The Bugeye Sprite sprang onto the scene in 1958, to fill a niche formed as sports cars became ever heavier, more luxurious – and more expensive. The Sprite offered that sports car feeling again, in an economical package that almost anyone could afford. Marking the difference between driving today and driving back then, the Sprite was advertised as “safe” because it featured independent suspension, hydraulic shocks, and a low center of gravity – all contributing to road holding. Today, we equate “safe” with an airbag. Here on eBay is a 1959 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite for sale, bid to $8,500, no reserve. The car is located in Conway, South Carolina. The seller mentions that the paint is older but rates good driver quality; he calls the color “bright red”. The front bumper does come with the car. He is selling his Sprite because he acquired a vintage Porsche that he’d rather restore. Thanks to the ever-reliable T.J. for the tip!
The seller says the motor is likely its original 948 cc inline four-cylinder. Breathing through two tiny SU carburetors, this motor would make about 48 bhp, enough to propel the little Sprite from zero to sixty in 21 seconds. Its top speed is 80 mph but it feels a lot faster, being so low to the ground. These air cleaner assemblies are not original and the engine bay should be body color. But the seller says the car starts on the button and runs well with no smoke. The four-speed transmission has some play but shifts well. The clutch is fine as are the brakes.
The Bugeye has a spartan body – no door handles, no windows, no trunk lid – and the interior was similar. This car has carpeting, but originally, the floors and the interior of the doors were covered in rubber matting. The seller says the speedometer does not work but the rest of the gauges do. The trunk is a riot; I used to take my old Bugeye on road trips and invariably “lost” my backpack deep in its recesses. This one is storing its spare, which must add substantially to acceleration time! The car comes with a full complement of weather equipment – side curtains, tonneau, and top.
The underside shows surface rust and old undercoating in areas, but nothing that a few weekends of work couldn’t improve. All in all, not much to complain about here. This is a car that could be improved without a lot of investment, or just flogged on the twisty bits for fun. Don’t you think this one could fit in your garage, maybe in the way back where your engine hoist hangs out?
Nice car. One note: No independent suspension on this car unless you want to count the front lower A arm, spring in the middle, lever shock on top of a king pin/spindle unit. Rear is solid axle hung on two quarter elliptic springs. No rear sway bar and if installed, the smallest front sway bar in automotive history. In stock form they handle like a wheelbarrow but can be quickly upgraded with parts like a rear panhard rod and a much bigger front sway bar.
Hi @BobHess “front lower A arm, spring in the middle, lever shock on top of a king pin/spindle unit”
that IS independant suspension …
and agreed on the benefit of adding the Panhard bar in the rear with the front swaybar ( adjustable of course), and heavier front bar. Bought my first one brand new in 1959
Looks like a very honest car. Nothing glaring wrong, just a clean survivor that someone will enjoy. Fun little car that seem to go so much faster than they are actually. Easy to work on, so simplistic, lots of smiles per mile.
Seller mentions that the motor is ‘likely the original 948’ even though the motor serial # is missing in action.
Carbs are 948 originals and the “948 notch” is there on the left front of the cylinder head. There is a cast in number on the left side of the block that will indicate what engine it is.
Yes, it can be easily verified it’s a 948 motor but without the serial number plate the sellers claim as the original motor can never be proven.
If the engine was rebuilt at some time in it’s life truing up the head and block would clean off the engine serial number. Unless the machinist knows the engines they usually don’t take the time to remove the tag.
One of the nicer unrestored Brits I have seen.
Without checking on one of my 11 Spridgits, I think ALL the engines have a casting on the right side indicating the block series: 950, 1100, 1275.
If everyone was issued a Bugeye Sprite at birth, there would be no hate, I mean, look at that face,,,awww( mom would say), lay your weapons down, here, have a Bugeye Sprite instead. What? Could happen, no?
Saw very, VERY few Bugeyes, at Road America,mostly, but I never recall seeing one on the road. Not sure why, there was literally no market for a goofy looking roller skate of a car( remember, we were riding in Olds 98s) in the late 50s and only the most loyal or broke fans drove them. $50 bucks got you a running Bugeye( or Spitfire) in the 60s, no foolin’. It was the Mkll that was more of a “real” looking car, and Americans just began buying them. Once word got out how much fun they were, say mid 60s, things really took off, but the poor Bugeye was long gone by then.
Again, next buyer please note, it’s all about application, where you going to drive this thing? A nicer one, I doubt you’ll find, but one must be cautious where you go, and have greasy finger nails and above all, it’s not a Toyota.
People ride motorcycles everywhere and this is arguably safer than any motorcycle. Not sure why all the “you can’t really drive these anymore” sentiment, if that’s what it is. Will you be comfortable on a mega highway going 85mph? Probably not, but that’s pretty easy to avoid anywhere you’d realistically be driving an old car like this.
I could not agree more. I own a 1500 Midget and people ask me regularly if I am afraid to drive it and in the same breath tell the guy beside me that they like his Goldwing.
I drive my Midget like a motorcycle. But that I mean my head is on a swivel and I assume people don’t see me, so am ready when they cut me off.
For 7-8 months of the year it is my preferred means of getting from Point A to Point B. It makes the drive to work bearable!
I paid $100 for my rustbucket Bugeye in 1967. I think I put another $30 in it. It was gone in a year, along with my Cooper S 1275, to fund a Healey 100-6 with a 3000 (BJ8) drivetrain, which was a whole lot faster.
But the Bugeye was a ball in the twisties! And had half the thirst of the Big Healey.
WHERE ARE YOU??? They ARE the cars in H Production class, they are the entry car for racers at least WERE–haven’t been to a SCCA race for a while. I’ve never found a running bugeye for under $4-550 and then with problems, NOW a very nice one sells for $20,000, all the bits are interchangeable so you can update your bugeye with later disk brakes, better transmission and 1275cc engines etc. When I had young children We, wife and I drove all over the place to go Autocross EVERY weekend, boy laid behind the seats, daughter sat on a pillow on the emergency, everyone had a good time. Wife drove the bugeye to school where she taught, found it superior to the MK-VIII Jag in traffic in Bay area of California.
My Bugeye Sprite is powered by a Honda Goldwing motorcycle engine! I have had Bugeyes off an on my whole life in between Aston Martins, Bentleys, Jaguars, Porsches, Ferraris and Rolls-Royces.
We have a ’58 Bugeye and they are just a blast to drive. We live out in the country, so it’s a back roads driver for us, but the “smiles per mile” is incalculable. I’ve modernized the electricals and fuel system so it’s reliable for my wife to drive on errands, otherwise it’s pretty much stock – although I’ve overhauled just about everything at one point or another.
I would advise anyone interested in a Bugeye to sit in the car before doing anything else. They are a tight fit.
Check this out: https://www.bugeyeguy.com/
This guy sells restored Bugeyes for a small fortune – something to consider if you want to restore this
My first college roommate at FIT in Melbourne, Florida showed up with one of these. He took me on a few rides and it was fun. He decided, after 2 weeks or so, that college wasn’t for him and drove back home to Michigan.
I was involved with bug-eyes, sprites and midgets in the mid ’70s. I bought several for well under $500. Parting them out got me through a few years at the local Junior college. Actually, I made a partial trade with a bug-eye for a profession that lasted until my retirement 35 years later. Feel a little guilty now but at the time they weren’t worth much or very popular. Boy how things change…
I’d love to buy this……let me know the sales status as everyone goes forward?