Customer Profile – Rex Urban

From Moss Motoring 1983

The Austin Healey has been popular since its debut thirty years ago. People take pride in their Healeys, many paying more attention to their car than their spouse. Clubs have been formed to help preserve the marque all around the world. In these clubs are some of the most devoted Healey enthusiasts in the world. Our customer profile this month is on just such a person.

Rex Urban was born and raised in Salem, Oregon. At an early age he removed the motor from his parents’ lawn mower and installed it on a tricycle frame. As he grew he changed from lawn mowers to putting a Porsche motor in his VW Beetle. It was at this point his parents knew that their son was heading not towards a musical career, but a mechanical and racing one! (Nothing musical about Porsche motors! Ed.) For graduation from high school, Mom and Dad gave Rex his first English car, a Bug-Eye Sprite! It was this car that opened his eyes to the world of driving. From owning, driving and working on this Sprite, Rex gradually developed an interest in the ‘Big Healeys’. As his knowledge of the Healeys grew, so did his enthusiasm for them and he developed the reputation of being a ‘Healey expert’. During this time, Rex was employed at various shops, improving his automotive skills. Finally, in 1978, he realized he was tired of working for other people on ‘transportation cars’ and decided to open his own business. Now he is able to specialize in the cars he enjoys so much, and to further his involvement with the marque and the enthusiasts who share his enjoyment of it.

Rex has been successful in his business and is recognized for the quality of his work. His own cars and cars prepared for customers have been award winners in many West Coast shows, including the Austin Healey International Meet at Aspen. Rex wasn’t the only one in the family to place at Aspen; his wife, Teri, was voted Miss Austin Healey by the Healey family. Meeting Donald Healey and his family and the “Healey Team” has made Rex’s admiration for the Healey cars even greater and more personal.

This past year, Rex decided to go racing in the Bug-Eye his parents gave him for graduation. In previous years he had worked on pit crews for various Northwest teams and also sponsored them. Now it was time for him to go out and apply all the years of experience he had. At first Rex thought it was risky taking a car so dear to him and putting it out on the track but, after a while, he realized it was safer on the track than on the street.

In his spare time Rex is very active in the Austin Healey Club of Oregon. For the past four years he has been the editor of their newsletter, the “Healey Northwest”. Last year he tied for the most active member in the Oregon club.

To sum things up, the Austin Healey has become a very important part in Rex’s life. “There is nothing like driving a Healey.” said Rex. “It is the strongest sports car ever built. In addition to the great pleasure I have in driving them, I have also made friends around the world through the Healey Clubs. The clubs form a very strong network and no matter where you are in the world there is always a Healey buff to share good times with you. This alone is the best incentive I have to keep these beautiful cars on the road.”