Who doesn’t love the cheeky little Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite? The problem now is finding a good one. Bugeyes were so inexpensive, even when new, that most have been used up, scrapped, modified beyond belief, or restored to the point you can’t really drive them for fear of devaluing the restoration. But this 1961 survivor is almost completely original and is just perfectly used, but not abused! It’s listed for sale here on eBay and, of course, is 2,870 miles away from me in Healdsburg, California so I can’t even consider buying it. Bidding has already met the reserve and is up to $15,000 as I write.
The white is the original paint, and while it shows some chips in spots, especially near the front, I would argue strongly against “restoring” or even repainting this car. It’s just right as it is. If you aren’t familiar with Sprites & Midgets and you fit in one, you really owe it to yourself to take one for a drive. I’ve heard it said that you “put on” a Sprite like a pair of pants and as a past owner, I can attest to that. This is a basic sports car at its finest, dispensing with things like exterior door handles and a trunk lid!
Experts are going to immediately notice the later, “ribcase” transmission, probably from a 1275 cc Midget; we’re not sure why it’s been fitted but the original transmission is included in the auction. I wouldn’t change it back.
How could you not fall in love with that face? And I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen an unrestored, not rusty Bugeye with an intact front bumper. Only in California. Sigh.
I’m including this closeup of the original upholstery just so everyone can appreciate how wonderful this car really is. Even the vintage K-Mart-style steering wheel wrap (no doubt to cover some cracks) fits the car’s overall ambiance.
Okay, this is too much. I’m not even sure I’ve ever seen an early Sprite with a tool kit. We’re told that is the original spare tire that still holds air.
The Bugeye came with a 948 cc “A-Series” four-cylinder engine that was only capable of 43 to 45 horsepower (references differ) and around 52 ft-lbs of torque. But believe me, at 50 miles per hour you feel like you are flying! Someone please buy this car, change that ugly coil back to a Lucas one and tell us all about it! I await your happy news!
Not too many of these around these days. Nice car!
My high school buddy had one of these. The previous owner had set it up with racing springs. It was so touchy, the steering wheel was like an Ouija board…you just thought about moving that steering wheel and the car would change direction! Just before he and his brother left for college he asked his brother to check the oil. Well, his brother didn’t fully latch the bonnet. They were driving down the highway at about 60 (fast for a Sprite) and the hood came loose, opened completely and the two headlights were perfectly positioned to smack both riders in the head! He was pretty mad at his brother for that move. There was damage that had to be repaired not to mention a pretty good headache.
I had a Bug Eye just like this, even the same color. But the hood, (in fact the entire front clip) opened forward, how would it bepossible open on the highway? Must have been a different kind of Bug eye than mine. I agree, a really fun car.
The hood/bonnet of a bugeye opens from the front, hinged at the back near the windscreen. There are a lot of them that had the hood modified to open from the back, hinged at the front, which honestly to me, makes much more sense on this car. In fact, most I saw where that way, and it was years before I knew that those which I had been seeing were modified examples.
I had a 1960 model, hinged in front. Easy to access engine. Never knew it was modified………
Rib case not rib “cage”
Fred, you’re right! I think that was autocorrect, but I’ll take responsibility. I’ll fix it :-)
I also love sprites. Test drove one for sale a lifetime ago in DC, super fun. However, the problem is it can’t keep up with modern traffic, and is basically unsafe unless you live in a nice genteel town or out in the country. I’ve had and sold a nice MGB GT and an Austin America because my fellow drivers were either impatient with being behind a little car doing 50, or they thought it was fun to try to intimidate me with their jacked up monster trucks.
GreggoL…. Now you know why you see so many of these cars with the 1275 engines in them. With mild upgrades you can pull 100 plus hp out of them and in a 1,400 lb car that’s a significant horse power to weight ratio. Fun factor goes up too.
Wow, nice car….sure appears to have been loved by its original owners
. “rib case transmission ……….we’re not sure why it’s been fitted ”
because it is strong, a bit better ratios, and has syncro in 1st …
I don’t recall any BMC transmission for the A-series having a synchronised first gear. The much later Triumph 1500 engines might have, and there was an all-synchro Datsun 1200 transmission that was frequently swapped in.
Not to mention countless Datsun 210 gearboxes (4 and 5 speed variations) due to the ease of installation. Many tranny-less 210’s in junkyards and people’s back 40 due to this terrific upgrade.
No synchro 1st in the rib case gearbox.
Rib case does not have synchro first, but is stronger. My bugeye has the 1275 and 5 speed conversion. 70 mph cruising is no problem, I drive it on the interstate regularly ( but not my preferred driving scenario).
I am no more intimidated by other vehicles than when I ride motorcycles. Would it be less intimidating to drive a miata? My mgb gt with overdrive cruised at 75 easily. I put 183k on that car. Not sure where that 50 mph comment came from but different strokes for different folks I guess. Now the Austin America, that’s a dog if automatic. Would agree the bugeye is most most fun around town or country roads….. But I would say that for most any hobby car .
Nice Sprite. The photo underneath brought back memories of the time I was riding in my friend’s 67 Sprite on a beach in Okinawa on New year’s day, 1970. Notice where the fuel and brake lines run underneath the horizontal seam in the body panels. We managed to find a rock that was just the right height to hit the fuel line. Sput, sput, sput, dead silence. Finding some rubber line and hose clamps was an adventure all by itself. Could’a been worse. Could’a been the brake line.
1961 Bug Eye Sprite. My very first car when I was sixteen. Actually still fifteen when I acquired it. Baby blue with a dark blue interior. I’m now seventy with several British sports cars, a couple of Porsches and half a dozen Harleys on the road behind me. I currently have a Toyota Tacoma truck and a 2003 Porsche Boxster S. Nothing ever lived up to the thrill of that first AH Sprite.
My first car. Ref the hood, it’s so heavy I can’t see how it would fly up unlatched. If it did, it would act like a huge air brake….
I agree with you Martin There is no way that a standard bonnet (hood for you Yanks) could come up if it was unlatched – they are very heavy as you know.
A lot of Sprites have fiberglass replacements so maybe it was one of those.
I’ve had 4 Sprites and a Midget, at 70 maybe I should give it up but I’m thinkin about this one !