Supplied with in-depth notes, history and specification details – all painstakingly hand-written by its owner – this Austin-Healey Sprite offers a unique and exhilarating take on the original car’s ‘back to basics’ sports car formula. The logbook records the first owner of chassis number AN5-3479 as being Christopher Cheek of Richmond, Surrey, and it was registered 802 SMG on 8 October 1958 – the first year of Sprite production. At that point, the car was yellow and fitted with the standard 948cc A-series engine, and after Mr Cheek it passed to Mervyn Mitchell in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. By the 1980s, the Sprite had been fitted with the 1275cc engine and four-speed gearbox from an MG Metro, as well as front disc brakes to replace the original drums. It had also been repainted red. The car was purchased by the current custodian in July 2015, and was immediately entrusted to MG performance specialist Frontline Developments. The first job was to fit an Ashley bonnet – a popular period modification that replaced the distinctive ‘Frogeye’ front end with a lighter and more streamlined panel by Ashley Laminates. A Honeybourne Mouldings hard-top was fitted, Avo telescopic dampers and an anti-roll bar were installed at the front, and the inlet and exhaust manifolds were replaced. But that was just the beginning… In 2016, a Revotec fan was fitted, a Quaife limited-slip diff was specified with a 3.9:1 final-drive ratio, and stronger halfshafts were installed. The following year, the engine was upgraded to Frontline’s 1380cc fast-road specification. An alloy cylinder head from Moss was fitted, the crankshaft was balanced and the flywheel lightened. The dynamo was replaced with an Accuspark Dynamator alternator and an alloy radiator was installed. Minilite alloy wheels were fitted and the front brake discs were increased from 8in to 9in. At the rear, 8in discs replaced the drum set-up. The power output from the modified engine is quoted as being 90bhp at 6000rpm, and it drives through a Frontline five-speed gearbox. The full specification is documented in the history file, and over the subsequent two years the owner covered another 5000 exhilarating miles in the car, which is now being offered for sale by the Classic Motor Hub. The Austin-Healey Sprite was already a fun little sports car in factory specification, but the well-chosen and beautifully engineered modifications on this example have turned it into a genuine ‘pocket rocket’ boasting chassis upgrades that will enable its new owner to exploit every last bit of its extra horsepower. We Sell Classic Bikes is a classic bike dealer based in Gloucestershire, England. As we have a large volume of interest from Australians in our classics we are now listing on the Australian marketplace. We have shipped a number of Norton’s, Triumphs and Tritons in recent months to customers in Australia. All our prices include shipping and insurance. Please take a look at our stock and get in touch if anything takes your fancy.
