The focus of this post is the original "large Healey," produced 1953-1956. Later versions were lengthened, extra seating space added, different engines installed, and the grille and other details revised
Styling was cleanly done with nice touches such as a character line crease from the front fender (wing) across the door to the rear wheel opening that subtly helped to reduce potential visual bulk on an otherwise plain side. The standard-for-the-times fender flow with an upkicked rear fender line was used, but treated more successfully than on the slightly later MGA (a near-competitor) and the small Triumph Spitfire.
An unusual touch was that the car had a backwards-leaning aspect rather than a forward-thrusting one, something one might expect for a sports car with good performance. This styling stance was due to the slope of the grille and frontal part of the hood (bonnet) that was echoed by the front and rear cut lines of the doors and the windshield slope.
A sales photo of a 1954 Austin-Healey 100.
Rear 3/4 view of a 1955 from Dusty Cars.
Side view of a 1955 100 from Goodman Reed car sales.
I used this image of a 1957 MGA here to illustrate my contention that "The front fender seems a little too long and bland, virtually featureless. But in the area around the rear of the cockpit, we find a busy set of details -- the rear cockpit curve, the door cut-line, the transition to the rear fender, the rear fender itself, and the wheelhouse and rear wheel. All this attracts the eye, making the front part of the car seem too long. It also gives the rear a sort of tacked-on look."
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