Current bid
£500

1962 Austin Healey Sprite Hill Climb and Sprint Race Car

Highlights

  • Comprehensive history file with over £15,000 recent expenditure
  • 1,380cc engine rebuild by Pitstop in 2019 costing over £6,600
  • Lots of recent work including diff rebuild, new brakes and Maniflow exhaust
  • Dyno tested at 129 BHP
  • Developed for sprint and hill climb including LSD and straight cut, close ratio gearbox
  • Williams & Pritchard Sebring Mk2 bonnet and rare W&P hard top
  • Huge history file recording racing history and other work
  • Very well-presented and much-admired competitive Sprite

The Appeal

Where its track rivals favoured displacement and horsepower, the Sprite took an entirely different approach. Light and nimble, it didn’t need vast reserves of power to out-smart them. And it did.
What Donald Healey started, countless enthusiast keepers have subsequently perfected. As this car proves. Sporting a Williams & Pritchard Sebring Mk2 bonnet and the firm’s ultra-rare hard top, it is not just pretty but very capable. It evolved into a race car 20 years ago before more recently being converted for hill climb and sprint use.
Much has been spent in recent years to deliver a car that is in very good order and extremely capable. Highlights include a £6,600 rebuild of the 1,380cc engine by Pitstop—it has been dyno-tested to 129bhp—plus a differential overhaul and new brakes. Other work includes regular servicing, a new Maxiflow exhaust system, and an alternator conversion.
Whether you choose to campaign this hugely entertaining little car on tracks or enjoy it on the road - it is fully road-legal - or, indeed, both, this well-kept and tidy car looks like great fun. And that, after all, is what a Sprite is all about.

History and Paperwork

  • First registered 1st November 1962
  • Nine registered keepers according to DVLA and HPI checks
  • V5C in current keeper’s name
  • BMIHT certificate as shown
  • Well organised, leather-bound history file documenting over £15,000 recent work
  • Includes some race history which is documented in Scrutineering and other paperwork
  • Converted to a race car around 20 years ago according to seller
  • Email correspondence between keepers detailing history and spec can be viewed in photos
  • MOT exempt car with last MOT expiring September 2018 with no advisories
  • 12,728 miles showing on last MOT and now showing 13,253 miles in photos
  • Prepared and used in hill climbs and sprint events around 10 years ago
  • Handwritten Pitstop engine specification shown in photos
  • Recent work highlights below
  • Engine rebuild in 2019 by Pitstop at cost of £6,600
  • Rolling road tested March 2023 at 129bhp as shown
  • DVLA V5 states engine capacity 1,275cc but we are told engine is 1,380cc
Recent maintenance highlights:
  • May 2021: service, exhaust work and additional maintenance as shown
  • May 2022: engine work totalling £1,000
  • 2022: differential rebuild
  • May 2023: inspection, new brakes, Maxiflow exhausts and suspension work totalling £3,527
  • June 2023: converted to alternator

The Condition

  • Presents well with a Williams & Pritchard Sebring Mk2 bonnet and rare hard top
  • Red paintwork is very well kept with few signs of use or track action
  • Paintwork augmented with door roundels and racing decals as shown
  • Bodywork in good order with straight panels and no obvious damage
  • Minilight alloy wheels in very good order with set of Kumho tyres fitted
  • Car is supplied with four spare Minilight wheels and Yokohama tyres
  • There are also two spare Minilight wheels with soft compound Kumho tyres
  • Underside in good order with no adverse issues advised by seller
  • Fitted with full road cage as shown and adapted for track use
  • Various fixtures and fittings required by track use as shown
  • Sparco bucket seat with TPS harnesses which were fitted in 2021
  • Perspex sliding side windows in good order with light marks as shown
  • Mountney three-spoke leather-rimmed steering wheel
  • Labelled switchgear to suit track requirements

The Mechanics

  • 1,380cc 4cyl engine rebuilt by Pitstop in 2019
  • Engine has covered less than 1,000 miles since completion
  • Omega pistons and rings and lightened and balanced rods
  • Lightened and balanced flywheel
  • Crank has been balanced
  • Aluminium fuel tank as shown
  • Peter May baffled sump
  • Aldon distributor
  • Differential rebuilt in 2022
  • Single Weber carburettor fitted
  • Dyno tested in March 2023 at 129bhp
  • 4spd straight cut gearbox with close ratio gears
  • Equipped with a limited-slip differential
  • Maxiflow exhaust system fitted in 2023
  • New brakes and suspension work in 2023
  • No reported running or driving issues


BEFORE YOU BUY 
This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following: 
The seller of this vehicle is registered as a business seller. And you are covered by Car & Classic’s Terms and Conditions
We request that a non-refundable fee be paid if you are the lucky winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted. Please refer to our helpful FAQs and T&Cs for specific rates. 
This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is Where Is’ basis and without warranty. Photos and descriptions are solely for guidance purposes and it's customary to carry out a full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase for your own peace of mind. 
✓ VAT is included in the buyer's fee. VAT may or may not be included in the final bid or offer price, as specified in the listing. 
We want a smooth transaction just as much as you do and as such we run all UK-registered cars and motorbikes for sale on Car & Classic through an online HPI check to verify that they show no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and have no finance owing, allowing you to bid with confidence. 
✓ We also  check whether vehicles are recorded as being written off as part of an insurance total loss claim at the time an advert is placed and we helpfully provide write-off category labels (Cat C/D/S/N) for your assistance, the presence or absence of a label does not guarantee the vehicle’s status and  it's always worthwhile carrying out your own full vehicle history check before making an offer. 
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Current bid
£500
Reserve not met

1 Bid

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Auction Details

  • Year1962
  • MakeAustin-Healey
  • ModelSprite
  • ColourRed
  • Odometer13,253 Miles
  • Engine size1380cc
  • Seller TypeTrade
  • TownMilton Keynes
  • CountyBuckinghamshire
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • Auction ends

Bidding history

1 Bid

Roberts••••
Bid
£500
16/12/24

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