Beschreibung
Austin Healey unveiled the Sprite in 1958 in Monaco, an affordable small open sports car for the average person. It went on sale utilizing many parts from other cars for sale at the time to help keep cost down. Apparently that tactic worked, as they were originally sold in the UK for only £669. The Sprite had an Austin A-series engine, tuned to be a bit more sporty and fit the Sprites personality a bit better. The Sprite was the first production car to ever utilize a chassis made up of folded sheet metal sections and boxes, something that was used heavily on many other production cars thereafter. Because of this, there is no trunk lid. They did this in order to maintain structural integrity, so you access the storage area through a hole behind the front seats. Because of it's affordability and simplicity, it has always been popular with racers. Over the years many cars have become successful, and many people still race their Healey Sprites today.
Presented here is a 1959 Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite that was just pulled out of a garage in which it had been sitting for a number of years. The body on this car is quite straight and completely rust free, as it has been stored indoors in a dry climate. The car was owned by an avid enthusiast for many years, who performed some extensive modifications. The engine, transmission, and rear differential all come from a Ford Lotus Cortina. The Lotus twin cam engine sits quite nicely between the fenders, and the swap was performed quite nicely. This drivetrain effectively doubles the original power output of the little Sprite, assuredly making it quite an entertaining ride. Dual Weber carburetors feed the twin-cam it's fuel, and a tubular exhaust system lets it breathe out the back. The shifting mechanism seems to have been reworked in the gearbox, as it feels extremely notchy and pleasing to place into gear.
Underneath the car there are virtually no signs of rust. The floor pans look great and are very solid. The rear quarter panels have no pitting, and is really appears as if this car has never had any rust on it at all. The previous owner has painted many components in the car a bright blue, which we imagine was the color he was planning to paint the exterior of the car, since it is just in primer. This car would be a great platform to repair to it's original glory and have a blast out on the streets with. It also has great potential as a vintage racecar with the current drivetrain setup. However it ends up, we look forward to seeing this classic back on the streets!
If you have any questions or are interested do not hesitate to contact Stephen at 303. 668. 4555
