Page 11 - Nash-Healey A Grand Alliance by John Nikas

© DALTON WATSON FINE B
© DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS © DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS DALTON WATSON FINE BOOKS TON WATSON FINE B
More importantly, the winning Alfa Romeo, driven by Clemente Biondetti and Emilio Romano, had completed the course at an average speed of only 69.58 mph, a performance well within the Elliott and Westland’s reach. Thus informed, Healey resolved to return the following year with a works effort, certain a good showing would lead to market success.
A month later, in July 1947, Warwick loaned Tommy Wisdom a Westland for the Alpine Rally. Always one of the more respected events on motorsports calendars, 61 starters covered a circuitous route that wound from Marseilles through Aix-les-Bains and Annecy, before ending at Cannes.52 With his wife “Bill” serving as navigator, Wisdom dominated the timed stages at Aix-les-Bains and Chamonix, arriving at
Chapter 5: dreaMs and disappointMent
(OPPOSITE RIGHT) During an extended tour of the Continent en route to the 1948 Mille Miglia, Donald Healey took this picture of his Elliott Drophead Coupe near a border crossing in France. This is the same cairn pictured in the image from the 1932 International Alpine Trial on page 67. (The Donald Healey Collection at the Audrain Automobile Museum)
(ABOVE) With the Swiss Alps in the background, Donald Healey’s Elliott Drophead Coupe is seen following the 1948 Mille Miglia. The vehicle pictured is a prototype for a drophead version of the Elliott that never entered production. (The Donald Healey Collection at the Audrain Automobile Museum)
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