Hiding in the back of a Louisiana shed is this MK2 Austin-Healey Sprite, otherwise known as a square-bodied Sprite. While it may have lost its iconic frog-eye setup, the next generation Sprite continued the tradition of being a competent sports car for the masses, and remains an attainable classic today. The seller notes that while the interior needs some attention and other mechanical bits still need sorting, the drivetrain is “excellent”, so hopefully it’s not a long road to restore. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,837.
The addition of the trunk lid and squared-off rear haunches definitely made the Sprite a much more approachable car by non-enthusiasts, as the frogeye certainly didn’t win over everyone who approached it. However, it’s that lack of unconventionality that has somewhat limited the second generation Sprite’s presence in the vintage sports car scene (in my opinion) because the frogeye is so iconic. That being said, the second generation model also made several improvements, including a close-ratio gearbox and larger carburetors for more power – power being a relative term, of course, with the car’s low mass factored in.
The seller wasn’t kidding when he said the interior needed work, as the seats look essentially bare. However, the dash and door panels look to be in decent nick, so it’s not a lost cause. These cabins were so simple that I can’t see it costing much to restore, and the simplest path may be to simply source some good, used buckets from the classifieds and drop them in. The carpeting could likely stand to be replaced too, but given the large market for new British sports car parts provided by hundreds of vendors both here and in the U.K., I doubt you’ll have much trouble tracking down a replacement rug.
The one photo of the nose shows what looks to be a straight hood and grill, and combined with the shot of the rear, the bodywork looks quite sound all the way around. The seller also notes the Sprite will need a new gas tank and battery, and that the brake master cylinder should be replaced. New carburetor kits and wheel cylinders are also included, which I would assume to mean those areas need attention as well. Still, if the body is as sound as it appears and there’s no rust underneath, this looks like the sort of project that can be put back together without too much hassle.
Drove the MG version of this for awhile in HS; 4 of my “pals” would occasionally pick it up and move it into the bike racks..
Not fast on the straightaways but it sure surprised more than a few Detroit specials on the canyon roads!
A friend of mine in HS had a ‘Spridget’, & we’d do the same thing to him. I never had that issue, as I was driving a 73 Caprice coupe…
Had a midget in high school too, and had my car “moved” by classmates a few times. It was a fun car, wish I kept it longer, but got rid of it when I went to college. Needed something more dependable, ;)
Take that one home !
Bought a ’64 race car in ’10 to rebuild and go vintage racing with. It was turned into a race car early in life and had zero rust. Half way through the build we tripped over a rust free Bugeye rolling chassis and bought it. Wife wanted her car port spot back so it went to a racer friend. Just couldn’t get away from the Bugeyes! Did appreciate the trunk on the ’62 Midget we had. Love to see this one out of the shed but it looks pretty good on surface. Couldn’t get the Facebook site to come up so don’t have a clue what’s underneath. Be safe.
An Austin without frog eyes is just a cheap MG.
A cheap MG with a trunk..
Having owned a couple Healeys myself isn’t that the other way ‘round ???
This is a Bugeye with a hood and trunk. The Bugeye was a Healey design so I think it was the other way around.
I had a 1967 when I went away to college. It was a great car. Very dependable but hard to squeeze into. I’m over 6′ tall. I would just tuck my left arm in and reach across to pull the door closed with my right.
Two of these sitting in a field just up the road from me. Guy thinks they’re worth a fortune. They’re not. They’ll stay there until they melt into the ground.
This price at $3800+- is too high. Too many unknowns. Interior will set you back couple thousand or better, assuming no rust in floors and gauges work.
Think I’m going to cut a trunk lid into my ’60 BE. That space would be a lot more useable.
$3k is in the upper range for these cars, in this condition. But I must say the early shells are getting harder to find in rust free condition. If this has been on concrete for a while, it might be worth it since all the bodies up north and by the ocean have turned to iron oxide. Look at that classic instrument panel! And no top mechanism to get in the way if you should locate an early hardtop to go on this. Only nit to pick is the taillights, tag light and front indicator light lenses come from a much later car (1972-74). Front and rear bumper attachments were evidently body filled. Wonder if the seller has those bumpers?
wizzy… had a friend cut a trunk lid hole in his ’59 thinking he’d just put hinges on and have trunk access. That’s when he realized he had no good way of making it waterproof without a ton of metal fabrication that he had no talent for. He wound up taping the cut area up from the inside, no easy feat in a Bugeye, and never got any further.
@bobhess, I’m acutely aware of the issues of all that metalwork and detailing, having built / restored a number of cars and trucks. The opening, once cut needs stiffening, a rail for a rubber seal hardware and hinges. Trust me when I tell you “I” won’t be doing this. That’s why custom build shops were invented! Thanks for your comments, much appreciated.
Listed 19 weeks ago — still for sale??
The AH was actually a less expensive car originally. The Midget was an AH with a more expensive trim package. However the AH is a rarer car now so it is actually worth more. The Sprite / Midget was never offered with a Cooper motor and was de-tuned a bit, because a Midget with a Cooper tuned motor would be faster than the MG flagship – the MGB. BMC did not want to compete with itself.
Midgets are a blast to drive.