Common questions

What should I look for when buying a Austin-Healey Sprite?

What should I look for when buying a Austin-Healey Sprite?

BUYING TIPS Check the floorpans, especially around the pedal area and behind the seats. Don’t forget to check the leaf spring front mounting points. A Series engines are bombproof, although blue smoke hints at the need for a rebuild. An erratic idle is probably due to a leaking inlet manifold gasket.

What is a Frogeye Sprite?

The Austin-Healey Sprite was a small open sports car which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1971. It first went on sale at a price of £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down. When the Mk.

How much is a 1958 Austin Healey Sprite worth?

**Figure based on a stock 1958 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I Bugeye valued at $13,900 with OH rates with $100/300K liability/UM/UIM limits. Actual costs vary depending on the coverage selected, vehicle condition, state and other factors.

Are Austin Healey Sprite good cars?

Powered by the same A-Series engine seen in the Austin A35 and Morris Minor, the Frogeye might have had just 43bhp on tap but it punched well above its weight – all 664kg of it. As a result, while the driving experience is raw, the Sprite is also beautifully agile; small wonder they couldn’t make them fast enough.

How much does a bugeye car cost?

See all 27 photos As simple as they come, the Bugeye is not weighed down by exterior door handles. An overarching goal was to make the Sprite the most affordable sports car on the market. To help get the car to a U.S. base price of just $1,795, BMC’s bean counters rejected a pop-up headlamp design.

What does the Austin Healey Frogeye sprite look like?

Few cars look quite as happy as the Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite, and thanks to its hugely lovable nature – owning one has been known to give any owner an equally large grin! On modern roads the Sprite looks absolutely tiny too, adding to its almost toy-like appearance.

What are the specs of a 1959 Austin Healey Sprite?

1959 Austin-Healey Sprite (man. 4) specs Austin-Healey Sprite (man. 4) , model year 1959, version for Europe North America Australia gasoline (petrol) engine with displacement: 948 cm3 / 57.9 cui, advertised power: 31.7 35.8 kW / 43 48 hp / 43 49 PS ( net gross ), torque: 71 Nm / 52 lb-ft, more data: 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite (man.

When did the Bugeye Sprite first come out?

Bugeye Sprite. Austin-Healey Sprite. 1958 – 1960. Series AN5. This is of course the original Sprite. It is perhaps better known in North America as the Bugeye, and elsewhere as the Frogeye. This nickname is owing to the unique headlight mounting, sitting as they do on the bonnet in two pods.

When did the Austin Healey bugeye come out?

The car was offered with roadster body shapes between the years 1958 and 1961. Cars were equipped with engines of 948 cc (57.9 cui) displacement, delivering 35.8 – 48 kW (49 – 65 PS, 48 – 64 hp) of power.

Few cars look quite as happy as the Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite, and thanks to its hugely lovable nature – owning one has been known to give any owner an equally large grin! On modern roads the Sprite looks absolutely tiny too, adding to its almost toy-like appearance.

When did the Austin Healey Frogeye come out?

And if ever a mass-produced model belonged to the second camp, the Austin-Healey Sprite must surely be it. Launched in 1958, the ‘Frogeye’ was certainly a flyweight. The least-expensive roadster in the BMC line-up, adding pounds to the spec sheet would have added shillings and pence to the price, so both were kept to a minimum.

Who was the driver of the Austin Healey Sprite?

The Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite, driven by Paul Hawkins and John Rhodes, achieved a 12th place outright at the 1965 Le Mans. Competition prepared Austin-Healey Sebring Sprites would go on to achieve class wins at Sebring driven by such notables as Steve McQueen, Sir Stirling Moss, and Bruce McLaren.

When did the Austin Healey Sprite Mark 2 come out?

The Austin-Healey Sprite Mark II and MG Midget – 1961 to 1964 The Austin-Healey Sprite Mark II was introduced in May 1961 and although it was not mechanically greatly different to the original Sprite it was given a significantly different appearance, an appearance that the Sprite would keep until production ended in later years.

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Ruth Doyle