Austin-Healey 3000

For years, the motoring world has been trying to recreate the magic of the classic British sports car.

Most attempts arrived with electric motors, digital dashboards and the emotional charisma of a tax return.

Now something rather more interesting may be happening.

The legendary Austin-Healey 3000 is tipped for a 2026 revival — with 420bhp, rear-wheel drive and, rather wonderfully, a proper manual gearbox.

Which raises a delightful possibility.

Britain may once again be building a sports car that bites.

◼︎ In the late 1950s, Britain exported many goods worldwide.

Tea. Tailoring. And occasionally, wonderfully unruly sports cars.

◼︎ One of the best was the Austin-Healey 3000.

1959: The original arrives with a muscular straight-six, a long bonnet and just enough civility to make it road-legal.

1960s: It becomes one of Britain’s great export successes — charismatic, robust and gloriously unrefined.

1967: Production ends, leaving enthusiasts with a permanent case of nostalgia.

◼︎ Nearly sixty years later, the name may return.

But not as an electric lifestyle accessory.

The proposed 2026 Austin-Healey 3000 is expected to feature:

• 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six
• 420 horsepower
• Rear-wheel drive
• Six-speed manual gearbox

Performance is expected to include a 0–60 mph time of roughly 4.5 seconds.

◼︎ Most modern ‘heritage’ cars arrive with batteries and software updates.

This one appears to arrive with a straight-six, a clutch pedal, and the faint smell of Castrol R.

‘Which may be exactly what the modern sports-car world has been missing’