1959 Austin Healey Sprite MK 1 Roadster
Specifications |
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| Stock: | AH59-797 |
| Current condition: | SHOW-DRIVER |
| Performance: | Upgraded 1,275 cc 4-cylinder engine |
| Performance options: | High-performance Exhaust system |
| Transmission: | 4-speed Manual |
| Color exterior: | Cherry Red |
| Color interior: | Black |
| Features: | original Motorola radio |
| Options: | Includes tonneau cover and side curtains |
| Mileage: | 58,526 showing |
| Wheels: | Mini-Lite Alloy Wheels |
| Tires: | Dunlop SP4 145/13 |
| Vin #: | AN5L/16797 |
Description
(SOLD) This 1959 Austin-Healey "Bugeye" Sprite MK 1 is a great classic sports car that is full of character, and an example that has benefited from a host of performance-minded upgrades. This uniquely styled smaller sports car features a great Red and Black color combination, and is sure to bring a smile from others as you drive by! The Sprite has had a full rebuild of its engine, carbs, and brake system, and has also received the following list of additions:
• Newly trimmed Interior: seats, panels, and carpet
• New Sway Bar installed
• New Radiator installed
• New Exhaust system and mounting hardware
• DGV 5A downdraft Weber Carbs and inline manifold
• Manifold Header
• Alloy cylinder head
• Lucas Sports Coil
• Electronic ignition with Cobalt wire set
• Alloy water pump
• Spin on oil filter
• Remote Clutch Bleeder
• Mini-Lite Alloy Wheels
History
The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car which was produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1971. The Sprite was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, just before that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war Austin Seven. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production being undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon. 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. II Sprite was introduced in 1961 it was joined by a badge-engineered MG version, the Midget, reviving a model name used by MG from the late 1920s through to the mid 1950s. Enthusiasts often refer to these later Sprites and Midgets collectively as "Spridgets." The MG-badged version of the car continued in production for several years after the Austin-Healey brand ceased to exist.
Authenticity
