An Austin-Healey sports car parked in front of the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin in April. The Central Indiana Austin-Healey Club is hosting its annual September Roundup in Franklin through Sunday, with a car show open to the public from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
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The fleet of sporty, sleek classic British cars started rolling into Johnson County thisevening.
Enthusiasts of the Austin-Healey sports cars, some from far away as Tennessee, Michigan and Canada, had come to town for their annual September shindig.
And Saturday morning, local residents will have a chance to peruse the unique cars during a special show.
The Central Indiana Austin-Healey Club is hosting the September Healey Roundup in Franklin through Sunday. Collectors of the unique cars have planned activities such as a road rally, banquet and auction over the course of the weekend.
Central to the event will be a public car show, where Austin-Healeys will take over West Court Street from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday to interact with the community.
“It’s kind of addicting. They’re quirky, different cars,” said Jim Bush, one of the organizers of the event.
The father of the Austin-Healey brand is Donald M. Healey, a British rally driver, automobile engineer and speed record holder. Following World War II, Healey started building his own cars. The best-known of those was the Austin-Healey sports cars, which started being produced in 1952.
Various models were produced through 1971, with a total run of nearly 200,000 — most of which were exported to the United States. The Austin-Healey Club of America has regional chapters all over the country, including the Central Indiana branch.
“We have people in our club that raced these cars, we have one guy in the club whose dad had a dealership. We have people in the club who just like the looks of that car,” Bush said.
The September Healey Roundup has become an important gathering for club members and Austin-Healey collectors throughout the region. Locations rotate, as chapters in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, all share hosting duties.
Bush, who is a resident of Fountaintown in Shelby County, worked with Franklin and Johnson County officials to plan the event here. A nod to Franklin College, the theme of the gathering is “Back to School,” and will include an awards banquet at the college as well as a “back-to-school physical” for their cars, where they’ll measure aspects such as weight, oil pressure and temperature.
They expect nearly 50 club owners to take part.
“We’ve just been over the moon with our response,” Bush said.
Organizers hope the community will come and interact with the club over the weekend, particularly at the car show.
“The public is invited to come out that, and to the Hampton Inn in Franklin, which is our host hotel,” Bush said.
IF YOU GO
Central Indiana Austin-Healey Club car show
What: A gathering of club members and their cars, open to the public
When: 9 a.m.-noon Saturday
Where: West Court Street, Franklin
