I thought that this information would be
useful
for your website.
I don’t recall the exact date, however around
the middle of the 1970s the Austin-Healey Owners Club here in New South
Wales (NSW) invited John Crouch to talk at one of our monthly meetings.
If the name is not familiar to you perhaps a little history will help.
John Crouch was a well-known racing driver before and after the Second
World War and competed in all sorts of modern machinery of the day. His
name was also synonymous with the Australian Grand Prix, competing in seven
GPs from 1938 to 1952, winning the 1949 event at Leyburn, Queensland
driving
a Delahaye 135. Sadly John Crouch died in 1994 leaving
Australian motor sport and Austin-Healey enthusiasts a rich legacy.
As with many who competed in motor sport at
the time John Crouch was connected with the motor industry, and in his
case ran a motor vehicle dealership in Flinders Street, which is on the
eastern environs of the Sydney itself. His talk at our club meeting
focused
not only on his motor racing days but also on selling the Austin-Healey
100 during the 1950s. Luckily he kept a list of all Austin-Healeys sold
from his dealership and he was kind enough to provide it to our club.
It has been many years since I had seen the
list, but during my ongoing campaign to avoid being swamped by papers I
found it again, filed in a place where I wouldn’t lose it – inside a
Austin-Healey
100 Workshop Manual.
I have reproduced the list below for visitors
to your site a look at, but some explanations are necessary.
It is a list of cars sold only by John Crouch
Motors in Sydney and does not include cars sold be other dealerships in
NSW or Australia. The first column indicates the date received at John
Crouch Motors with the Date Sold as self-explanatory. The Serial Number
listed is that given to the individual vehicle by Larke Hoskins Motors,
who were the NSW distributor for Austin-Healeys, it is their number and
is not a BMC number. They placed their own plaque on each car’s
firewall.
Larke Hoskins still exists as a Honda dealer but no longer retains any
records of the BMC days.
The list was of great interest to me at the time as I had a BN1, which turned out to be the third vehicle on the list. It was sold new to Peter Lowe, the proprietor of a Sydney Eastern Suburbs’ bus company. He also went motor racing in the car before competing in a Ford Zephyr, selling the BN1 to Frank Matich. I had no idea of this until I saw the list and then managed to meet up with Peter Lowe. Frank Matich went on to become well known in motor sport with his own range of open wheelers and big-banger sports cars in which he competed in the US Can-Am Series.
I have typed the information as it was on the sheets from John Crouch Motors. Unfortunately they must have lost a certain amount of enthusiasm as time went by, as there is less information in later years. In case you’re wondering there are no 3000s, so we can only assume that none were sold. However remember there were only seventeen 3000s ever sold new in Australia. The Austin-Healey 100 and 100/6 were imported by distributors, but the 3000 was generally only available on order or imported by individual dealers with the hope of a quick sale.
1954
| Date | Purchase
Invoice |
Engine
Number |
Chassis
Number |
Serial
Number |
Date
Sold |
Purchaser | Registration
Number |
| Jan 29 | 942 | IB-39607 | BN1-147414 | 100/2 Blue | 11.6.54 | G.Greig | AOU-972 |
| Feb 16 | 970 | IB-139834 | BN1-148559 | 100/3 Cream | 4.5.54 | G.F.Eather | AOB-019 |
| May 13 | 30 | IB-205255 | BN1-150616 | 100/7 Blue | 14.5.54 | P.Lowe | AOF-393 |
| May 21 | 39 | IB-206896 | BN1-152976 | 100/17 Green | 24.5.54 | C.Brenchley | |
| June 1 | 51 | IB-206778 | BN1-152723 | 100/14 Cream | 9.6.54 | S.G.Hardie | AOR-538 |
| June 7 | 61 | IB-139745 | BN1-147439 | (Q) Red | 26.6.54 | B.A.Simes | AOZ-432 |
| June 11 | 70 | IB-205841 | BN1-151781 | 100/10 Black | 11.6.54 | J.B.Middleton | AOS-984 |
| June 25 | 89 | IB-205059 | BN1-149951 | 100/9 Red | 26.6.54 | W.A.Baxter | AOZ-917 |
| July 9 | 142 | IB-205919 | BN1-152199 | 100/12 Green | 21.7.54 | S.N.Miller | APK-239 |
| Aug 12 | 183 | IB-207019 | BN1-154110 | 100/18 Blue | 4.9.54 | P.Chambers | ARC-731 |
| Aug 30 | 207 | IB-206713 | BN1-152587 | 100/27 Black | 30.8.54 | A.H.Carr | ARC-330 |
| Sept 2 | 234 | IB-213833 | BN1-157148 | 100/23 Black | 10.9.54 | F.G.Wallace | ARG-320 |
| Sept 21 | 235 | IB-214049 | BN1-157349 | 100/33 White | 23.9.54 | J.G.Polain | ARM-948 |
| Sept 29 | 236 | IB-213480M | BN1-156166 | 100/32 Blue | 22.9.54 | G.Kennedy | |
| Oct 15 | 283 | IB-214545M | BN1-159272 | 100/39 Black | 15.10.54 | K.A.Bennett | ARV-111 |
| Oct 20 | 284 | IB-214797M | BN1-214797M | 100/62 Blue | 21.10.54 | J.H.Taylor | ARZ-027 |
| Oct 21 | 285 | IB-214738M | BN1-159801 | 100/64 Blue | 27.10.54 | G.Adams | ARP-257 |
| Nov 3 | 341 | IB-214858M | BN1-160340 | 100/49 Green | 9.11.54 | B.Wiseman | ASE-633 |
| Nov 10 | 342 | IB-219110M | BN1-219110 | 100/74 Green | 11.11.54 | M.Kellick | ASF-260 |
| Nov 15 | 343 | IB-219253 | BN1-219253 | 100/76 Red | 29.11.54 | J.Grant | ASM-998 |
| Nov 24 | 344 | IB-219137M | BN1-219137 | 100/69 Blue | 25.11.54 | S.Todhunter | ASL-158 |
| Nov 25 | 345 | IB-214907M | BN1-160370 | 100/66 White | 2.12.54 | S.Westbrook | ASR-905 |
| Dec 1 | IB-214673 | BN1-159488 | 100/44 White | 10.12.54 | E.J.Rofe | ADV-159 | |
| Dec 9 | IB-219265M | BN1-219265 | 100/103 Red | 17.12.54 | E.Alangak | ASZ-322 | |
| Dec 13 | 384 | IB-219262M | BN1-219262 | 100/92 Blue | 13.12.54 | B.Larkin | ASX-104 |
| Dec 16 | 385 | IB-219125M | BN1-219125 | 100/78 Green | 21.12.54 | W.Lees | ATA-033 |
| Dec 20 | 386 | IB-219120M | BN1-219120 | 100/93 Red | 14.1.55 | J.McMahon | ATG-736 |
| Dec 21 | 387 | IB-214966M | BN1-160690 | 100/88 Red | 24.12.54 | R.Williams | ASR-311 |
| Dec 30 | 388 | IB-214865M | BN1-160373 | 100/80 White | 26.1.55 | H.Gold | ASM-087 |
| Jan 14 | 433 | IB-219063M | BN1-219063 | 100/86 Off White | 21.1.55 | R.Garner | RG-153 |
| Jan 24 | 434 | IB-220101M | BN1-220101 | 100/113 Blue | 29.1.55 | R.Daney | ATL-347 |
| Feb 9 | 470 | IB-220302M | BN1-220302 | 100/118 Red | 18.2.55 | C.Adams | |
| Feb 18 | 471 | Ib-221023M | BN1-221023 | 100/127 Ivory | 30.4.55 | W.Cullinain | AUV-583 |
| Mar 3 | 522 | IB-221811M | BN1-221811 | 100/165 Green | 3.3.55 | C.Adams | |
| Mar 4 | 523 | IB-220837M | BN1-220837 | 100/141 Red | 24.4.55 | S.Bombardiene | AUR-811 |
| Mar 4 | 524 | IB-220946M | BN1-220946 | 100/142 Red | 22.4.55 | R.Cook | |
| 525 | IB-221610M | BN1-221610 | 100/175 Green | 2.5.55 | R.Paterson | AUV-032 | |
| 526 | IB-221048M | BN1-221048 | 100/174 Ivory | 3.5.55 | K.Soames | ||
| 527 | IB-221088M | BN1-221088 | 100/136 Blue | 25.3.55 | N.Ryan | AVG-702 | |
| Apr 14 | 594 | IB-223293M | BN1-223293 | 100/109 Red | 10.6.55 | J.Lancey | ATL-777 |
| Apr 15 | 595 | IB-219470M | BN1-219470 | 100/145 Green | 19.8.55 | D. Greig | AWW-204 |
| Apr 19 | 596 | IB-221576M | BN1-221576 | 100/191 Red | 22.4.55 | R. Banloft | AUT-211 |
| May 3 | 649 | IB-219374M | BN1-219374 | 100/147 Green | 26.6.55 | A. Watson | AVT-176 |
| May 5 | 650 | IB-223136M | BN1223136 | 100/193 Blue | 10.5.55 | W. Lloyd | AUX-516 |
| May 13 | 651 | IB-223845M | BN1-223845 | 100/205 Ivory | 13.5.55 | R. Waddington | AUZ-418 |
| Jul 17 | 792 | IB-222015M | BN1-222015 | 100/192 Green | 21.7.55 | D. Gilling | AWG-037 |
| Aug 31 | IB-221675M | BN1-221675 | 100/179 Green | 7.9.55 | S. Bombardiene | ||
| IB-223588M | BN1-223588 | 100/228 Blue | 17.8.55 | P. McTagget | AWS-310 | ||
| IB223547M | BN1-223547 | 100/206 Ivory | 16.8.55 | Braddon Printing P/L | AWS-103 | ||
| Sept 5 | IB-224690M | BN1-224690 | 100/235 Red | 27.10.55 | M. Mobbs | AYF-051 | |
| Oct 17 | IB-223950M | BN1-223950 | 100/262 Green | 4.11.55 | A. Mitchell | AYJ-835 | |
| Oct 12 | IB-223295M | BN1-223295 | 100/218 Ivory | 14.10.55 | P. Callaghan | AXX-884 | |
| Nov 2 | IB-224335M | BN1-224335 | 100/225 Red | 11.11.55 | J. Parkinson | ALY-067 | |
| Nov 8 | IB-224465M | BN1-224465 | 100/258 Green | Merlink | AZJ-325 | ||
| Nov 29 | IB-219595M | BN1-219595 | 100/267 Green | M. Blamey | BAL-970 | ||
| IB-224476M | BN1-224476 | Green | 5.12.55 | F. Ott | AYX-792 | ||
| IB-223952M | BN1-223952 | Blue | 5.12.55 | D. Aptect | AYZ-791 |
| Jan 3 | IB-225576 | BN1-225576 | 100/272 Red (see note) | 27.1.56 | Thorbjornsen | AZW-129 | |
| Apr 11 | IB-229810M | BN2-229810 | 100/276 Ivory | 12.4.56 | E. Thorbjornsen | BHY-282 | |
| June | IB-228768M | BN2-228768 | 100/286 Ivory | 13.6.56 | T. H. Lancey | BBW-241 | |
| July | IB-222870M | BN2-222870 | 100/289 Blue | 25.7.56 | A. Hamilton | BCP-144 | |
| Sept | IB-223975 | BN1-223975 | Green | 15.9.56 | E. Thorbjornsen | BDF-085 |
| Jun 7 | IC-31157 | BN4/0/31157 | 100/293 Blue/White | 7.6.57 | J. F. C. | BJE-035 | |
| Oct 14 | ICH-44484 | BN/0/44484 | Red | 14.10.57 | L.Abrahams | LA-111 | |
| Nov 15 | IGH-45050 | Ivory | 15.11.57 | J. Davey | BKZ-646 | ||
| Nov 15 | 26/CR/47474 | BN4/0/47474 | Blue/Blue Hardtop | 15.1.58 | D. Cavill | reg in Qld | |
| Nov 28 | ICH/47723 | BN4/0/47723 | Red | 20.1.58 | F. Black | BLZ-981 |
| Mar 27 | 26CRH51726 | Red/Black | 27.3.58 | R.T. Thomas | unreg | ||
| Apr 30 | 26CRH50913 | BN4/0/50913 | Black/White | 30.4.58 | G.L. Douglas | BNS-309 | |
| Sept 30 | 26DRH56645 | BN4/0/56645 | Blue | 1.10.58 | J. Kupitsky | BRH-639 |
Note : Details supplied by current owner Kent Farminer
If anyone wants to make contact about the list just drop me an email to:
Happy Healeying
Patrick Quinn