Austin-Healey

Sprite

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- Chassis # AN5-L/30747
- Engine # 9C-U-H/30320
- Highly Original, Matching Numbers, Time Capsule Example
- Successfully Raced In-Period 
- Equipped with Stage 5 Special Tuning by Donald Healey From The Factory
- Finished In Factory Leaf Green Over Green Interior
- One Of The Most Historically Significant Sprites in Existence 
- Known History From New Including Period Racing Photos



The Austin-Healey Sprite, known affectionately as either the “frogeye” in the UK or the “bugeye” in the US thanks to its headlights, is a small open sports car produced from 1958 until 1971. It was created as a replacement for the immensely popular pre-war Austin Seven as a low-cost sporting model. It was the world’s first volume-produced sports car to use unitary construction, a technique where the sheet metal body panels take many of the structural stresses. The Sprite used the 948 cc (0.9 L) A-Series I4 from the Austin A35 and Morris Minor 1000 upgraded with twin 11⁄8 inch SU carburetors. The result was 43 hp put through a four-speed manual transmission. The car had no exterior door handles and no trunk for maximum structural integrity. 



The Sprite saw much race use, at first by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) Competitions Department, where it won its class on the 1958 Alpine Rally and the 12-hour race at Sebring, Florida in 1959. Private competitors also modified and raced Sprites with much success, a practice that continues to this day. Hagerty sales graphs show that first generation Sprites sell in the neighborhood of $20,000 to $30,000, making them a relatively affordable British sports car with unique looks that set it apart from the others.



This particular example, Chassis # AN5-L/30747, is a 1960 left-hand-drive Sprite finished in Leaf Green with matching green trim and a white hardtop. It is fitted with Engine # 9C-U-H/30320 which matches the Heritage Certificate. Unlike regular Sprites, this one was hopped up from the factory with Stage 5 tuning, which included a special exhaust manifold, twin tailpipes, ported and polished head, hot cam, different distributor, 9.3:1 flat top pistons, different valve springs, high-duty crankshaft, competition clutch, and a close ratio gearbox.

According to the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate, this car was delivered to the US on March 23, 1960, possibly via Donald Healey Motor Company Limited in Warwick. Additional equipment other than the tune includes a heater, “rev counter”, windscreen washer, front bumper, laminated windscreen, tonneau cover, and whitewall tires.

The car sat unsold in the showroom of the Walther Motor Company in Wilmette, IL for a year until Jim Bishop came along and became its first owner. Mr. Bishop set up the car for racing with a roll bar and a small windscreen, painted its telltale “bishops” on the doors, and regularly exercised it at local tracks. Mr. Bishop was also one of the founding members of the Midwest Region Austin Healey Club of America and a regular of SCCA races.

Mr. Bishop listed the Bugeye for sale in the January 1962 issue of the club’s “CHATTER” magazine. It was bought by a Theodore C. Meyers, who was then in his last year of high school and was a frequent attendee of local road races, with approximately 6,000 miles on the odometer. In the mid-1960s, Mr. Meyers was deployed to Germany and the car remained in the care of his mother, who frequently drove it around for her son before eventually listing it for sale in 1986.



It was sold to a Rick Page, of Libertyville, IL, who was informed of the car by William Thompson, then the National Club Historian of the Midwest Region Austin Healey Club of America. Mr. Page went on to own the car until 1991 when he and his wife had to sell it as they were expecting a third child. Mr. Thompson bought it from him and discovered that the engine had a stuck piston, given that it had not run since 1966. Upon further research, he called Mr. Meyers’s mother, who informed him that her son was still deployed in Germany and provided him with a P.O. Box address so that he may contact him.

Mr. Thompson wrote a letter to Mr. Meyers to learn more about the Bugeye’s history before eventually tracking down Mr. Bishop, the original owner, and reuniting him with his car at a monthly club meeting in 1992. Mr. Thompson told this story in the July 1992 issue of the club’s CHATTER magazine.

The service records currently on file start in April of 2011 when the Bugeye received new wheel cylinders, front drum brakes, and a few hoses from World Wide Auto Parts in Madison, WI. We also have some scans of photos from around this time showing what looks like an engine dismantling and rebuilding. In July 2011, it received a new green door seal, new ignition wires and fuel tank sending unit in March 2012, and a jet bearing assembly in April 2012. Later that same year, the carburetors were re-shafted and new brass jets and gaskets were installed.



When we received the car in late 2023, we entrusted Leading Edge Autosport in West Chester, PA to get it back on the road again. They flushed the fuel, changed the oil and filter, replaced the spark plugs, wires, cap, rotors, and points, changed the fan belt, adjusted the front wheel bearings, rebuilt the carburetors, installed new wiper blades and battery, and gave it four new Kinergy ST tires for a service total of almost $4,500.

As it sits, this Bugeye Sprite is a machine with a pedigree that bears the original patina of time spent on the track. It is overall in highly original condition with much of the original paint and interior still intact. The body still proudly wears its namesake “Bishops” painted on both doors along with racing number 13 decals on the hood and fenders. With just over 6,500 miles on the odometer and enough stories to fill a book, automobiles like this one are a sight to behold and a head-turner at any car show they attend. Out of the thousands of Bugeye Sprites produced, this is likely one of the most significant and interesting cars that left the factory. If there was ever a Bugeye Sprite to have in a significant collection of British cars, this would be the one to own.



Upon purchase, the new owner will receive the highly desirable factory hardtop, numerous photos of the car including period racing photos and those showing Jim Bishop being reunited with this car, the original driver’s handbook and special tuning handbook, the car’s Heritage Certificate, the service records on file, the CHATTER article detailing its history, and a traffic ticket dated December 11, 1966. 



Please visit www.LBILimited.com for many more photos and details. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @LBILimited. Ride along on our classic car adventures by subscribing to LBI Limited on YouTube. #claimyourclassic™

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True time-capsule condition â Original and unrestored 19,501 original miles A long-time member of the Canepa Motorsport Museum collection 948cc A-Series inline-4 engine, 4-speed manual transmission  Known worldwide for their original open-top sports cars, Austin-Healey found success through the winning combination of fun driving dynamics and affordable entry into the sports car market. Their successful line of sports cars like the 100-6 and the "Big Healey" 3000 paved the way for their future models, including one of the most iconic: the Austin-Healey Sprite "Bug Eye."  Beginning production in 1958, the new Austin-Healey was a smaller and more precise sports car than its predecessors. Introduced to the world through a variety of racing wins (First-in-class at the 1959 Sebring 12-hours and First-in-class in the 1958 Alpine Rally), it immediately gained critical acclaim. With seating for just two passengers, its 948cc A-Series inline-4 engine, fantastic handling, a 4-speed manual transmission and enough headroom for anyone, it proved to be a welcome addition to the pool of sports cars available to Americans.  A "time-capsule car" is often a phrase that is used when the automobile in question represents the best of the best in terms of original quality. These unrestored masterpieces are as close as you can get to going back in time, simply by seeing or sitting in one can begin to transport you back to the car's original time period. This Austin-Healey Spite wears the description time-capsule car proudly. Original and unrestored throughout, owned by only 3 people in its lifetime, and raced in period during the beginning of its history, this Austin-Healey is quite possibly one of the finest Sprite Mk 1 in existence.  This Austin-Healey Sprite was manufactured towards the end of the 1958 production run, and was titled as a 1959. The original owner, J.P. Whitaker, purchased the car from John Dennison Foreign Cars in Davenport, Indiana. Whitaker, who was a graphic artist and 30 years old at the time, fabricated a tow bar and modified an AMCO rear nerf bar to mount tail lights and turn signals on. His trusty tow vehicle was a Plymouth Valiant station wagon, in the same colors as the Bugeye: white, with a blue stripe, and a red interior.  Whitaker raced the car from 1959 to 1967, competing in a number of events at Road America. Many of those tech stickers still remain on the roll bar inside of the car, showing evidence of those races. He also competed at Wilmot Hills, Meadowdale, Lawrenceville, and other tracks to the east.  Today the odometer reads 19,501 miles, and these are all original miles. J.P reported that more than half of those miles are from flat towing the car to various races during his ownership.  As the Sprite sits today, it is one of the most original and unmolested Bugeyes in the world. It has never been restored, and other than what Mr. Whitaker described as a "disagreement with an Oldsmobile in a parking lot", it was never in an accident on track. Its time-capsule condition is quite extraordinary as few street cars survive in this condition, let alone a race car.  The top, tonneau cover, and side curtains are original and still have their original bags, as does the jack. It still has its original Lucas Headlights. Remarkably so, it also still retains its red ribbed door mats.  The period racing modifications give this Sprite unique character, adding an immense amount to the car's history. The small race windscreen is an accessory wing vent from a "T" series. The muffler is from an Excelsior motorcycle, and the rear baffle would be removed for race days. The seatbelts are Army surplus, and the roll bar was constructed from well casing. Whitaker replaced the early riveted Bugeye rims with MKII welded rims in 1961. The car still rides on the Michelin X tires, circa 1963. A strap was used to prevent the passenger seat from flipping forward during races. Throughout all of his racing, Whitaker went through the engine twice as a preventative measure, and as a result never DNF'd.  Whitaker eventually sold his Sprite to a friend, before realizing that he couldn't actually fit in the car. The car was taken care of by multiple owners during its history, all of which treated the car with respect due to its current condition.  Canepa acquired the Austin-Healey Sprite in 2011 and it became a staple of the Canepa Motorsports Museum. With its unique ownership history, outstanding originality, and its track-weekend mentality, the car was an excellent and fan-favorite addition to the collection of other motorsport legends. After close to a decade in the Canepa Motorsports Museum, it was right time to find another loving caretaker who would appreciate the car for exactly what it is. A time-capsule track-day Austin-Healey that is overflowing with character and charm, ready for its next owner to enjoy to Bugeyed Sprite. 

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duPont REGISTRY

New and Pre-owned Austin-Healey Sprite for Sale | duPont REGISTRY

1959 Austin-Healey Sprite

Call for Price

19,501 miles

Canepa

1960 Austin-Healey Sprite

$45,000 OBO

6,500 miles

LBI Limited

Austin-Healey Sprite

Call for price

Canepa

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1960 Austin-Healey Sprite

$45,000 OBO

6,500 miles

LBI Limited

1959 Austin-Healey Sprite

Call for Price

19,501 miles

Canepa

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