Spend a little time behind the wheel of an Austin Healey and you’ll find yourself beginning to change your vocabulary a bit, perhaps using words like jaunt, kerb and tyre which also gives you a great excuse to further associate yourself with all things English — like lift a pint and indulge in some bangers and mash. So what better destination for a holiday jaunt in a British sports car than a remarkably authentic rendition of an English country pub called the Pelican Inn, situated conveniently close by in Muir Beach, just a few dozen twisty turns over the hill on Highway 1 in Southern Marin County.

How I originally came to be a passenger (and an occasional driver) of this splendid automobile is a story for another blog post but suffice to say it’s guilt by association. This Big Healey belongs to my good friend and former neighbor Alan Meeker and it’s as sweet as they come a ’67, one of the last produced, and with a mere 80K on the odometer and as in as good a state of tune as the day it left the factory in Abingdon. White with black side panels gives a formal, yet purposeful look that tends to induce head turning from bystanders and passing cars alike.

There’s a huge performance difference between the last Sportiva car I took out (a Corvette) and the Healey, however the sensation of speed and driving at the limit isn’t as markedly different as one might think. Driving a Healey is certainly more involving physically than a modern sports cars the seating position is classic British, upright, wheel close to the chest and the steering, unassisted, is heavy at low speeds, but once a rhythm is established it’s possible to make good time in a very satisfying manner. The three liter six, with its distinctive throaty growl, has plenty of low-end torque and there’s really no need to use first gear. PCH down to the Inn can be done in 3rd the whole way. It’s appropriate to remember that the Healey was designed and built for the American market, a high performance (at the time) alternative to the Jaguar at an affordable price.

Driving a classic sports car such as the Healey produces an entirely different mindset and approach to motoring than a day spent in an Audi TT. As exhilarating as it may have been in the ’60s — that’s not what it’s all about now when you get behind the wheel forty years later. It is nostalgia pure and simple, accompanied by appreciation for what got us to where are today. Driving for pleasure is bloody good, mate.