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So the green car passed on and was bought by David Dixon who was a private owner and who rallied a mini with the Reg.no. DD 300 and who wanted his personal number on the new car. Now we enter into the world of supposition. Norman Higgins was the company secretary of MG’s, not a man to miss a trick. I doubt that the green car had ever been used on the road, although it was taxed for road use and purchase tax would have been paid. If he re-registered the green car as DD 300, Dixon would get his date of first registration much newer than the real age of the car, while not thinking it unusual to pay purchase tax on any car bought direct from a manufacturer. If this was done, Norman would end up with a tax paid set of number plates which could go on to the next new car built by the Comp. Shop i.e. the new red rally car being prepared for the Swedish Midnight Sun Rally.In 1961 DD 300 (the original UJB 143) was raced at Le Mans and again in 1962
Marcus Chambers decided to send two cars to Sweden in 1961, one Healey for Peter Riley and Tony Ambrose and an A40 for Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom. So the number UJB 143 was allocated to a new red/white AH 3000 rally car, as the MG Car Co. still retained the Registration Book. This chassis would have been fitted with the same engine and chassis numbers as UJB 143, so that it matched the Registration Book. At this time the original UJB 143 was in effect fitted with a new chassis/body. This is now the car referred to as UJB 143 and explains why the engine, chassis and body numbers match those of the original UJB 143 as shown in the BMIHT Certificate. New engine and chassis numbers would have been allocated to DD 300 from the factory.
In 1961 Bill Price delivered UJB 143 to Düsseldorf to meet up with Peter Riley and Tony Ambrose. They were due to drive up from Switzerland in the ‘Works’ Austin A40 Farina which they had been using for an Alpine race. However, the A40 steering broke away from the chassis and Peter had to leave the car in Montréal to be repaired. Peter’s parents were living in Montréal and he drove up with Tony in his father’s Citroen ID19. Bill duly met them at Düsseldorf. Peter and Tony left the next morning for Sweden.
It was quite a big event to have to have a new car built for a driver. Peter and Tony were delighted with the way it ran, straight out of the box. We knew how good these Scandinavians were, but we also knew that they had not seen a proper Healey 3000 in action. In the 8 successive events entered by the model, one or other of the drivers had secured the class, which was an advertisable success. The 1961 Swedish was to be the 10th in a row, and a big spread in the motoring papers had been envisaged. Back at the office they were not at all impressed with their second place, asking them what the trouble had been. In fact Tony and Peter look back on it as the best and most satisfying drive they ever had irrespective of the result.
To close the 1961 season Pat and Ann drove a lone 3000 (UJB 143) to compete in the Tour of Corsica, a ‘road race event’ over tortuous, narrow tarmac roads around the island, not totally suitable for the big Healey. However, the event was abandoned after 12 hours because of a freak snow storm which blanketed the island. The results were announced according to the position of the cars at the time the event was stopped, Pat and Ann winning their class when placed 17th overall.
ULB 143 was involved in one more event during its Works career on 10th March 1962 when Ann and Peter were married. Marcus Chambers suggested that they left the reception in a Healey and what better car than UJB which both had rallied in during the previous year. They readily agreed as it meant they could secrete the honeymoon Volvo in Tom Wisdom’s garage, letting the mechanics get at the decoy. They walked out of the reception to see UJB sitting shining in the dusk with a large expectant crowd gathered. When Peter opened the door for his bride he found a tray of a dozen stickers on the seat which he promptly handed to his best man.
The car was covered in rude stickers, one on the bonnet read “WEATHER FORCAST HOT AND STICKY TONIGHT, A LITTLE SON LATER” Peter got in, pressed the starter, no joy. Trusty best man sorted the plug leads, so they put it in gear and let in the clutch, no joy again, car stayed still. By now the eggs had been passed round and were bursting against the screen and side windows while foul smelling smoke seeped through the floor from smoked salmon skins wired to the exhaust. It became apparent that under the back axle was a pair of Comp. Shop special blocks lifting the tyres one inch off the ground. When the eggs were all thrown and the smoke in the cockpit at satisfactory density they pushed them off the blocks to loud cheers. The fuses had also been taken out of the wipers so they zigzagged blindly away down the drive to start the rest of their lives.
The next owner was George Humble who raced it in BARC/BRSCC races and a number of club events. Natalie Goodwin owned the car in 1964 and changed the number plate to 513 BTV because it was an easier number to remember. In 1978 it was sold to Laurie Lynch who exported it to Australia where it was sold to Roger Rayson who completely renovated it and changed it into a 2+2 because he had two children. Eventually it was bought by Tony Parkinson who entered it in many events including the 1992 Targa Tasmania, 1997 Classic Adelaide, and 1998 Historic events at Mallala and Collingrove all on video.
UJB eventually found its way back to the UK when the original registration number was reapplied for and successfully obtained. It was then purchased by the present owner in 2002 who entered it in the prestigious 2002 Revival Meeting at Goodwood driven by Chris Keith Lucas of CKL Developments Ltd., who prepared the car most beautifully and also the Jersey Festival of Motoring in 2003 and again in 2006. The present owner has improved the car throughout keeping it as original as possible and changing it back to its original 2 seater shroud.
UJB 143 was the first of the Works cars to be fitted with an all aluminium body and wing vents.
My grateful thanks, in preparing this brief history of a fine ‘Works’ car go to:
Bill Price: Assistant Manager Works Dept 1960.
Pat Moss: Works Rally Driver.
Peter Riley: Works Rally Driver.
Tony Parkinson: Previous owner. Historic research.
Chris Keith Lucas: Driver at Goodwood Revival Meeting.
CKL Developments Ltd: Preparation for Goodwood Revival Meeting.
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