HOME > LOT 167 - 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite to “Speedwell” specification

LOT 167 - 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite to “Speedwell” specification

LOT 167 - 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite to “Speedwell” specification

  • Superb nut and bolt restoration just completed by race engineer for his own use
  • To “Fast Road” specification using many original, very rare Speedwell parts
  • 1293 engine
  • Period Speedwell/Healey disc brake and wire wheel conversion
  • Amazing rust-free shell
  • One of the finest examples extant
  • Large valuable spare parts package including hardtop
  • Estimated at £18,000 to £24,000

SOLD for £24,150

ABOUT THIS CAR

“A Sprite was only half the price of the Big Healey… What some people forgot is that Sprite owners probably got more enjoyment out of their cars than the big boys.” More Healeys: Frog-eyes, Sprites and Midgets. Geoffrey Healey

By the mid-1950s the major players in the British Car industry had turned relatively small volume car manufacture into something of an art form; have a Supermarket Sweep style dash through the parts stores grabbing a selection of components intended to serve in more mainstream vehicles (zero development and tooling costs there then) and hang these off a bespoke, considerably lighter chassis and body designed to appeal to the sporty enthusiast. Having done just this with the 100/4 and 100/6, Healey, encouraged by BMC’s boss Leonard Lord, turned their hand to a ‘little’ Austin-Healey and the Sprite was born; an open two-seater with a fairly rudimentary folding roof and just enough space for a week’s worth of luggage, assuming you were on good terms with your traveling companion. In this case the chassis and body became one; a rigid unitary construction platform composed of mostly flat panels manufactured by John Thompson Motor Pressings in Wolverhampton. Onto this Pressed Steel in Swindon mounted a virtually unstressed outer skin, the rear section being permanently attached while the whole front end hinged upwards to reveal the engine and front suspension. The off the shelf parts were for the most part Austin A35 (suspension, front brakes, back axle plus ubiquitous A Series engine and associated gearbox) while Morris contributed the steering rack from their Minor. All this served to keep costs to a minimum and the Sprite’s launch price of £455 (plus not inconsiderable tax) made it cheaper than even a Lotus 7 which the buyer was expected to bolt together themselves.

Launched in 1958 the Sprite was an instant success on both sides of the Atlantic though before long owners were clamouring for more ‘Sport’ for their sportscars and a whole industry sprung up to supply their demands. However, as Geoffrey Healey himself noted, “Unfortunately, a number of so-called tuners did nothing but extract money from those owners who were unfortunate enough to use their services.” Very definitely not part of this ‘snake oil’ brigade was John Sprinzel who set up Speedwell Performance Conversions in 1957 and with the help of initially workshop foreman, later Chairman (and apparently pretty decent wheelman) one Graham Hill, became Britain’s top performance tuners, winning both the British Rally Championship and the British Saloon Car Championship. Covering the whole gamut from engine kits to make you go faster, uprated brakes to make you go slower and suspension components to make you go round corners, Speedwell were the go to guys in the late 1950s and early 1960s, to the extent that the ‘Speedwell Sprite’ became virtually a stand-alone model.

The vendor of this beautifully rebuilt Austin-Healey is not only a serial Sprite owner, having had numerous examples over the past fifty years, but he is also a professional rebuilder, restorer and preparer of historic motor racing vehicles. The quality of his work is showcased in this little Sprite, built for his own personal use and only for sale now due to retirement and associated workshop downsizing. Virtually finished before the pandemic hit in 2020, the last few jobs have just been completed and the Sprite has barely turned a wheel since. Knowing the cars when they were new, the vendor’s intention was to replicate what the enthusiast owner might have created in the late 1950 following a trip, chequebook in hand, to see Mr Hill at Speedwell’s premises. The Austin-Healey is absolutely chock full of period goodies, the highlights of which are detailed bellow.

Some ten years ago, the owner acquired an original UK right hand drive Frogeye for restoration plus one of the best, rust-free shells (from the USA) we have ever seen. As owners of a UK domiciled Mk 1 Sprite for the last forty years, we certainly know a rusty one and would like to think we can spot a good ‘un when we see it; one only has to inspect areas such as the wing seams to appreciate just what an excellent example this is. A significant bonus was that the shell came complete with a collection of rare and desirable period tuning parts which the owner has since added to as the rebuild progressed. It may be a hackneyed expression but this Healey really is in ‘as new’ condition throughout with every single component replaced or refurbished as required.

The Sprite’s bodywork is absolutely perfect and goes beyond being ‘just’ a rust-free shell; one only has to compare it to period photos of cars coming off the Abingdon production line to appreciate the work the owner put in to getting the panel fit and alignment absolutely spot on, especially where the steel bonnet meets the scuttle, A-Posts and curved sills. Having fettled the shell to the highest standard, the owner then dispatched it to Riviera Autobody Ltd. in Wallingford for final preparation and painting in lovely, correct for 1959 Factory ‘GN15 - Leaf Green’. The team there did an outstanding job producing a finish of the highest quality, smooth as silk with great depth and shine. Back in the workshop the shell was thoroughly treated with Waxoyl before the fitting up process commenced.

Not to be outshone (so to speak), the interior, though Sprite-simple, has also been finished to the highest of standards. Ashley ‘Gran Tourismo’ bucket seats, built to order in green leather with subtly contrasting piping and harness slots are period-perfect and wonderfully comfortable. These are complimented by custom made and fitted plush dark green carpets, again edged in a contrasting lighter green, retained by hand made wear combating aluminium trims; a world away from the standard utilitarian rubber mats. A lovely reproduction Speedwell studded wood-rim steering wheel, manufactured by Moto-Lita, is mounted on a custom machined boss which carries the standard Healey logo ‘horn push’. The dashboard is basically standard in layout with a full set of Smiths instruments though it does contain a few trick items such as a push button starter rather than the standard mechanical pull switch and a cigarette lighter style power socket for running modern day sat. navs. and the like. However, the icing on the cake is something only true aficionados would spot, namely an ultra-rare ‘7,000 RPM’ electronic tachometer, identical in style to the original which only reads as far as 6,000. We have never seen one before but of course, on the day of our inspection, it decided it wasn’t going to actually work but the seller will supply the standard cable driven instrument and associated dynamo with the car so the new owner can keep an eye on engine speed while having this desirable item rebuilt. Sensibly an electric cut-off switch is positioned out of sight on the bulkhead under the dashboard for safety and security.

Easily accessible under the bonnet and front wing assembly is the relatively standard looking A-Series engine, though considerable work has been put into this particular unit to improve on the car’s original 43.5 BHP (every half a horse was clearly important at this level). The 1293cc engine has been completely rebuilt to ‘fast road’ specification with lashings of TLC to achieve somewhere in excess of 80 BHP. The ‘eleven stud’ cylinder head was reworked and converted to be compatible with unleaded fuel and this is married to a 45 DCOE Weber carburettor and long centre branch (LCB to those who speak fluent A-Series) exhaust manifold; a smart alloy rocker cover tops it off and it is secured to the block with ARP studs. The crank, clutch and flywheel were balanced and installed with a steel centre main strap along with new bearings and the requisite oversized pistons. A Kent camshaft with suitable followers was fitted, optimised by vernier timing gear. Externally a spin-on oil filter is present along with a lightweight high output alternator and ‘Wasp’ high torque starter motor to help overcome the higher compression ratio. This well thought out power unit is mated to a 1275 rib-cased gearbox which is considerably stronger than the version originally fitted to early Sprites. The rest of the under-bonnet area is on a par with the engine’s high specification with a Kenlowe cooling fan a sensible precaution, mounted forward of a studiously pre-weathered radiator sporting an uprated core. An alloy catch tank mounted on custom made brackets collects any fumes or fluids ejected from the rocker cover via a braided hose. A new cloth wiring loom, subtly modified to incorporate such items as the aforementioned alternator and starting arrangement plus an Anderson plug, has been fitted. Of particular note is the pedal box, correctly finished in red, incorporating separate brake and clutch master cylinders which are an integral part of the Speedwell Healey disc brake conversion kit, more of which later.

Lovely though the topside of the Healey is, underneath it is just as good cosmetically and indeed mechanically with a plethora of tuning goodies to further enhance the car. As per the factory back in the day, the paintwork is body-colour, applied to a very high standard over a protective anti stone-chip finish. The pièce de resistance is the rare and uber-desirable disc brake conversion previously mentioned. Not to be confused with the Lockheed ‘thin disc’ stoppers from a later Sprite or Midget, this was a comprehensive kit developed by Speedwell and Healey, available only from them. It consisted of the new pedal box, front discs and callipers (designed by Dunlop, manufactured by Girling) and larger rear drums sourced from a Riley 1.5, all topped off with a set of de rigueur for a sports car, wire wheels, something Austin-Healey themselves never made available on a MK1 Sprite.

Naturally every suspension component is either new or reconditioned so visually we are pretty much in ‘showroom’ territory. Items such as the very rare adjustable rear leaver arm shock absorbers, front anti roll bar, braided hoses and stainless exhaust system are all obvious as are the smaller details such as the correct clips and clamps; no tie-wraps on the steering rack gaiters here. The paint marks on bolt heads to confirm their orientation hasn’t altered, with potentially disastrous consequences, are a welcome habit formed during the owner’s aircraft and race engineering days. Equally impressive are the components you can’t see such as negative camber front trunnions and adjustable tapered roller bearing front hubs, if only because they are indicative of diligence and attention to detail.

Fresh grease oozes from various joints and pivots while only a light covering of dust in a few areas betrays the period of time that has elapsed since the vast majority of work was completed.

A very full set of weather gear is supplied with the Healey from a new full tonneau cover with centre zip, a new hood which requires final fitting and an unrestored ‘Works-style’ hardtop. Years of Frogeye experience inspired the owner to make a few tweaks to the standard side screens giving them handmade alloy finger sliders and aluminium frame extensions to better hold the rubber surrounds in place and hence avoid the Frogeye occupants’ traditional damp shoulder.

The rest of the Healey is nicely detailed with a Speedwell fuel filler cap, leather bonnet straps, a spun aluminium door mirror finished in old English white and paired original Lucas front spot and fog lights on custom mounts. A slimline grill is currently fitted but a new spare standard version comes with the car. Top quality new 155/80 Continental tyres wrap new sixty spoke chrome wire wheels from Motor Wheel Services though for those who prefer painted versions (and we are actually with you on this), there is a new set of five of those with the car too, also from MWS.

Speaking of spares, aside from the hardtop, wire wheels, tachometer, dynamo and grill already mentioned, there is a good selection of parts with the car, not to be confused with the normal pile of worn-out bits left over from a restoration. These include an unrestored fibreglass bonnet, the original master cylinders (rebuilt) and pedal box, the original twin 1 1/8” SUs carburettors and manifold plus a pair of good rust-free seats ready for trimming. There is also a rear AVO telescopic damper conversion and two (!) panhard rod kits sourced from Frontline Developments which, because the vendor unearthed some period adjustable rear shock absorbers, were never fitted. All in all, we would estimate this spares package to be worth some £3,000.

Having spent way above the top of our estimate range it is unfortunate for the owner that a change of pace lifestyle-wise (and workshop) necessitates the sale of what must be one of the finest MK1 Sprites in the country. His loss is the new owner’s gain and having barely turned a wheel since its completion, this wonderful Frogeye really just needs using to blow the cobwebs away (literally as you can see in the photo gallery) and get everything nicely bedded in.

  • Registration number: VOT 174
  • Chassis Number: AN5/12488

CONTACT THE SELLER

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COMMENTS

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BID OF £20,760.00 PLACED BY MrB56

August 08th at 06 : 45 PM

BID OF £18,500.00 PLACED BY MrB56

August 08th at 01 : 45 PM

BID OF £18,250.00 PLACED BY Alfred99

August 07th at 09 : 18 PM

BID OF £18,000.00 PLACED BY PMO

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BID OF £17,000.00 PLACED BY Alfred99

August 06th at 08 : 40 PM

BID OF £15,000.00 PLACED BY PMO

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BID OF £13,000.00 PLACED BY Alfred99

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BID OF £12,000.00 PLACED BY PMO

August 05th at 07 : 32 AM

BID OF £10,000.00 PLACED BY Alfred99

July 30th at 07 : 53 PM