The striking Austin Healey 100M, ‘TAC 620’ will always stand out in a crowd and certainly did so at Beaulieu’s Simply Classics event in 2015 where she won the Peoples Choice ‘Car of the Day’ Award.

Built on 12^th October 1955 specifically for the motor show launch of the 100m variant, TAC 620 was the ‘demonstrator vehicle’ stationed outside Earls Court for test drives for potential customers, dealers and the press.

Today, the car is almost exactly as she was in 1955 apart from the louvred bonnet, which was added later, apparently as an attempt to somehow bolster the performance reputation of the standard model.

The colour, ‘Florida Green over Old English White’ is very eye-catching and was a deliberate reaction to the immediate post war drab austerity.

The padded /upholstered dashboard was also a special feature for this particular car.

First registered to the Healey Motor Company, the car was used as a demonstrator and promotional vehicle for the first 8 months of its life and was later used as a personal car for both Donald and Brian Healey.  It also features heavily in Bill Piggotts’s definitive book “Austin Healey 100 in detail”.

Restoration work has been carried out both in the early 80’s and 2003. During this time it was owned by William Ferras and was a regular winner at Austin Healey events.

More recently it was brought to Beaulieu, where it featured in the ‘One Hundred Year Time Line Display’ at last year’s Supercar Showdown.

Thank you John and Helen for sending in this information – apologies for taking so long to post it.