Dutcha and her husband Doug.

Dutcha Slieker-Hersant
Newsletter Editor/Publisher

Classic movies … Growing up I was hooked on them and through watching them I gradually developed a true appreciation for the wonderful British sports cars these lucky people always seem to be driving. I dreamed of one day owning my own little British sports car. Fast forward to the mid 1980’s… I had met my future husband back in The Netherlands and after a whirlwind romance settled with him in New England.

Good fortune smiled on me, since he was, and still is, a British sports car aficionado. Soon we had acquired a TR-3B and I was in heaven! I drove the TR-3B for about 8 years until it literally fell apart. When time came to replace the Triumph, I fell in love with the lines of the Big Healey. Nothing could dissuade me:  that was the one I wanted. We found what was advertised as ‘a driver that needed some TLC’. Yeah, you all know what that means. We parked it until we would have time to fix it.

In the meantime, a variety of British cars came. None went.  By now we had acquired one or two good drivers and built a garage to house them. Finally, poor ol’ Healey went away for a bit of mechanical work and returned home to Momma a few years later, fully restored. My wonderful husband of 25+ years handed me the key and said “there you go”. And there we went on our first drive through town:  me grinding gears with the unfamiliar side-shift, husband grinding his teeth. It’s a wonder he can still eat steak!

In town, a fellow Healey owner stopped us and invited us to join the AHCA-NE chapter. That was in 2012 and then the fun began. The following year we set out to join Conclave Charlevoix in Quebec. The 1600 mile trip cemented my love for the Healey and by the end of the trip my husband had to pry my hands off the wheel in order to get his turn. 

Driving a Healey is certainly a thrill. However, it’s the camaraderie of the great people in the club is that makes attending the events so much fun!!!