By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, Craigslist

The charming Austin-Healey roadster is a pretty valuable car these days, worth between $30,000 and $200,000 depending on condition and specification, but it’s easy to forget that these were pretty common cars back in their day. After all, roughly 44,000 big Healeys were built in all, and given their sporting nature, they would frequently end up wrecked or in a state of disrepair. That was Fiberfab’s angle, citing that you could have a regular old Healey, MGA or Triumph TR, or instead you could have a homebuilt car that stuck out from the crowd. This Fiberfab Banshee on San Francisco Bay Craigslist is possibly one of the most striking examples of that philosophy, as it boasts desirable triple-carb Healey mechanicals underneath its exotic fiberglass bodywork.

There’s not much history out there on the Banshee, likely because so few were made. But as the story goes, the Banshee was in development in the early 1960s when GM purchased the name for use on a Pontiac concept vehicle. At this time, the car was renamed the Caribee, and around 12 bodies were sold total. The car was designed by Chris and Russell Beebe for use on several popular donor cars, but the Beebes cite that the mold maker made some unauthorized changes to the car’s shape.

The car we’re looking at today is likely a cut above many others out there, as the owner cites that it’s built on a desirable Austin-Healey 3000 triple-carb chassis. Made in 1961 and ’62, these cars were fit with a trio of SU HS4 carburetors and an improved camshaft, which provided 132 hp and makes them among the most valuable big Healeys. In fact, one nicely restored ’62 tri-carb car was hammered away for $203,500 at Pebble Beach, and that was back in 2014.

What we know about the car otherwise, is that it presents pretty well and is in running and driving condition following 30 years of storage in a private collection. A few service items were taken care of since, along with the addition of custom-formed headlight covers. The interior is really well appointed for a fiberglass car, and everything looks to be in good condition. There are a couple areas that could use some attention surrounding the hood vents, but the car’s next owner could probably come up with an elegant solution without getting into too much paintwork.

If indeed only 12 of these cars were built, this tri-carb Banshee has to be one of the most desirable out there, or it easily could be after a few loose ends are taken care of. The seller is asking $28,500 for the car here on San Francisco Bay area Craigslist.