Sprite Vehicle Overview

　　When this car was new it was painted Old English White.

　　It is now Almond Green.

　　We're also firmly of the opinion that this particular example is

　　without doubt one of the best you'll find anywhere and is

　　considerably better put together than anything the technologies of

　　the day might have achieved back in 1960 when it left the Abingdon

　　factory.

　　His father, Graham Paddy, used to work for Downton Engineering (who

　　specialized in tuning Minis) back in the '60s.

　　Graham then went on to become a founding Director of Moss Europe,

　　the automotive parts specialists.

　　A few years ago, father and son came up with a plan to buy an old

　　Austin-Healey Sprite and subject it to the ultimate nut & bolt,

　　ground-up, bare metal restoration - using both Graham's

　　considerable engineering skills and experience, and that of some of

　　the other people who'd originally worked on A Series engines and

　　mechanicals at Downton Engineering.

　　The restoration was completed in 2018 and less than 100 shake-down

　　miles have been added to the fully rebuilt engine (including Burlen

　　refurbed S.U. carbs) since then.

　　Wherever possible, high-quality original parts were sourced.

　　Elsewhere, the existing parts were refurbished or replaced with the

　　best available replacements.

　　The only significant (but highly recommended) deviations from full

　　originality are disc brakes and a stronger, ribbed gearbox

　　case.

　　Fully retrimmed inside, the car comes with unfitted glass

　　side-screens complete with fixing brackets, a new black fabric

　　hood, tonneau covers and a spare wheel.

　　It is, in short, exquisite.

　　There are now True-Spoke real knockoff wheels and hub adaptors

　　fitted to the car adding yet more character with an elegant

　　look.

　　Exterior

　　The bodywork is free of any dings, dents, creases or other

　　aberrations of any consequence whatsoever.

　　The subtle shade of Almond Green paintwork has plenty of shine and

　　luster and manages simultaneously to give the car both modern and

　　retro aesthetics.

　　The chrome work is good all round, as is the new fabric top and the

　　full tonneau cover.

　　As stated, the car comes with currently unattached side-screen

　　windows, which are clearly in excellent order.

　　The car's lights, lenses, badging and other exterior trim, fixtures

　　and fittings are all beyond reproach.

　　Interior

　　The simple but beautifully finished interior has all the charm of

　　its exterior counterpart.

　　The door cards are unmarked and pristine.

　　The pale green carpets, which contrast appealingly with the darker

　　green seats and dashboard, are effectively brand new and only

　　barely acquainted with the ingress or egress of feet.

　　The dark green leather bucket seats have yet to earn a crease, let

　　alone any patina.

　　The Moto-Lita steering wheel, gear lever, handbrake and other

　　controls look showroom fresh and free from any discernible signs of

　　use or wear.

　　The hood lining is following the same script as everything else and

　　is, accordingly, very good indeed.

　　Mechanical

　　The engine and engine bay are spectacularly clean, dry, shiny and

　　gleaming.

　　The undersides of the car look as if they've never been

　　outside.

　　Vehicle Story

　　The British call it the Frogeye, the Americans the Bugeye.

　　Either way the Austin-Healey Sprite was famously designed as a car

　　that you could keep in his bike shed'.

　　Given such a quintessentially British mission statement, it's no

　　surprise that it's both small and mechanically straightforward.

　　It's also great fun to drive and very easy to maintain and own.

　　The Frogeye didn't rely on brute force to provide its driver with

　　kicks - its 948cc BMC A Series engine, borrowed from the Morris

　　Minor, displaces almost exactly two pints, enough to generate just

　　43bhp and a top speed of around 80mph but in something this tiny

　　and low to the ground that feels so much faster.

　　And in today's world of endless speed cameras, this is how you get

　　your thrills and keep your licence.

　　The Sprite relied heavily on the BMC parts bin, sporting the Morris

　　Minor's steering rack as well as its engine, and the Austin A35's

　　front suspension. A four-speed manual gearbox took the drive to the

　　rear end, which

　　is suspended via elliptic leaf springs.

　　The bodywork is simple because simple is both cheap and light, the

　　twin constraints that run through the Sprite's DNA. This means

　　there are no door handles either, and not even a boot. In fact, the

　　entire rear end is one-piece, which is hardly the most practical

　　solution, but it does keep the shell stiff - and cheap.

　　Even carpets, wing mirrors, bumpers and a heater were all optional

　　extras.

　　And yet it's tremendously fun because of its simplicity and almost

　　complete absence of weight (on a windy day the safety-conscious

　　owner would do well to tie it down like a barrage balloon).

　　Its handling is wonderfully nimble, and it racked up considerable

　　success as a racer, most notably in the Alpine Rally, a notoriously

　　tough event it won in its first year.

　　In 1959 it went to Sebring - and took all three podium places in

　　its class.

　　The small but mighty Sprite proved that a car could be so much more

　　than the sum of its parts, and never before had so much fun been

　　had for so little expenditure.

　　Can be seen on Hotrod collection web site

　　Hotrodcollection.com

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