1960 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk1 Rally Car by J.A. Ackley
Apr 5, 2023
Photography Courtesy Bonhams
This 1960 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk1 Rally Car was wheeled by a pair of ladies entrenched in motorsports–Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom. The duo would go on to pilot this very car to win the Liège-Rome-Liège rally, also known as “The Marathon.”
Pat Moss was the sister of arguably the best Formula 1 driver never to win a championship, Sir Stirling Moss. However, she was a star in her own right, too. Pat was the five-time European Ladies’ Rally Champion and had three overall victories in rally racing. She eventually married Swedish rally racer Erik Carlsson.
Pat’s navigator, Ann Wisdom, would go on to marry British rally racer Peter Riley. She came from a racing family. Her father, Tommy Wisdom, won his class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans two times and the Mille Miglia three times. Her mother, Elsie “Bill” Wisdom, raced, too, becoming one of the first women to win a race for both men and women at Brooklands.
The lady duo not only had ties to the sport, but they were quite the racers, too. Pat and Ann teamed up for a total of 45 rallies. Their win at Liège-Rome-Liège, with this Austin-Healey, also marked the first time a British car with a British crew won the event.
Find this 1960 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk1 Rally Car up for auction at Bonhams, with an estimated winning bid of £350,000-£450,000 (approximately $437,780-$562,860).
Pat Moss and Ann Wisdom actually began their rally victory list driving none other than the lowly Morris Minor. Pat supposedly named hers "Granny" - most like.y named for the type of person who usually bought Minors. Both of them purportedly thought the Minor was a great rally car, being both capable and tough. While the big Healey's were certainly tough (and fast), both women thought they were real bears to drive and neither enjoyed driving them.
In reply to TommyBoyUSA :
Thanks for the additional information! The Moss-Wisdom duo seemed like quite the pair of racers.
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Price
Price upon request
Color
Red
