“Our records reveal that the dates of the Brussels Motor Show were from 16 January to the 27 January 1954. The Brussels show was the first of a number of International Motor Shows that took place each year.
It would have been built specially for the 1954 Belgian Motor Show and would have finished with much more attention and care to a very high standard. Great care in building and finishing was taken with special cars prepared for the big motor shows.
The remark “not applicable“ against the hood, could indicate that the vehicle did not have a hood fitted for this show. Deviations of nature were normal on special prepared show cars.
I hope that your 100 continues to provide you with much enjoyment. They were built to be enjoyed.“

Chassis number:               BN1-L / 150232
Engine number:                1B / 205167
Body number:                  1045
Specification:                    LHD, export
Colour, exterior               Carmine Red
             trim                    Black
             hood                  not recorded
Date built                        18 December 1953
Destination                      Brussels, Belgium
                                       (for display in 1954 Brussels Motor Show)

Other information:           This was one of three cars prepared for the Brussels Motor Show.
                                      The two other cars were finished in Olive Green with Green trim
                                      and Black with Off-White trim.

Annice Collett, Assistant Librarian of “The National Motor Museum“ Beaulieu, send me a copy of the Autocar 2 January 1954 with the story of the Brussels Motor Show. But most important to me, was a picture of the Austin Healey Exhibit.
From Quadrant Picture Library I obtained the original picture.

The known owners history begins at the 25.3.1966. On this date Mr. De Mare bought the Hundred in a sad but running condition. He gave it his personal No. Plate:  8-DK-97.
Two years later he sold the Hundred to a car dealer in the Netherlands.
R. Degueldre bought the Hundred 1972. He lives in Liege, Belgium. After ten years storing, he sold the Healey to Roland Wolf in Nordhorn, Germany.
In December 1985 begins my relationship with this Hundred, purchased with a customs declaration only.

While not a particularly early car, Karsten's 100 displays a number of interesting features usually found on early production cars. Body and chassis numbers are correct and stamped on the usual parts, like boot lid, bonnet, and cockpit surrounds.
 
 
 
 

Here are some differences:
- The door shut panels are smooth, which means no inlets for the door catch
- Early front shock absorbers
- Two piece dashboard but no adjustable steering column.
- Early door hinges
- Early scuttle seals
- Loose nuts for all fixings on the bulkheads
- Smooth rear floor above the front fixing of the rear spring
- The gearbox cover is made out of alu and made out of two parts, rived together
- Aluminium trunklid and bonnet out of aluminium with differend framing
- The front bonnet is nearly 1 inch smaller than the later one. I wanted to fit an new old stock (steel) one, but it was too
   long. The same steel bonnet fits perfectly on my friend Jochens BN2.
- Different pressing of the front inner wheelarch and made in 3 parts
- Shorter cold air hose, ended on the wheelarch
- Old type of threads, BSF/BSW

"I bought the Hundred dismantled as an rolling chassis with a lot of boxes filled with parts. The engine was completly overhauled with new pistons, camshaft, bearings, reground crank (old stock at Beaulieu autojumble). The same goes for the gearbox. Here I bought a new casting, because the old one was broken. The overdrive gave a little more trouble. The planet carrier was welded together by a “specialist”. So I had to buy a second-hand one. The rear axle body was cleaned, sandblasted and given new paint. I overhauled the diff complete with new bearings and after that I adjusted it as new. Dynamo, Starter, carbs were dismantled, cleaned, glass bead blasted and overhaul. All relays and switches were cleaned and overhauled. The backplates of the brakes were sand blasted and re-painted, and the wheel cylinders and brake shoes were re-newed. I bought the outer door sills, rear boot panel and both floor panels new. The other panels like the left and right hand sill panels, both door shut and hinge panels, rear end of chassis, front cross member, both boot floor boxes, both left hand chassis outriggers and repair panels for front and rear floor, were made by a man who worked in a shipyard in Kiel. After I have these parts a friend welded them to the chassis. For this work we needed only one week.After welding the chassis was sand blasted and zinc treated. Then I painted the chassis myself and put all parts on it to have a rolling chassis again. The fenders and doors were next, when I bought the Healey I thought these were in a good state, but when I looked more closely I saw that the lower 5 inches needed repair. After that trouble came quickley. I had to weld a lot of cracks in the shrouds and lids. The outside paint job was done by a professional painter, he performed an outstanding job. On July 1990 the Hundred was again on the streets here in Germany. I spent four and a half years on the restoration. Now we both have nearly 40000 miles of driving behind us. These times have given Marion and I a lot of fun. While driving the Healey you feel  what these cars are build for, Driving!"

Karsten offers special thanks to John Wheatley, Roger Moment, Reid Trummel, Keith Boyer, Jochen Schmitt, and many others who assisted him with the restoration, with special thanks to Marion.
 

Karsten Stelk
Kiebitzredder 14a
24235 Laboe
Germany
Email: der.englaender@t-online.de