Austin Healey 3000 License Plate Bulb Size

The Austin Healey 3000 license plate light uses 57 and 257 bulb sizes for illumination. Data for the specific components covers the time range from 1959 through 1967.

The year-by-year compatibility chart below provides a quick reference to verify the correct bulb size for your vehicle.

Bulb Size by Year Range

Years	Bulb Size
1966-1967	257
1965	57
1961-1964	257
1960	57
1959	257

Bulb Specifications

Description	Bulb Size
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Festoon or BA9s base instrument bulb. 12V, 2W.	257
ANSI standard (US & Canada). Single-filament bulb with BA9s base. 12V, 1W.	57

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Additional Notes

The Austin Healey 3000 license plate bulb specifications cover model years 1959-1967, with two bulb types appearing across that span: the 257 and the 57.
The 257 is the more frequently specified bulb, appearing in seven of the nine model years listed: 1959, 1961-1964, 1966, and 1967.
The 257 bulb is an ANSI standard type rated at 12V and 2W, and it accepts either a festoon or BA9s base configuration.
The 57 bulb is specified for the 1960 and 1965 model years of the Austin Healey 3000.
The 57 bulb is also an ANSI standard type rated at 12V, but it draws only 1W and is a single-filament design with a BA9s base.
Both the 257 and the 57 share the BA9s base format, which is a small bayonet-style cap commonly found in instrument and indicator lighting applications.
Despite sharing the same BA9s base, the 257 and the 57 are not interchangeable without consideration, as they differ in wattage: 2W for the 257 versus 1W for the 57.
The wattage difference between the two bulbs means that substituting one for the other would alter the light output at the license plate position.