The UK’s Celtic county of Cornwall is a land full of mystical fables and folklore of piskies, giants and mermaids, together with dramatically true stories of smuggling and pirates. It is situated on the southwest tip of England and has a coastline of around 445 miles. On the northern Cornish coastline just 37 miles northeast of Lands End, the most westerly tip of England, is the tiny seaside village of Perranporth. With the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean as neighbors, Cornwall is noted for seafaring industries, including fishing and boatbuilding. Mining for tin, copper, zinc and other metals was another industry synonymous with the county for many years. This mining industry was also responsible for a famous local pastry, the Cornish pasty. What has this got to do with our car? Well, Perranporth is the birthplace of Donald Mitchell Healey. Which begs the question, how did Donald Healey become a constructor of cars when he was born and grew up so far from the epicenter of the motor industry?
On the track at Silverstone, efforts were complicated by the left-hand-drive layout of the cockpit, but the car proved quick and responsive. Photo: Pete Austin
Healey’s beginnings
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