1959 Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite
auctions.single.seller.popular
auctions.single.seller.view-count
auctions.single.seller.images
Highlights
• Subject to a comprehensive restoration
• Superbly original interior
• Great history and documentation
The Background
The Austin Healey Sprite is recognised by many as one of the greatest British Sports car designs of all time. Featuring a 948cc version of the legendary A Series engine, they are widely regarded as THE car to have for the B Roads of Britain. Prices for these excellent little cars are ever appreciating with the early models (in particular the Mk1 "frogeye" version) being the most desirable and it isn't hard to see why when you see that cute little front end either trundling on it's way to a picnic or hammering it up a hill climb course.
This particular car has recently returned to the road after a 30 year period of lay up and a comprehensive restoration to bring it back to its former glory. It is presented in fabulous condition ready to be enjoyed by a new, loving owner.
This particular car has recently returned to the road after a 30 year period of lay up and a comprehensive restoration to bring it back to its former glory. It is presented in fabulous condition ready to be enjoyed by a new, loving owner.
The Paperwork
The paperwork that accompanies this car is one for the motor historians who like a bit of bed time reading. It has not only it's current UK V5C documents, but also a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate which shows where the car was originally delivered to and, perhaps most importantly; this car still has its original buff logbook which gives an insight into the ownership of the car prior to being taken off the road in 1973.
The current owner spent many moons getting the car re-registered with the DVLA using its original London based registration number, but his hard worked paid off and the car now wears the original number with pride.
The current owner spent many moons getting the car re-registered with the DVLA using its original London based registration number, but his hard worked paid off and the car now wears the original number with pride.
The Interior
The interior of a an early Sprite is renowned for being a pleasurable place to be; they feature only the necessities needed for the enjoyment of the British B Road with no ugly extras to get in the way of the driving experience. The gauges in the car are the focal point of the vynide covered dashboard and are all the hard to find original Smiths type which are unique to the model and are presented in a wonderful original condition and all work well. The switches for the controls are also all of the original type and feature their original bakelite knobs.
The black leatherette seats are in good original condition without noticeable rips and tears and are very ergonomic given this was an entry level sports car in its day and should give many miles of pleasure.
The car features its original black steering wheel that appears to have had some level of reconditioning with its matching original Austin Healey horn push. The previous owner has opted to fit a wooden gear knob which adds to the 60's period appeal.
The carpets appear to be new, high quality items which colour coordinate nicely with the rest of the car.
The black leatherette seats are in good original condition without noticeable rips and tears and are very ergonomic given this was an entry level sports car in its day and should give many miles of pleasure.
The car features its original black steering wheel that appears to have had some level of reconditioning with its matching original Austin Healey horn push. The previous owner has opted to fit a wooden gear knob which adds to the 60's period appeal.
The carpets appear to be new, high quality items which colour coordinate nicely with the rest of the car.
The Exterior
You won't see a happier looking car on the road and finished in stunning Colorado red you won't miss it coming down the street either.
The bodywork has been subject to a significant level of restoration and there are not signs of any corrosion or bubbling anywhere. There is one small paint chip hidden away on the offside rear arch which could easily be touched in if it is felt necessary. The hood is in overall good shape, but the rear window is showing some signs of age and is not completely clear, so the prospective owner may wish to have this replaced. New windows and new hoods are readily available.
The bodywork has been subject to a significant level of restoration and there are not signs of any corrosion or bubbling anywhere. There is one small paint chip hidden away on the offside rear arch which could easily be touched in if it is felt necessary. The hood is in overall good shape, but the rear window is showing some signs of age and is not completely clear, so the prospective owner may wish to have this replaced. New windows and new hoods are readily available.
The original factory bonnet has been replaced at some point in its past with a fibreglass item which is a very common practice with these cars. Although not completely original, this does prevent rust on this very large panel although for complete originality a pressed steel item will have to be sourced.
The Mechanics
Mechanically this car appears to be in fine fettle and when we visited the car it ran very sweetly. The owner tells us the car is very pleasurable to drive and should provide many miles of happy motoring. The A Series engine was apparently rebuilt by the previous owner and we have no reason to doubt this as when we visited it appeared to have no obvious oil leaks or drips as is common with these cars. The rubber hoses appear to have all been replaced during the restoration with new items and the combined oil/temperature gauge holds good oil pressure and temperature. The rocker cover has been replaced with a later alloy item which is less prone to oil leakage from the rocker gasket area.
All of the brake lines appear to have been replaced and cylinders rebuilt or replaced where necessary and we are informed it stops effectively.
All of the brake lines appear to have been replaced and cylinders rebuilt or replaced where necessary and we are informed it stops effectively.
The current owner has been using lead additives when fuelling up in order to ensure the longevity of the valve seats.
The appeal
Sprite Mk1s are renowned for their characterful "facial expression" and never fail to get a smile from passer-by or the owner. They are the essence of the legendary British Sports Car and their back-to-basics design has earned the Sprite in particular a hugely popular following from groups of all ages. They handle extremely well with near on telepathic steering thanks to the rack and pinion system inherited from the Morris Minor and their revvy A-Series engines are both cheap to maintain and are very easy to tune if you are looking for more power.
Grabbing the keys to this for a weekend drive on some of the country's great B Roads for a picnic will leave you hankering for more time in the driver's seat than at the actual destination. If you've not experienced the Sprite magic, surely it's time to find out what everyone has been raving about?
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
Consulta le nostre FAQ qui e i nostri Termini e condizioni qui
Specifiche del veicolo
- Anno 1959
- Marca Austin Healey
- Modello Frogeye Sprite
- Colore Colorado Red
- Chilometraggio 61,686 Miglia
- Cilindrata 948
Dettagli d'asta
- Tipo di venditore Privato
- Posizione Dorset
- Paese Regno Unito
11
offerte
da 8
offerenti
- sp•••• £11,500 25/10/21
- Ga•••• £11,500 26/10/21
- ro•••• £11,250 25/10/21
- Bo•••• £11,000 25/10/21
- De•••• £10,500 25/10/21
- De•••• £10,000 22/10/21
- Et•••• £8,400 21/10/21
- De•••• £8,000 20/10/21
- ke•••• £4,400 20/10/21
- sp•••• £4,000 19/10/21
La galleria
Come funzionano le offerte massime
Il processo di offerta massima ti permette di fare offerte senza preoccupazioni.
Inserisci la tua offerta massima e il sistema farà offerte automaticamente per assicurarsi che tu sia il miglior offerente - fino all'ammontare da te stabilito come tetto massimo.
Anti-sniping
Car & Classic contrasta il fenomeno dello “sniping”, ovvero il fenomeno dei rilanci all'ultimo secondo per vincere l'asta.
Se viene fatta un'offerta nei 3 minuti prima della chiusura dell'asta, la scadenza di questa viene automaticamente estesa di 2 minuti per permettere agli altri offerenti di reagire e, se lo desiderano, di rilanciare.
Incrementi di offerta automatica
- Se la sua offerta massima è uguale o inferiore al prezzo di riserva, la sua offerta massima sarà applicata per intero se lei è il miglior offerente.
- Se siete il miglior offerente e fate un'offerta massima superiore a quella di riserva, la riserva verrà automaticamente inserita come prima offerta.
-
- Una volta raggiunta la riserva, Car & Classic si assicurerà che tu sia il miglior offerente utilizzando solo gli incrementi di offerta indicati di seguito.
- Vi terremo in testa fino alla vostra offerta massima O all'incremento più vicino alla vostra offerta massima, a condizione che la vostra offerta massima sia sufficiente a coprire il valore dell'incremento.
| Ammontare dell'offerta | Incremento |
|---|---|
| Da £0 a £9,999 | £100.00 |
| Da £10,000 a £49,999 | £250.00 |
| Da £50,000 a £99,999 | £500.00 |
| £100,000 + | £1,000.00 |
Superamento immediato dell'offerta
Quando piazzi un'offerta massima e questa viene immediatamente superata, questo significa che un altro offerente ha impostato una soglia di offerta massima superiore alla tua.
Puoi fare nuovamente un'offerta o impostare una soglia più alta di offerta massima e il nostro sistema rilancerà fino alla nuova soglia, cercando di portarti a essere il miglior offerente.
Offerte massime di pari ammontare
Quando ci sono due offerte massime di pari ammontare, quella impostata per prima è quella che viene considerata “migliore offerta”.
Pre-autorizzazione
Potremmo trattenere un piccolo importo di pre-autorizzazione sulla tua carta fino alla fine dell'asta, quando quest'ultimo verrà poi stornato. Se vinci, verrà prelevata una caparra che verrà detratta dal pagamento del prezzo di vendita per il veicolo e non comporta costi aggiuntivi per te.
Cosa sono le Offerte pre-asta?
Offerte pre-asta significa che avete la possibilità di fare offerte prima dell'inizio ufficiale dell'asta.
Verrà comunicato se si è il miglior offerente o meno all'inizio dell'asta.
Problema con l'offerta
Le offerte sono contrattualmente vincolanti. Per tutelare l'utente, sono previste alcune regole nel caso in cui si ritenga che sia stato digitato in modo errato. Si prega di controllare e modificare quanto inserito.