Austin-Healey 3000 MkI (1959–1961) Price Guide

The Austin-Healey 3000 MkI is the original and most elemental version; a car with flat windscreen, side curtains, drum-brakes replaced by front discs over the 100-Six, and the pure character of a 1950s sports car whose development had just taken a meaningful step forward. It is the rarest of the three 3000 marks and, in BN7 two-seater form, among the most collectible of all Big Healeys.

The Car

Launched in 1959, the MkI used the BMC C-series engine bored out to 2,912cc producing 124bhp, a significant increase over the 100-Six’s 102bhp. Front disc brakes replaced the 100-Six’s drums, a meaningful safety improvement. The chassis was essentially unchanged from the 100-Six: coil-spring independent front suspension, live rear axle on seven leaf springs with Panhard rod, and a four-speed gearbox with optional Laycock de Normanville electric overdrive. Two body styles were offered: the BT7 2+2 and the BN7 pure two-seater. The BN7’s rear panel was cut lower to suit the two-seat configuration, making it the platform for works competition cars. Only 355 were built, making genuine right-hand-drive examples exceptionally rare and valuable.

Competition Record

The MkI 3000 was formidably successful in international rallying. Pat Moss and Stuart Turner won the 1960 Liège-Rome-Liège rally outright (the first woman to win a major international rally) in a works BN7. The car took class victories across Europe throughout 1959 and 1960 before the MkII and then MkIIA took over the competition programme.

What to Know

The MkI uses the vertically slatted grille that distinguishes it from the revised MkII nose. The flat windscreen and detachable side curtains are period-correct for all MkI cars; there was no wind-up window or proper convertible hood option. Ground clearance is tight on all 3000s; check that the rear springs are not sagging. Front discs are shared with the later cars and are well-supported. The MkII that followed added a revised grille, triple carburettors in its initial specification, and eventually the BJ7 convertible body.