Description
Offered for sale is a truly remarkable, numbers-matching, thoughtfully restored, one-owner 1967 Austin Healey 3000 Mark III BJ8 Phase 2 that has accumulated just 30,000 original miles from new. Purchased in 1967 by Dr. Jewell L. Osterholm (who would later become one of the country’s most esteemed neurological surgeons) the car was fanatically looked after, maintained and enjoyed. The Healey was one of Dr. Osterholm’s most prized possessions, sparingly used on weekend jaunts in good weather only, otherwise garaged at his luxurious suburban Philadelphia estate. As age and schedule put a dampener on the frequency with which he enjoyed the car, Dr. Osterholm let it sit for longer and longer periods of time, until finally it fell into mild disrepair. Frustrated with himself, Dr. Osterholm decided to have the car restored to the highest possible level, spending nearly $65,000 over almost four years with Madden & Ryan, Inc. of Radnor, PA to professionally return the Healey to virtually as-new condition.
Allow me to state, however, that Dr. Osterholm by no means just let the car decay. It was more the accumulation of minor issues (carburetors, water pump, dry and cracking rubber, blistering original paint, etc.) that prompted his desire to bring the car back to its current, gorgeous condition. That said, Madden & Ryan embarked on a comprehensive, fully documented body restoration and went through the car’s mechanicals completely, logging a staggering 792 hours. The result is one of the most beautiful, mechanically excellent examples that we’ve ever seen.
The car’s Colorado Red finish is virtually flawless – no dings, scratches, nicks or inconsistent paint – and the body is phenomenally straight, with consistent gaps, panel fits and absolutely no wavy bodywork. All of the rubber was of course replaced during the restoration and the original glass is in good condition. The bright-work is clean and correct, free of any dings, scratches, chipping or flaking, and the chrome knock off wire wheels are new and wrapped in a fresh set of correct-type Michelin radials. The original black interior was left unrestored because of its excellent, barely patinated condition. The seats show only negligible wear, the interior panels are flawless and the black carpet was replaced with correct materials at the time of refinishing. The walnut dash is in fantastic original shape, holding gauges and electronics that all work as they should. The original Becker radio is still in the car, which is a rarity. Both the full tonneau cover and soft top are in excellent condition, free of rips, tears or noticeable wear and retaining clear rear glass.
Mechanically the car is superb. The engine starts easily, idles consistently and pulls with consummate BJ8 force. The brakes and suspension are excellent, allowing the car to handle beautifully and stop straight and true. The exhaust note is grin inducing and the transmission shifts flawlessly through each of the gears without any grinding or popping out of gears. The overdrive works faultlessly and the car is a joy to drive, whether cruising down the highway, tearing through the canyons or just tooling around town. The car’s undercarriage is in excellent condition, showing no rust in the pans and retaining original and completely straight frame rails. The trunk is clean and correct, holding the car’s original spare wire wheel, tools, knock-off hammer, jack and workshop manual. The owner’s handbook, Becker radio manual and a custom car cover will also be included in the sale. Lastly, the car comes with a Heritage Certificate verifying that it is a numbers matching, final production year BJ8.
We currently have three other BJ8s in varying conditions, from a very clean #2 condition weekend driver to a solid project car that’s quite rough but has good bones. This car is far and away the best of the lot and we feel that we’ve priced it fairly and accessibly, offering its next lucky owner value and pride of ownership. This is an exceedingly rare opportunity to acquire such a beautifully presented, low mileage car that has benefitted from dedicated one-owner care. It has everything that the astute sports car buyer should be looking for: matching numbers, incredibly low original mileage, one-owner history and the recipient of a comprehensive, high dollar professional restoration that has yielded a gorgeous and mechanically strong car that is ready to be shown and/or enjoyed on the road. You’ll not find a comparable example any time soon.
