Post by bbh on Oct 17, 2018 9:38:39 GMT
Courtesy of information provided by Steve Byers BJ8 Registry, some definitive facts and figures of the BJ8 cars produced in Metallic Golden Beige ......
"With exactly 553 cars leaving the factory in Metallic Golden Beige paint, they represent 3% of total BJ8 production. It is not true that all were built in calendar year 1967. The first one (32552) was built 14 - 15 July 1965 and sent to the Donald M. Healey Motor Company in Warwick. It was Bic Healey who said that he was responsible for the color on BJ8s because he had always admired it on Jaguars. Given the build date and destination of the first car, it is possible that it was intended as a "prototype" for DMHCo to evaluate how the color looked on an Austin-Healey. This car still exists in private ownership in England. The second car (38374) was built 4 October - 23 November 1966 as an Earls Court show car. Perhaps this one was intended to gauge public reaction before going into production, although it seems likely that by that date a lot of additional Metallic Golden Beige chassis had already been built, painted, and delivered to Abingdon. This car also still exists in England. The third car was 40190, which began production on 12 January 1967. The rest of them were built in calendar year 1967, but not all in chassis number sequence. Rather, there are chassis numbers in sequence for groups of different sizes, interspersed with other colors. The first four cars were UK Home market specification, the first and third had red leather trim, the second had red Ambla.
The first LHD car was 40202, with Black Ambla trim. It was also a Personal Export Delivery car.
516 of them were LHD (93%), 37 (7%) were RHD. Of the RHD, 35 were UK Home Market, 1 went to Japan, and 1 to Switzerland.
86 had red trim (16%), 467 had black (84%).
71 LHD cars had red trim (16%), 445 had black trim (84%). Only 1 of the 445 had black leather, the rest had Ambla. No LHD cars had red leather.
15 RHD cars had red trim (41%), 22 had black trim (59%). None had black leather, 2 had red leather.
Distribution of the LHD Metallic Golden Beige cars through Ports of Entry is given in the attachment. POEs are as identified in BMIHT data.
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
AHCA Delegate at Large"
"With exactly 553 cars leaving the factory in Metallic Golden Beige paint, they represent 3% of total BJ8 production. It is not true that all were built in calendar year 1967. The first one (32552) was built 14 - 15 July 1965 and sent to the Donald M. Healey Motor Company in Warwick. It was Bic Healey who said that he was responsible for the color on BJ8s because he had always admired it on Jaguars. Given the build date and destination of the first car, it is possible that it was intended as a "prototype" for DMHCo to evaluate how the color looked on an Austin-Healey. This car still exists in private ownership in England. The second car (38374) was built 4 October - 23 November 1966 as an Earls Court show car. Perhaps this one was intended to gauge public reaction before going into production, although it seems likely that by that date a lot of additional Metallic Golden Beige chassis had already been built, painted, and delivered to Abingdon. This car also still exists in England. The third car was 40190, which began production on 12 January 1967. The rest of them were built in calendar year 1967, but not all in chassis number sequence. Rather, there are chassis numbers in sequence for groups of different sizes, interspersed with other colors. The first four cars were UK Home market specification, the first and third had red leather trim, the second had red Ambla.
The first LHD car was 40202, with Black Ambla trim. It was also a Personal Export Delivery car.
516 of them were LHD (93%), 37 (7%) were RHD. Of the RHD, 35 were UK Home Market, 1 went to Japan, and 1 to Switzerland.
86 had red trim (16%), 467 had black (84%).
71 LHD cars had red trim (16%), 445 had black trim (84%). Only 1 of the 445 had black leather, the rest had Ambla. No LHD cars had red leather.
15 RHD cars had red trim (41%), 22 had black trim (59%). None had black leather, 2 had red leather.
Distribution of the LHD Metallic Golden Beige cars through Ports of Entry is given in the attachment. POEs are as identified in BMIHT data.
Steve Byers
HBJ8L/36666
BJ8 Registry
AHCA Delegate at Large"