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XK150 vs Healey 3000

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HealeyRick

HealeyRick

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It’s battle of the Brits for this week’s Clash of the Classics. An age-old debate between classic car enthusiasts, many compare the early Jaguar roadsters with the Austin-Healey 3000, but is this fair? It’s time to fire up the patriotism and don the thinking cap.

During the NEC Classic Car Show, two particular drop-tops caught my eye. The Jaguar XK150 mooned me with beauty and power the likes of which we are no longer permitted from modern car manufacturers. The same can be said for the Austin-Healey 3000 that I salivated over, a truly raw driving experience amplified by a lack of safety equipment or driving aids. Each of these vehicles are achingly desirable and now exchanging hands for increasing wads of money, but if you were to choose one or the other, which iconic roadster from the decade of bubble gum cigars and letter sweaters comes up top trumps?

Round 1: The Looks
The two are strangely similar, with long protruding bonnets and swish curves complimented by chrome and detailing to ensure your pulse races.
Jaguars always manage to take your breath away, and this XK150 tops the chart for aesthetics, with that iconic shape still holding clout today. The Austin-Healey is squat in comparison, but that doesn’t stop it melting your heart. It automatically feels like the underdog because of its size and, for that reason, you secretly root for it. Even if you then blurt out when asked that the Jaguar looks best.
Quite frankly, it’s stalemate for round 1.


Round 2: The Power
A typical XK150 roadster will allow 0-60mph in 8 seconds with a top speed of 130mph from its 250bhp. The Mk3 Austin-Healey can race to 60mph in 10 seconds, with a top speed of 121mph from 148bhp. All things considered, the little Healey manages a remarkable feat from an engine producing 102bhp less than the almighty Jaguar, but this round undoubtedly belongs to the XK150.

Round 3: The Handling
The Austin-Healy holds a reputation for handling like a downhill-charging bulldozer, but the reality is vastly different. At parking speeds, you really need to pull the steering wheel akin to a church bell rope, but when on the move the feedback is smooth and keeping the car in control is easy. The Healey will happily go where you point it, with that ever-present sense of eagerness to turn in and thrash about. It’s easy to see why these were so popular on the rallying circuit.
The Jaguar offers an outstanding driving position with the same low-slung, straight legged experience offered by the Healey, but the sense of excitement is dissimilar, with an acute awareness that the car you are helming is much larger and much more skittish.
Round 3 is the Healeys territory.

Round 4: The Interior
The Jaguar's interior is a lavish place to sit, graced with plush seating and a dashboard so smooth it will try to steal your girlfriend. Legroom is provided in acres and the sumptuous carpet adds the finishing touches to a rich cabin destined to leave an impression that spoils you for the near future.
The Healey is far more basic, but it was - and still is - a cheaper vehicle. It still looks fantastic, with detailing to rival cars three-times the cost. It’s certainly minimalistic in comparison, but where the Jaguar wins hands-down is on ride quality. The Healey will leave you crippled after long journeys while the XK150 can accommodate hundreds of miles before so much as a blemish in your wellbeing.

Round 5: Living With Them


Round 5: Living With Them
The Healey is going to be cheaper to run and maintain, even on a bad day. When it boils down to parts and maintenance the Jaguar is nearly always going to plunder your bank account. The running costs are inconsequential when it comes down to comfort however, with every extra penny spent on the XK150 rewarding you with a supple ride and rich heritage.
These cars can only carry two and upkeep will require on-the-ball attention, but if you look after them you will still be able to cut the mustard during any traffic situation on any tarmac road.

The Verdict
Choosing between these two is like choosing between Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. They both go about the same tasks but in a different manner, with personal preference dictating the outcome of your decision.
I guess it depends what you are after, but for us the XK150 is simply too good to ignore. It’s quick, it’s comfortable and it’s gorgeous. To **** with the extra cost, the Jaguar is worth every extra pound

https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.u...-classics-jaguar-xk150-vs-austin-healey-3000/
 
I like them both as well. You don't see as many 150s as you do A/H 3000 would be another item to add in their favor. I'm watching one here but the owner will not budge on selling. It needs full restoration and is sitting outside under a tarp.

Marv
 
If these two represent Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, I guess Sean Connery must be an Aston Martin DB5.
 
At one time I had a XK140, same year ('57) as my 100-6. The Jag was nice, but I never felt comfortable on windy roads like I do in the Healey. I don't think the seating position was any better in the Jag because there was no lateral support like the Healey seat back provides. Both were/are great "chick magnets". The wood in the Jag interior (I had the FHC) was wonderful, but I still had to look where I was going and not at the wood. The XK140 had less legroom than the XK150 because it was still a pretty lean cat and not as fat a cat as the 150.
 
Having previously owned an xk140. I must disagree. The Healey is 10 times the car. The Jag was hard to drive. Very poor on cornering. Very heavy steering especially at lower speeds. It had a "bench" type seat so you rolled as the car swayed. But a real beauty that got lots of attention.
As a side note, the Healey people are a family. Not so much with the Jag folks, many of whom did not know much about the mechanics of the car. Sorry Jag people but that was my observations of owning the car 18 years. I did love that they were passionate about British cars.
 
Never had a handling problem with handling in any XK Jag. They have their quirks and you really get used to it. I had our XK 140 Coupe on 2 wheels a lot, and never lost it. Sure were uncomfortable at times, but I am not comfortable in my track car at times either. They were just a sports car. Sorry, I have never been in a Healey, 1 day I will. Jags are really not that expensive to take care of, if you keep the maintenance up, 9 qts. of oil kills some people , but I never have been broke from a Jag. Land Rover maybe, but not the Jags. In fact I am rebuilding a 3.4 engine now with 30,000 original miles for less than $600. Do them all myself, and I am not affiliated with a Jag Club, been nosed too many times. This is kind of the Bow-Tie vs. Ford people. Can't afford a Ford, buy a Bow-Tie. I will take any British Car that comes along ( as I have ) and enjoy it.
 
As a side note, the Healey people are a family. Not so much with the Jag folks,

Well now TH;
That may not be the case. Them Jag fellas do not want to talk to me too much when I show up with a Daimler 250 V8.However, they kinda nice when i show up in the Jag XJ6.---:highly_amused:

OH!!, Them XK 150 Jags are AWSUM.:glee:

That was a nice presentation Rick.:applause:
 
In the summer of '69, this newly minted HS grad wanted a sports car. There was a pretty rough BN2 in the paper for $400, and a couple of blocks away an XK140 at a lot for $650. I wanted the 140 so bad I could taste it but I only had $500 to spend and my folks were not going to "encourage" me in this silly desire (we were an Oldsmobile family, and why would I spend that much for a 'furrin' car). So I bought the Healey - was a miserable clapped out POS, but I loved it and have been a Healey guy ever since. I have often wondered how my life might have been different if I had bought the Jag but in the long run I've had no regrets, at least partly because, to me, the Healey is better looking.
 
Well I will be doing the comparison soon as here is my current project. As far as comparisons though I don't think the handling is in play with us as we think the Jag will be just a cruiser car with great looks. The Healey is a step up in handling and a side step in looks. They both look good with sexy body lines. If handling is what we want, we can even improve on the Healey and take out the Porsches. They are far superior to both these cars in handling. I do feel that the XK and Healey are sexier cars though, but they are all (Porshes included) rare enough to turn heads anywhere we take them.
 

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I had the chance to drive a 150 recently, so I will add a few comments. First, overall it is an interesting comparison, back in the day the big Healey was probably closer to the Triumph TRs and even the MGA and B in size, character and performance, than they are to the XK150. But nevertheless, these days the 150 and big Healey are closer in market price and collector cache, which I suppose prompted the question.

First of all, the performance and horsepower figures quoted are for the 150S, which had a lot more HP. The garden variety 150 made more power than the 6 cylinder Healeys, but the Healeys were lighter, so acceleration figures were pretty close.

Although a sports car more or less by definition, at least in roadster or convertible form, being an open British two seater, the XK150 is big and, well, not nimble, in the sense of an MG or even big Healey being nimble. Probably more of a competitor to the Thunderbird or Corvette than a Healey or MG back in the day.

The car also featured the old Moss gearbox, which featured weak synchros and crunchy shifts (and no synchro on first same as the big Healey), but was robust as **** by all reports.

Although a bigger car than the Healey, the drop tops had less room inside than the four seater Healeys, with no room behind the seats, if you ever tour in your sports car you know the room behind the seats is a great place for snacks, small coolers, jackets, etc.

Nowadays if you want a classy British roadster (or convertible for those of anal obsessives out there) to take to dinner or shows, it is pretty much a matter of individual taste. For driving experience there is a clear choice between a sports car and a sporty car, and once more a matter of taste I suppose, but vastly different experiences. I like the Healeys looks better, but the Jag, though not near as sleek or pretty as its predecessors, does have a certain presence that the Healey lacks.

As an aside I always thought a comparison between a 100M and a MGA twin cam would be interesting, though not marketed at the same time, the cars were both conceived in basic concept about the same time (see MG EX172 1952 Le Mans car) have nearly the exact same size, weight, and HP, and were factory hotted up versions of the garden variety four cylinder cars.
 
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This summer I took the Aston to the Montreal dealership for some recall work .
The owner had this in the basement , only 525 miles from brand new , all original absolutely stunning and it's for sale .
I love my Healeys but this made me weak at the knees .
I also got to test drive the owners 2015 V12 Vanquish ......I still have the goosebumps from that drive :encouragement::encouragement:
 
If you choose your cars because you like their beauty, performance, and handling, the Austin Healey is the clear choice. If you like the idea of a car sitting in the garage to impress your neighbors, or the concours lawn, then maybe the Jaguars your speed.
 
I love my Healey and will always keep it. Had it since 1971. There is no better feeling or sound than accelerating with the top off on a twisting country road (especially with headers and big bore exhaust, tee hee). That said, where is the XK150 and how much is the owner asking?
Lin
 
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