PEOPLE are being urged to help keep the archive of an historic motor company in Warwick.
Healey Motors – founded in 1945 and based in an old aircraft components factory in the Cape – made its name producing expensive, quality, high performance cars.
Warwickshire County Record Office has been offered the chance to buy the Warwick Healey Motor Company Archive for £120,000.
The archive is currently owned by the family who are keen to see it stay in the the town which gave birth to the company.
The county record office has so far raised £17,000 through the Friends of the National Libraries and plan to make bids for £73,000 in grants. But a further £30,000 is still needed and people are being urged for donations to ensure it stays in Warwick.
The collection includes more than 20 boxes of material including unique, early designs, business records, printed material and correspondence about the company’s involvement in motor racing and test results for land speed records.
There are also numerous photographs of various Healey models including action shots and celebrities.
Sam Collenette, record office archive service, said “Cataloguing and conservation are the first step in shedding light on the racing heritage and wider role of Healey cars in British automotive history.
“If the fund-raising is successful the record office will also investigate the possibility of digitising material from the collection to add to its online collections”.
Staff from the record office will be attending the Retro Warwick Classic Car Rally in Market Square on Sunday (August 9) from 10am, where they will be available to talk about donations.
Donations can also be made by cheque payable to the ‘Friends of the Warwickshire County Record Office’ c/o Warwickshire County Record Office, Priory Park, Cape Road, Warwick, CV34 4JS.
