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New, and lively, 'discussion' on 'What is a 100M'

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Bob_Spidell said:
NFI (just a concerned 'onlooker'):

bringatrailer.com

1956 Austin-Healey 100M BN2 Roadster

Bid for the chance to own a 1956 Austin-Healey 100M BN2 Roadster at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #127,740.
bringatrailer.com bringatrailer.com
Click to expand...

I hesitate to get involved, but glancing through the posts in that auction:
  • There is no such thing as "ashtray delete" for Healeys. What a numbskull.
  • The leather-covered fascias (dashes) were very rare. The idea that half of them were that way is complete rubbish. (And a long-time Healey restorer was reported as saying that. Good grief.)
  • The 140 MPH Smiths speedometer was never installed in the 100M, unless in some rare case of a personal order, which I doubt ever happened. You could buy them separately. (I have a NOS one that I'd be willing to sell for absolutely crazy money.)

I seldom even look at Bring-a-Trailer anymore. It's just too painful. Sellers under disclosing faults, a huge peanut gallery making inane and inaccurate comments, and some sick people obviously thriving on the opportunity to interfere in commerce and hurt the sale. Many people say that the comments are the best thing about BaT, but I'd also add that they are also the worst thing about it. There's lots of chaff and fluff and bluff and fibbing going on there and it can be hard to sort it all out. It's almost as bad as eBay.
 
I'm the numbskull. The 'ashtray delete' was an (obviously lame) attempt at humor; I know all 100s came with an ashtray, and I checked Anderson-Moment before posting (AFAIK, all Big Healeys came with ashtrays, and the 6-cyl cars had a cigar lighter option).

This was my first time commenting on BaT, and maybe the last, but I saw something fishy with this car--the inauthentic distributor and carbs--and thought I'd throw my two cents in (frankly, I'm surprised the Registry certified the car without them). The salient point that's come out in the commentary is that this car is misrepresented; apparently unintentionally as the would-be seller seems pretty distraught--he possibly got defrauded as well--and he's trying to resolve the issue with BaT. It now seems evident this car is a BN2 body with a BN1 frame and at least some of a BN2 drivetrain bolted-on. It should, at the least be re-listed with the new information and it will lose a lot of potential value, though it should still make for a nice driver. There have been numerous 'counterfeit' 100Ms where sellers have bolted-on an aftermarket bonnet and the larger carbs, and the Registry has identified them for owners, but this is the first time I've seen a 'bitsa' car advertised. Surprisingly, one commenter seems to be making the case that because all the M parts are there this is an M, even though it has an incorrect chassis/frame and, with the Registry criteria being what it is he has a point (is it a 1955.5 Austin-Healey 100Maybe?).
 
We were at least spared the mirrors on the wings discussion on this one.
 
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