Healey Abbott Drophead Coupe History

Also introduced in 1950, the Healey Abbott was an elegant convertible companion to the Tickford saloon. Its coachwork was by E.D. Abbott Ltd of Farnham, Surrey, and it shared the updated chassis with Girling brakes that underpinned all the 1950-onward Healeys.

Powered by the Riley 2.4-litre twin-cam producing around 106 hp, the Abbott was capable of 104 mph while offering open-air motoring that the saloons could not. Like the Tickford, it was more refined and better-equipped than the 1946–1950 Elliott and Westland.

Production ran alongside the Tickford until 1954, with 77 Abbotts built in total — making it one of the rarer Healey variants. Both the Tickford and Abbott lines ended as the Austin-Healey 100 produced under the BMC joint venture rendered Healey's small-volume independent production commercially unviable.