater usage and was very original.
It was in full working order and featured an inboard Healey Sprite engine with twin SU carburettors and a Borg Warner gearbox. Estimated to sell for £13,000 to £15,000 it made £18,400 at yesterday’s
H&H Classics Auction Online, March 4th.
This charming 1950s speedboat, 14ft 9in length with a beam of 5ft 6in and a 2ft draft features a water ski pylon. It came with an original Healey braked trailer.
Donald Healey fell in love with waterskiing after vacationing in the Bahamas in 1955 with racing driver Stirling Moss, who was also an enthusiast. Moss was one of his first customers and also helped him with the marketing of the boats, whose attractive lines and affordable prices made them popular for private use.
The first Healey Ski-Master was built at Bridport in Devon before moving production of the Healey Sports Boat to the company's Cape Works in Warwick. It was first shown at the fourth National Boat Show, which had just moved to Earls Court from Olympia in 1957. Before long Healey boats were entering races and he and his son Bic often drove them in events.
A chance meeting with World Speed Record driver Donald Campbell led to Bic being invited to a trial run for Campbell's boat 'Bluebird' on Coniston Water. Two Healey boats were in the support team acting as rescue craft.
Top selling cars in the sale were:
1985 Porsche 911 Turbo sold for £53,500
Having covered 114,500 miles from new with full main dealer and specialist service history, the 911 had been driven less than 1,000 miles since its last service. It came with an extensive file of previous MOTs and invoices for over £25,000.
1966 Volvo P1800 S sold for £18,630
This car had been in its current ownership since 2014 and came with a fresh MOT until February 2021. It had been resprayed from blue to silver in 2016 and also boasted a new interior. Volvo’s sports car will forever be synonymous with the late Roger Moore thanks to their respective roles in The Saint tv series.
