Makes › Healey › Silverstone · Rare production · 1949–1950 Extremely Rare
Healey
Silverstone
Cycle-winged Riley-engined lightweight sports car; D- and E-types
Photo: David Merrett from Daventry, England · CC BY 2.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 105 Built
- Years
- 1949–1950
- Engine
- Front-mounted Riley four-cylinder twin-cam · 2,443 cc / 2.4 LFactory: 2,443 cc
- Power
- 77.6 kW / 105 PSFactory: 104 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 177 km/hFactory: 110 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Donald Healey Motor Company (Donald Healey with Achille Sampietro and Ben Bowen)
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Silverstone was Donald Healey's stripped, cycle-winged sports car built for club racers, using the Riley 2.4-litre twin-cam four in a light aluminium body. Only 105 were made in barely more than a year, split between the D-type and the revised E-type series.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Healey Silverstone (Wikimedia Commons: Healey Silverstone)
Photo: David Merrett from Daventry, England · CC BY 2.0
Healey Silverstone (Wikimedia Commons: Healey Silverstone)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Healey Silverstone (Wikimedia Commons: Healey Silverstone)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
Healey Silverstone (Wikimedia Commons: Healey Silverstone)
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model production51 D-types + 54 E-types | 1051 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The Silverstone made its debut in early summer 1949 with Louis Chiron, Tony Rolt and Donald Healey driving, and was conceived as a car with one purpose: competition. Bodies were made by Abbey Panels of Coventry. The first 51 cars carried D chassis numbers; from April 1950 the E series followed. Production stopped in September 1950 as Healey turned to the Nash-Healey, and 1952 rule changes banning free-standing wings ended its front-line racing career.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Silverstone.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Front-mounted Riley four-cylinder twin-cam2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 2,443 cc / 2.4 LFactory: 2,443 cc2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 6.8:12 Independently researched |
| Valvetrain | Overhead valve (Riley 2.5-litre four)3 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 77.6 kW / 105 PSFactory: 104 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource states bhp. |
| Power at | 4,500 rpm2 Independently researched |
| Torque | 179 NmFactory: 132 lb-ft · converted3 Independently researched |
| Torque at | 3,000 rpm3 Independently researched |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Riley four-speed manual2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 43 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Box-section frame3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Trailing arms3 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,440 mmFactory: 96 in · converted3 Independently researchedSource states it for all cars built at Warwick. |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 177 km/hFactory: 110 mph · converted2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Originals have a single-skin aluminium body by Abbey Panels, free-standing teardrop cycle-type wings, headlamps set behind the grille and the spare wheel in a letterbox slot in the tail. Chassis numbers carry a D prefix (first series) or E prefix (from April 1950). Mechanically they use swing-arm front suspension, a Riley live rear axle and Lockheed hydraulic brakes.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
- 1
-
2
History | Healey Silverstone Level B healey-classic.com
- 2,443 cc Riley four-cylinder twin-cam
- 2,443 cc
- 6.8:1 compression
- 104 bhp at 4,500 rpm
- Riley four-speed manual
- the maximum was sometimes above, sometimes below 110 mph
-
3
1950 Healey Silverstone Level D HowStuffWorks · 2015-12-22
- The Riley overhead unit was good for 104 horsepower
- 132 pounds/feet torque at 3,000 rpm
- four-speed gearbox ... from the postwar Riley RM-series sedan
- sturdy, box-section platform with a 96-inch wheelbase
- odd trailing-arm front suspension
- 96-inch wheelbase
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