New Healey is built for the modern age

Envisage and JME Healeys re-imagine it as a… Caton A new Austin-Healey-inspired sports car has been launched by an ‘all-new luxury British brand’ called Caton. Developed by the Envisage Group and Healey specialist JME Healeys, just 25 examples will be handbuilt in Coventry with the promise of OEM-grade engineering combined with traditional craftsmanship. It’s promised to be the first in a series of vehicles ‘focusing exclusively on the sympathetic enhancement and evolution of cherished products for the modern age’.

Starting with a 3D scan, the original Healey’s aesthetics were tweaked most notably in the grille, bonnet line, rear deck and side vents. Also striking is the lack of bumpers, seams, beading, handles and hinges. The aluminium panels are rolled on a wheeling machine, but CNC techniques ensure perfect panel gaps. The 72-spoke, alloy-rimmed Borrani wheels and spinners are black.

A redesigned transmission tunnel allows more space, and there’s a racing-style pedal box. The roof, tonneau and heater are gone but there are two USB ports, albeit with no infotainment. Mechanical updates include a five-speed gearbox and tuned suspension plus uprated driveshafts and four-pot alloy calipers actuating discs all round, all fitted to JME’s strengthened chassis. JME also developed the 3-litre, four-cylinder engine which gives 185bhp and 195lb ft of torque. It’s based on an Austin-Healey block and has a steel crank, a race camshaft, twin SU H8 carburettors and a sidepipe exhaust. Envisage Group CEO Tim Strafford said: ‘The Healey by Caton is a car for those who appreciate beautiful objects and exquisite works of art. It is also for those who love the sound of a high-performance engine running on carbs.

‘With all mechanical components new, the Healey by Caton frees owners from any reservations over purchasing a classic car. It delivers peace of mind, alluring beauty and breathtaking pace.’ See www.caton.uk for more.