- The Healy Enigma revives the look of the Austin-Healey 3000.
- It rides on Mazda’s MX-5 NC platform with a fiberglass body.
- One example is up for auction today with fewer than 15k miles.
A listing for a 2016 Healy Enigma recently popped up, and for a moment, it made us wonder if Austin-Healey had quietly resumed production. It has not. The roadster is actually a modern homage built by the now-defunct Norfolk-based coachbuilder Healy Designs, using the underpinnings of the NC Mazda MX-5.
Its bespoke fiberglass body takes clear inspiration from the classic Austin-Healey 3000. Up front sits an oval grille, joined by a vented hood and pronounced side gills that echo the original design language. As is often the case with low-volume coachbuilt cars, parts-bin ingenuity plays a role. The headlights come from an R53 Mini Cooper S, while the taillights are borrowed from the K12 Nissan Micra.
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The cabin is largely carried over from the NC Miata, though Healy Designs added a hint of British character. Black quilted leather upholstery replaces the standard trim, and the steering wheel carries an Enigma emblem as a small reminder that this roadster is a bit more special than a run-of-the-mill MX-5.
Under the hood sits a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the Mazda donor car, producing 158 hp (118 kW / 160 PS) and 188 Nm (139 lb-ft) of torque. Healy Designs did offer an option far more dramatic: a 4.0-liter V8 sourced from Lexus. That upgrade would almost certainly have pushed the price up considerably, and frankly, we are not entirely convinced a Miata-based roadster needs that much power anyway.
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According to the listing on PistonHeads, this particular Healy Enigma has 14,746 miles (23,731 km) on the odometer and has had four previous owners. It also carries a small dose of TV fame, having appeared on screen in the British soap opera Emmerdale in 2019.
At the time of writing, with a few hours remaining in the auction, the highest bid had reached £13,000 ($17,400). It is not clear whether that amount meets the seller’s reserve.
Not The Only Revival Attempt
PistonHeads
The original Austin-Healey brand was established in 1952 through a collaboration between BMC-owned Austin and the Donald Healey Motor Company. Production models included the 100, the 100-6, Sprite, and the definitive 3000, all of which became symbols of British sports car culture. Production ended in 1972, although several attempts have been made to revive the name.
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Notable revival attempts include the 2001 Project Warwick, which used the BMW Z8 as its starting point, and the 2005 Project Tempest, developed around the MG XPower SV. HFI Automotive also produced an unnamed prototype in 2006. Healy Designs later joined the list with the Enigma in 2015, although the company itself was dissolved in 2023. More recently, Caton unveiled a £474k ($635k) limited-production restomod built around the original Austin Healey 100.
