Donald Mitchell Healey, passionate about aviation and car mechanics, was born in 1898 in Perranporth, a small village on the Cornish seaside. His father, John Frederic Healey, a great lover of speed, was the only inhabitant of the region to own a car, a Panhard & Levassor.

Passionate about mechanics and particularly aviation, Donald Healey left school at the age of 16 to work for the Sopwith Aviation Company. He joined the Royal Flying Corps and obtained his pilot's license in 1916.
2 years later he was discharged after being shot down, it seems, by mistake by the British defence on his return from a mission.
Passionate about wireless radio, he was the first in England to establish radio communication with an airplane and later provided the village of Perranporth with electricity.

In 1921, he convinced his father to open a car garage even though no one in the area had a car. Never mind, he rented the cars that his father bought him while waiting for the inhabitants of the region to acquire vehicles.
Invicta, ABC, Ariel 10, Riley Redwing, Triumph Seven, he competed in a series of car rallies and was then entrusted with the preparation of the cars of these car manufacturers. He drives Invicta's cars to test them. He won the Monte Carlo Rally for the brand at the wheel of a 4.5-litre car. From 1933 to 1939, he tested and prepared the new models of the manufacturer Triumph.
But it was at the age of 47 that he created his brand and established himself as an independent manufacturer by founding the Donald Healey Motor Company in an RAF hangar in Warwick.

Leonard Lord, head of the Austin Motor Company division of the British Motor Company, discovered Donald Healey's Austin A90 prototype at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1952. That same evening, he offered him a joint venture agreement that would give rise to the mass production of the Austin Healey 100.
From a 4-cylinder in 1952, Donald Healey switched to a 6-cylinder in 1956.
The brand distinguished itself with several victories in the 1950s and 1960s on the circuit, notably at the Macau Sport Grand Prix in 1955, and in rallying, on the 1960 Liège-Rome-Liège with Pat. Moss at the wheel, 1961 and 1962 GT Alpine Cup, 1964 and 1966 Austrian Alpine Rally, 1964 GT Tulip Rally, ...
The Donal Healey Motor Company produced its cars for less than 20 years, until 1972. 3 model versions will be released: 100, 3000 Sprite.
Donald Healey left the company in 1968 after the British Motor Company was absorbed by British Leyland and new safety laws came into force in the American market, Austin Healey's main importing country.
The Austin Healey myth would not have been possible without certain personalities alongside Donald Healey such as his son, Geoffrey and the designer Gerry Coker.