Donald Mitchell Healey, son of a Cornish shopkeeper, was born in Perranporth, Cornwall, in 1898. From an early age he displayed a great deal of potential and understanding for mechanical objects, and upon leaving school he served an apprenticeship at Sopwith, the aircraft manufacturer, where he learned his trade in using machine tools.

After the outbreak of the First World War, Healey served in the Royal Flying Corps as a pilot until 1916, when he was injured following an air crash. Upon being discharged as an invalid he returned to his home in Cornwall where he took up a correspondence course in automotive engineering. Sponsored by his father he opened a garage in his home town where he repaired and serviced cars, as well as running a local taxi service. The business prospered, until one day in 1922, he found he had sufficient funds to buy a competition car. This marked the beginning of his involvement in motorsport, where he was to meet other like-minded people and form relationships that would carve out the direction of the rest of his life.

Following the outbreak of the seconf World War, Healey's abilities as an engineer were recognised by the Ministry of Supply who tasked him with developing an aircraft carburettor. He also worked with Humber in their developmnent of armoured vehicles and where he met Achille Sampietro, a specilaist chassis designer and producer.

In 1945 Healey and Sampietro set up business together under the name of Donald Healey Motor Company, and took up premises in the form of an old RAF hangar at Warwick and in 1946 the first Healey car appeared, powered by a 2.5-litre Riley engine. In 1947 and 1948, Healey took his car to the Alpine Rallies where he secured class wind at both events. His cars scored other success, as did Healey himself, and gained a high level of respect in the world of motorsport.

 

It was the year of 1952, and as a reult of the British Motor Show, that would mark the beginning of his launch to international fame, as this was the event at which Donald Healey inveiled to the world the car that was to become a motoring icon, the Healey 100.