They are among the cars that started it all. MG's, Triumphs, Healeys, and Morgans.
Originally, returning GI's bringing a few home from Europe.

Feel fortunate to have been alive back then. The real roadsters era...not fast at all, especially by today's standards, but quirky and just gangs of fun.

Yorkie. It was definitely fun. There weren't many conversions around in those days & no internet for easy research. The V8 was a 283 bored to 292 with an Isky cam, & some other things. I had to solve a cooling problem, & couldn't put an air cleaner on it without cutting the hood. I found an adaptor plate to mate the engine to the stock trans. The chassis was strong enough, but I sheered the spline going into the differential shifting into second gear & had to get a modded diff & drive shaft. I had to have the driver side foot box redone to accommodate the exhaust I had made for the driver's side. Heat wasn't a problem. It had side pipes coming out before the rear wheels & looked stock but had that beautiful Chevy V8 sound on startup. I sold it before starting college after the Army. It still needed mods like the rear suspension to make it better handle the torque. I'm sure today's conversions and kits are light years better.

Some friends of mine found a stock AC Bristol and put a decent SBC in it. With the AL body the thing didn't weigh much. They managed to rip the seats off the floor during one particular drag run banging the gears. I'm sure it otherwise drove like a truck.

I had the privilege of working for an older gentleman who raced an Austin Healey on the Palm Springs circuit when the SCCA was running places like Santa Barbara and Paramount Ranch. He was about 6'4" even in his late 70's and the pics on his office wall showed him looking over the top of the windscreen.