Salt and rust

We all know the devastating effects salt can have on metals. We hear about it elsewhere and we go ... yeah well... until you see it for yourself. below is a picture from the seat rail that was mounted in the Endurance Car.

The drivers compartment had quite some salt inside from getting in and out on the salt. Even though this is zinc-plated you can see the corrosion already taking its effect. Needless to say that new ones are orders and will be installed very soon!

Endurance Car homecoming...

Zürich Airport 6.36 AM 10 October 2009. The Endurance Car is home. It felt like welcoming a winning team from the Olympics. When the front cargo door of the Airbus 330 opened the car was on pole position. It was wrapped in some plastic and was tightened very well to the pallet that fits into the hull of the Airplane.

The unloading took place in a way one can only expect from the Swiss : millimeter precision and no scratch guaranteed. It went swift and fast as it would be a piece of luggage to be delivered urgently.

Unfortunately customs only opened some time after. Thanks to my friend and Austin-Healey owner Harry Keller, who knows his way around on the airport, here things went smooth as well. He made it possible to take pictures of the car arriving.

As Saturday is a very busy day for air cargo because of the amount of connections the unloading from the pallet took some time. At the moment the car was loose a brief moment of tension : will it start. Usual procedure...tick...tick...tick... how much fuel did the airport leave in? Start button and off it went with the nice growl I got addicted to.

Needless to say at the moment that driving was possible rain came down. It looks as if the rain clouds like this car a lot. Phillip Island, Bonneville and now Zurich. Needless to say... I got wet... very wet... but with a huge grin on my face all the way home, where it will be taken care off and will be rinsed over and over and waxed and rubbed and all you would expect to do to things you adore...

Pole position in the front Cargo of a Swiss Airlines Airbus A330 coming from Montreal

Outing itself in Zürich (picture by Harry Keller)

Patient waiting in the cargo delivery Hall.

Welcoming weather in Switzerland (picture by Harry Keller)

Endurance Car takes off : New speed record ! 535 MpH

As we write the Endurance Car is taking off! Place of the Event is Montreal - Trudeau Airport. Speed reached is 535 MpH... on board of an Airbus A330 of Swiss Airlines. It is on its way to its final home : Switzerland where it will be washed and pampered for a long period of time after a tough period on the salt where it behaved as one would expect from a Healey. We will post some pictures on the Blog of the Endurance Car arriving at the airport in Zürich on Saturday 10 October 2009.

Bruno

E-mail from Bic Healey

Hi Bruno,
My congratulations to you and your team at Salt Lake. You must have been very proud of what you achieved and I know that DMH would have been the first to applaud what you have all done. The coverage on the internet was very well done and I was reminded of the 50's when the only means of communication was via the telephone - if you were lucky!
From photographs Steve and his boys must have done a wonderful job in recreating the two cars and I know you will look after the endurance car, but do make sure it has a good bath. I recall what happened to the original, but we did not have as much experience of salt in those days! Regards. Bic

John Chatham

Arrival at the Airport

The Rainbow Parking Lot

Smooth and Hard

Tomorrow We Run

20 Sept. 2009 : First Team Healey driver to leave the USA

"Partir c'est mourir un peu":

"To leave is to die a bit"

Here bloggers can see I am rushing from the SLC to Atlanta. More than 3/4 of an hours delay coming into Atlanta with only 1 hour stopover is too tight for my health..

It was a rude shock arriving back into the my real work and home life after a week on the Bonneville salt. A week that felt surreal on many occasions.

I am confident the healeysreturntobonneville project can be closed as a very successful event for Team Healey (the name of the official entry for World of Speed) members and all participants, including the almost two hundred Austin Healey enthusiasts who attended!

Bonneville World of Speed was a week where all emotions were concentrated around two magnificent sports cars with them being the focus and everyone, team members and enthusiasts alike willing them to perform at their best and progress through the rookie speed grading process.

On the salt many new friends from all over the world were made. The mechanics worked well and thanks to hard stubborn creative thinking by the team and supporters everything came together for the required runs when the pressure was on. We greatly appreciated your support. Many enthusiasts pitched in and helped out as needed and these people will be appropriately identified at later date. Right now the team and you know who you are and we thank you for your part in making the Team Healey contribution to the success it was.

Prior to the event Bonneville weather was dry and hot but on the Monday before the event the rain came in a torrent and the runoff from the surrounding mountains turned the salt back into a lake. All this while the team were setting up the pit!

The event was almost cancelled due to the state of the salt. However, the wet weather gradually passed and the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA) declared the event to commence after 12:00 Wednesday 17 September, a delay of a day and a half. In the event the WOS had been cancelled the team had developed a contingency plan. In the end this was not required but did provide an opportunity to demonstrate the cars to the waiting crowd.

Few realize one amazing aspect of Team Healey and that is it consisted of a small but dedicated team spread across the world with different cultures and languages. The more incredible for having pulled off an entry in an event like this with cars built in Australia

Team members had just one thing in common: a passion for Austin-Healeys.

What is remarkable looking at the teams experience on the salt in 2009 is the number of similarities with the 1954 record breaking. While some of these were deliberately set up by the team, most were created on the spot or arose just by coincidence which was uncanny.

In taking this journey the team has realized once more just how talented the team Donald Healey had around him when he attempted record breaking on the salt at Bonneville.

We take our hats off to them.

While the event and rules could not have been more different from 1954 in the eyes of the Team Healey it was always intended as a tribute to them. For many years we have all been looking at the pictures and video of the mountains on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Now we have seen them with all our senses. What was the most remarkable thing is that we added another dimension to pictures and the visual aspect. Colour and Music!!

The fortunate few hundred enthusiasts who were at Bonneville witnessed the highs and lows of emotion as the event unfolded. We are confident that much of this will have been captured by a specialized photo and video crew who travelled with the team. We will now concentrate on working hard to provide a glimpse into the emotions of the event for Austin Healey enthusiasts around the world.

The cars will now briefly retire for a well deserved check over and adjustment incorporating the lessons learnt from the World of Speed. The other thing both cars have received is a well deserved bath, with more to come to ensure the harmful effect of the salt is minimised.

The Endurance car is on its journey to its home to be in Switzerland and the Streamliner is on its way back to Australia.

Will there be a sequel of this event? As in movies there is no such thing as the original. A second version of it could only be realized by the same dedication and passion as in the project that created the cars for 2009.

Streamliners were not built to run on the street and only by substantial financial investment they can be replicated. Without making it into a commercial event this may be difficult to realize.

Who knows – passion has a way of making things come true?

They have a saying in Bonneville that you need to be careful as once you ran, the salt gets into your blood!!!
Time will tell. One thing is for sure: the Healeysreturntobonneville Club has been formed and will be networked further! As a way of facilitating this network consideration will now be given to setting up an FTP-server where everyone can upload their photographs and video footage from the salt.

It would be nice to receive a picture of everyone who was there with their names and so that brief details (club and locale) could be provided in this “Family Album”.

Bruno Verstraete (edited by Joe Jarick).

(Pictures by Joe Jarick and Bruno Verstraete)
Sunday 20 September 2009,
Somewhere in the air between Atlanta and New York

Last day of Racing at Bonneville

As mentioned in the previous blog the team woke up very early for a sunrise photoshoot. As it was still dark we were able to "replicate" the endurance circle run at night.

Both cars were parked very early up in the line. First 15 record cars had to do a run and then afterwards it was our turn. The anticipation of a good morning run was very high knowing the thicker air, cold salt,... None of that seemed to help in the first place. All participants were clearly slower than the day before.

The Endurance car achieve 120 MpH on the third mile. The Streamliner had a faulty start. The last run with the endurance car was done at 127 Mph. The car was flying and due to a readjustment of the throttle linkage there was more power to the metal. More pictures to follow.

Bruno Verstraete

Some pictures from the Salt on Friday 19 September 2009

Below you will find some interesting pictures taken in Bonneville

The official scrutineering sticker. That is what all hard labour was for!

Upcoming cleaning job : Any volunteers?

Joe Jarick, man on the moon, soon to be driving the Endurance Car at the magical starting line of the Bonneville Speedway.

Monte (Vice President USFRA and Course Director): All Systems go!

Pictures from Bruno Verstraete

BREAKING NEWS : first official run of the Streamliner : 149.5 MpH!

Healey history does repeat itself in a truly international effort to bring excitement and real pleasure to many enthusiasts!

Today was one of the most emotional days in modern Healey history. Today both cars had to wait a long time to get out there, but eventually had the run. Thanks to the support and assistantce of the numerous Healey enthusiasts on the Salt. True to 1954 form following some initial supercharger drive issues, David Pike achieved 149.5 MpH on the Salt qualifying for Rookie status.

Above is the acceleration chart of the Healey Streamliner which topped 150Mph on our Speed GPS. Congratulations to the whole Healey Team, friends and driver Dave Pike for this unforgetable day!

The Endurance Car got up to 122 MpH.

The Endurance Car leaving in anger from the starting line on the Salt in Bonneville.

(picture by Jim Cox)

Tomorrow morning, a pre sunrise start for the Team will allow the recreation of the sunrise photosession on the Salt with both cars before preparing them for their final day of Competition. Both cars for the first time are lined up in the very front for the best chance for optimal results for the freshest morning air, freshly scraped salt and well rested drivers. Some spectacular pictures will follow very soon!

Bruno Verstraete

Saturday, 9 PM.

The official Salt is open

Today was the big day. After the weather problems of the last couple of days the salt had dried up and the race is on. We went to the salt around 7 AM in order to set up the pits. Once set up some minor work to the cars started.

After a delayed drivers meeting the rush to the gas station was on. Around 12 PM we succeeded in lining up. The first run of the Healey Team took place after 4 PM. Althought both cars were lining up individually, it was pure coincidence that the Streamliner and the Endurance Car were at the starting line almost at the same time. The Streamliner started up alright. The sheer sound of this thing is so scary, especially if you know that we are talking about a 4 cylinder here. The race control was talking to Dave Pike, the driver with the last guidelines and then it went of. The sound was great during the last 500 meter. Then there seemed to be a problem. One of the air tubes broke and that was the end of the attempt. The Endurance Car however was less exotic technology an made it easier to work on. After an accident on the run course (high speed at 250 miles per hour) the starting line was closed for about an hour. What is funny that after such a long wait all drivers want to end their run as fast as possible.

The ultimate waiting was over. I was going to drive the car on a measured run for the first time. the salt felt very different from the quality from yesterday. It was much more slippery. Just before the start someone mentioned that this is a kind of "drag race". This comment did stay in my head for the rest of the day. This could have explained that fact that there was a huge amount of salt spraying around at starting area. First gear, second and third and then the car stayed at the same revs. At shifting onto 4th gear it lost more power. 106 Mph official recorded. Not bad for a first day! The timing on the car has been changed due to the altitude.

Tomorrow is the 2nd racing day and Joe Jarick will take the helm of the Endurance Car. All previous tuning issues should be solved by now and should prove the car to be faster. We surely hope so. Due to the fact that the rooky session is over and less explanation is needed for people at the starting line, things should go much faster (barring any accidents or other unexpected events). This means that there will be more runs tomorrow. Given the retuning of the car we are very hopeful to increase the result that we got.

Bruno Verstraete

Salt Magic: Unofficial opening of World of Speed 2009 done by Healeys.

An interesting mixture of "original" and 2009 Team Crew

As some of our Team Members would be leaving us soon due to Goodwood Commitments we asked the USFRA whether it would be possible to have the cars on the salt for a private picture session. We got the word that maybe after 3 PM in a very private session someone from the organization could guide us in a distant part of the Salt. So we got up there with the Team. the Cars and the Press Team to do a private session in order to compensate for Marco not being able to drive the car. Arriving on dry salt, this was the real deal! As it freshly dried there was this glinstering all over. As if diamonds were spread around. We kept driving and we arrived at a part i thought was a runway. It was not. This was a part that Monte (USFRA) prepared for us himself. It was around 1.5 miles long and the quality of the salt was pristine! We took out both cars and set them on the Salt for the first group picture. Then we fired up the Endurance Car for its first run on the Salt. This was quite amazing as there we were, on the salt as the first cars in 2009 to go on and try it on what could be considered a private exclusive playground.

Driving on salt is very hard to describe. it is extremely smooth. It is as if you are floating in a way. It is soft as babyskin and gives a grip which is extremely high. The tightness of the car was extremely well and everyone coming out of the car was really impressed and could not stop smiling!

Wendover Historic Roundtable : Auction for DMH Memorial fund and USFRA huge success!

The Wendover Revival Roundtable saw many of "the originals" return to the place they were at in the '50's : Roy Jackson-Moore and Gordon Whitby. Together with Ron Christensen and the Team Members Charles Matthews, Marco Trevisan, Joe Jarick, Bruno Verstraete and Steve Pike. The evening started off with a dinner and then continued with a presentation given by Joe Jarrick, containing many unseen pictures which Joe received directly from the Healey factory in the 70's. After the presentation a Q&A session started with some very interesting questions from the enthusiasts in the public.

To round the evening off, some special Healey Bonneville Memorabilia was auctioned. 850 USD was auctioned for the Donald Healey Memorial Fund and 1750 USD went to the USFRA Team Car. This project will make it possible for the volunteers to have their own Racing Car. Having seen so many nice people from the USFRA who make this event possible every single year, we thought that was money well spent!

After that there was an autograph session planned. It felt kind of odd to have Healey people come by to ask for signatures!

Roy Jackson-Moore signing one of the beautiful Posters!

Roy Jackson-Moore and Gordon Whitby signing posters

Many thanks to all of you (more than 150!) attending this Roundtable and special thanks to the people who gave us the Community Center in Wendover to organize this unique event.

Bruno Verstraete

Healeys testing on Airfield

That feeling of the 50's recreated.

Testing was good as the high altitude changes the setting quite a bit

The Austin-Healey Team and the enthusiasts around were able to see some car testing in the Endurance Car at the local Wendover Airfield. The combination of local contacts, an outspoken Team Manager and an airline Pilot Healey driver made this possible. As we were not able to go on the salt today we thought seeing one car in action was the thing to do spontaneously.

In the true spirit of a Revival, before going on the salt Airfield testing was done. We can barely believe how all coincidences fall together.

As we go along more surprises will come up. We will keep you posted. Pictures of the airfield testing will be posted soon.

A huge turnout has shown up and is preparing itself for the Wendover Revival. We will have 3 "Originals" out there who were there in the fifties : Roy Jackson-Moore, John Beazley and Gordon Whitby, completed by Ron Christensen and the 2009 Healeys return to Bonneville Team.

Bruno Verstraete

16, September 3 PM

Roy Jackson Moore on track in Endurance Car

See Roy's picture on the track in the Endurance Car at Miller Motor Sports Park last Saturday.

Photo by Drew Frink, British Car Club of Utah

No cars at all on the salt today

The above is the word to allow maximum salt results today in prep for tomorrow. The word for today is more partying in the parking lot around the cars and get ready for the BBQ at 6pm at the Wendover Community Center and the revival roundtable for over 120 at 7pm featuring 1954 Team members Roy Jackson Moore, John Beazley, Gordon Whitby and Team 2009. 50's dress is the word for the day

I will post closeup picture of Roy in the Enduance Car at Miller Motor Sports Park last Saturday later. as I am not on my computer and access here isn't the greatest.

Breaking News...race is on! Sun is shining.

The fear of a cancellation of the event is off! The team was relieved 2 times today. The first time when the USFRA racing Committee decided that the salt conditions are improving quickly enough to race as of Thursday earliest. There might be a extension of the event until Sunday. The Team had already prepared emergency alternatives in the case that the event would be cancelled. We are however very happy to be able to bring the cars on the Salt. That is what they are made for and here for.

The second relief today came when both cars obtained their logbook. We have cleared scrutineering at Bonneville and are cleared for racing. A lot of relief for years of distant working on implementing the new 2009 regulations.

As the Salt was still drying out and as a consequence the pit could not be set up yet, the result of these multiple reliefs was that a spontaneous Parking Lot Party at the Rainbow hotel started. Towards the evening many Friends from all over the world joined next to the trailers and the cars and had a beer (or two).

Tomorrow Wednesday the pit will be set up. We will start the day with a take-away breakfast picnic at 8.30 departure to go at "the end of the Road" of the Speedway. Tomorrow will be the dress in the '50's style day. In the evening the Revival Roundtable will take place. Roy Jackson-Moore, John Beazley, Gordon Whitby and the Team members will talk about the then and now of the record breaking on the Salt. As the racing starts one day late there is a good chance that a replacement driver will be chosen from within the Team as 2 Team members have to leave for the UK early Thursday morning. More on that later.

Bruno Verstraete

Wendover, 15 September 11.35 PM

TELEX...TELEX...TELEX...

Here is wishing you and the whole contingent the best of luck,although I am not there in person I am there with you in spirit,if the scarlet flash is properly located we have nothing to fear.

Gerry Coker

Driving towards the Salt, sun, rain & drama

Talking about straight roads...

Driving to the Salt is quite some experience. You expect to see so many things that you have read about and that were prepared in the course of 3 years. Even the biggest preparation can not make you ready for what is awaiting you. You drive for miles through deserted area whereby a kind of prairie and semi-salt flats are alternating the road. Arriving there is almost mythical. One of the Team members called is that he was waiting at the Salt Flat restaurant. This place breathes speed. You can feel the many racers that came to visit this place. At arrival it started raining and we could see some further rain clouds on the sky. At leaving the restaurant we turned onto the road that was leading to the Salt Speedway. The idea was to set up the tents and the pit. When we were allowed on the Salt it became clear that the hot weather of the previous days turned into cold rainy weather.

At this sign we did expect to see hot bright sunshine (picture Joe Jarick)

We started driving on the salt toward the pit area. We soon found out that this is indeed one of the few places on the planet where you can see nothing and feel completely lost. Even accurate directions from Joe with directions on the compass made us feel like we were on the North Pole without any compass or feel for direction. In the meantime the weather turned even worse. Rain came pouring out the sky in mass and the wind was stormlike.

Endless plain salt that looked more like a lake than a hard surface

Setting up a tent in this kind of conditions was impossible and made us more sad by the minute. The high quality salt that was there some days ago started to change into a lake. The puddles became deeper by the minute and soon no salt was to be seen. It made no sense to even think setting up the pit could be realized. Off to the Rainbow Hotel where the Team is staying. As this is the backyard of Reno and Las Vegas, the hotel was inspired by the Casino bling bling that is to be seen in there. It was an almost impossible task to find the lift to the hotel room. After about 100 Jackpots and other interesting gambling games the lift was found.

Having checked in the reality stroke... tomorrow morning the Race committee will decide on the race schedule. the determining factors will be how much rain came down from the mountains and how much can the salt handle. Furthermore the conditions of the weather will determine how much can be sucked up or vaporize. All the years of preparation could be wiped out by an amount of rain that equals the statistical months of rainfall. Tomorrow morning we will know more...

I knew what I was asking for as a Birthday Present!

Bruno Verstraete

14 September 2009

Sunday Relax Day. Monday : the Call of The Salt!

Monday 14 September 2009, 7.30 AM

Seems like it was a very relaxing day yesterday, whereby some team members went successfully flyfishing (thanks to Bob and Jim for arranging that) and others (Steve & Co) were working hard on the cars to arrange the last minute remarks from scrutineering. The Streamliner was fired up and put under some engine pressure. Made some team members (the ones wearing the white overalls) relax after that.

Joe Jarick Happy as can be with the first trout of the day

Provo River, one of the most famous US Flyfishing rivers

The Team is about to set off to Wendover where we will be located into one and the same hotel. We would like to thank all the local, Salt Lake City, Austin-Healey Bonneville Club members, for their warm welcome, Friendship and for keeping us as their guests in their local Healey Hiltons. For sure we will miss this high standard as we move into the hotel!

Let us hope the weather does not show like last night too much!

On the other hand, having flown into Salt Lake City and having seen the dramatic landscape, one starts to see these mountains that are depicted on the historic Healey pictures almost every where! It kind of gets into your system and makes you restless, impatient to get to the mythical place.

I can not wait to see this vast mass of salt we have all been reading about for years. I can not wait to have my engine started up on the Salt 55 years after the Donald Healey Motor Company was there with the cars. Having had the honor to stay at the same place as Roy (Jackson-Moore) in Salt Lake City did not really help to calm me down!

Bonneville, here we come be aware, if that is not a nice birthday present, what could be?

Bruno Verstraete

Park City, 7.46 AM

Artsy Shot of The Streamliner

Check out this artsy shot of the Streamliner taken by Joe Morley with the Bonneville Austin Healey Club at Miller Motor Sports Park on Saturday.

Roy Jackson-Moore 55 years later reuinited with the Endurance Car in Utah

Millers Motorsport Park

Today, 12 September 2009, the Team was out on the Millers Motorsport Park with the 2 cars. They were on display and the enthusiasts showing up in their classic cars had a chance to do 4 parade laps around this magnificent track.

Roy Jackson-Moore took the steering wheel of the Endurance Car to prepare it for the serious work on the Salt Flats. He thought the car was feeling very solid. For sure their will be more stories coming out during the Revival Roundtable. Photo by Gisela Putzke.


Tomorrow will be a day for further preparations on the Endurance Car and the Streamliner. Both scrutineering and mechanical last minute issues
will need to be solved.

See the smile!

Also the Regalia ladies are doing a fabulous job and the items we have at hand seem to be a big hit!

TELEX From the UK...

THE HEALEY DRIVERS CLUB WISHES ALL ITS MEMBERS AND THE BONNEVILLE TEAM EVERY SUCCESS.GOOD LUCK TO ALL. BIC HEALEY

the cake and the reception

The Team was getting a very warm welcome reception at Salt Lake City put on by Marian and Don Colman Family and the Bonneville Austin-Healey Club. The Cake was very impressive indeed...

It gave us the opportunity to meet up with Mark Shubin, the official Team Photographer. Also the people who were really helpful on the ground in the US : Dave Maxwell (thanks for setting up the tents and storing all the stuff we ordered and sent to your address), Ron Christensen (Salt Flats historian), Greg Lauser (US PR) and all other friendly enthusiasts from all over the country.

First Pilot arrives at Salt Lake City.

September 10, 2009 2.30 PM

For practical purposes I travelled over Paris as there is a direct flight to Salt Lake City. Having slept very little (some e-mails with registrations from enthusiasts joining us on the Salt kept me awake). At security check they mentioned I had too many wires in my hand luggage. Closer investigation showed that a full bag of camera equipment, nor a speed GPS (needed some explanation though), but some liquid “beauty creme” for ... The car was the issue and was as such confiscated. Then off to the gate to explain what on earth I would be doing in Salt Lake City. I guess the person doing this felt the vibe quite quickly and I was off the hook and got my “approved” sticker on my Passport. Stress gone ... Then someone came to me with a T-shirt that had a very familiar looking car embroidered on it... The Streamliner. Amazing to fly from a destination that you would think has very little nice people and then out of nowhere you meet a very sympathetic couple from...Perth Australia! Tony Ash (ex President of the Western Australia Austin-Healey Club) was flying over from Paris to Salt Lake City for the Revival. How about that! This project really turned into a global event.

Symbolically the plane took off and passed right over Cornwall. I could almost see DMH smiling under us...In the plane I had some time (as there is no internet over there) for interesting reading. The Healey books were not in my suitcase this time. Instead I took some time to read the manual of the speed GPS. Looking at all this, I was almost feeling that an upgrade to Formula one engineering crew would be amongst the possibilities. But then again apart from realized speed, acceleration and deceleration lesser essentials such as cornering G-forces, lap times and other indicators will hopefully not be needed in Bonneville!

This is stuff that could however be interesting on the track at Miller Motorsports Park. Could give us some extra testing information. But then again, that will be a “parade” lap.

Bruno Verstraete

Exclusive Interview with Roy Jackson-Moore

Exclusive Interview with Roy Jackson-Moore

Q. My memory tells me Roy, that you were living in the USA during the 1950’s, how did you end up going there, and who did you work for?

A. After leaving Marlborough school, I joined the Royal Air Force at seventeen and spent the majority of my service in Training Command flying Harvard’s, but the highlight was flying a Mosquito which was a fabulous aircraft. When I left the R.A.F., living in post war Britain was pretty austere, so I contacted my Father who had a successful doctor’s practice in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, and I ended up moving to the USA.

My father spoke to his friend, and client, Henry J. Kaiser mentioning that his son had just arrived from England and would like to get a job with an American auto. manufacturer. His response was that it might be possible to fit me in to a sales promotion team who were promoting Kaiser Frazer cars at State fairs across the USA. During the 1951 economic downturn the company stopped making cars and I moved from Detroit to San Francisco getting a job selling Rootes group cars, before getting a job with Austin as a field representative.

Q. What brought you to Bonneville?

A. In 1953 I was summoned to Austin’s head office where I was introduced to Donald Healey … “I am Donald Healey, and you must be Roy – you are going to drive me half way around America in my car”. Later that day we collected the first Austin Healey 100 in America and for the next few weeks we toured the US including the Miami international motor show. The 100 was very well received and created lots of publicity. We had been late arriving at the show and all the trophies had been awarded for ‘best car’ etc. I borrowed a magnificent trophy from the Packard stand … the “Grand Premier Award” and put it on the Healey for the media. It looked very impressive, and Austin used the photos in their publicity – but nobody knew the truth!

I talked with Donald about the future plans for promoting the new Austin Healey by setting international records and sports car racing to boost sales, and in 1953 we went to Bonneville where I drove for the first time on the salt. I later returned in 1954 and 1956 driving the Endurance car and the Streamliners.

Q. Looking back to 1954, is there anything in particular about the event that comes to mind?

A. Driving on the salt was interesting as it is quite a slippery surface which becomes damp in the evenings. There are strong winds that can blow a car sideways, so it was a question of doing everything gently with small inputs to avoid disaster … in summary it was a case of relaxed concentration!

We stayed at the only motel in Wendover run by a very friendly Mr. Mcloud with an excellent restaurant. We made visits one mile to the west into Nevada where we could get a drink (Utah being a dry state) at the Stateline Hotel which had a massive sign outside of a cowboy waving, reputed to be the largest sign in America at the time. I remember whilst waiting for the conditions to be at their best, swimming in the salt lake, which apart from the Dead Sea is the only place where you can sit in the water and read a book. I also remember passing the time flying model aircraft with Carroll Shelby … although, I recall not very well!

Q. For record breaking in the endurance car, especially the 24 hour record, what was the routine devised for the length of each stint of driving?

A. The fuel lasted for 3 hours, so this determined the time between pit stops. The mechanics worked very quickly to service and re-fuel the cars … in fact this took the same time as it did to change drivers, so very little time was lost.

Q. What were your memories of Donald at the time?

A. Donald was always calm and never showed any great emotion at the time. He was very happy to have achieved (and surpassed) his goals as the records were set. The only exception was in 1956 when he achieved 200 mph … he was jubilant. He was very proud of being a member of the 200 mph club which was one of his main goals in going to Bonneville. On the other hand, his son Geoff showed no emotion and remained focused on the ‘job’.

Q. Who did the work on the cars at the time?

A. There were two Austin mechanics from the USA, one from the Austin depot, and the other from Gough Industries in Los Angeles. From England there was Roger Menadue and Geoff Healey from The Donald Healey Motor Company, Jim Harris from SU carburettors, and a chap from Dunlop.

Q. At the end of the event in 1954 what was the feeling in the camp?

A. We were all very happy with the results, as we had achieved our goals. We wanted to improve on what we had achieved in 1953, which we did giving a boost to sales. We packed up the cars and went back to work!

Q. What were your thoughts when you heard that someone was reconstructing the cars for a return to the salt?

A. My son Jamie had already looked into reviving the record runs for the 50^th anniversary of the 100, but finances were not available at the time. In 2006 at the Healey Drivers Club international meeting Wiet Huidekoper and Steve Pike told me that they were going to re-create the cars and I was delighted. From the photographs I have seen they have done a splendid job, and I am looking forward to returning to Bonneville to see them run on the salt … even though I won’t be driving them this time!

Thanks for your time and recollections from Bonneville, it has been wonderful to talk to you and re-live part of 1954.

Charles Matthews – Team Manager

August 2009

Roy Jackson Moore coming to Park City

Rev up your engines folks -Bonneville team members registered and in attendance are Charles Matthews, Team Manager, David Pike a driver of the Streamliner, Marco Trevisan a driver of the Endurance Car, Joe Jarick, Historian Pics & Facts, Bruno Verstraete, a driver of the Endurance Car, Jarrod Solomon, Paintwork, Steve Pike, a driver of the Streamliner. Those in attendance who were at Bonneville in 1954 are John Beazley, Gordon Whitby and Roy Jackson Moore, a 1954 driver & historian of the Bonneville Team will be coming to Salt Lake City and Park City, UTAH before the big Bonneville Run.