1960 Austin Healey Sprite

An original UK car with matching chassis and engine numbers and a British Motor Industry Heritage Certificate to prove it, this Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite is now in better-than-new condition having been fully restored by its owner over the past four years. It is now in completely original specification and concours condition. 

First registered in July 1960, it is one of the very desirable early cars. Little is known of the car before it made its way to Germany a few years ago where it was carefully stripped down by its owner, a professor. He applied a rigorous academic approach to the dismantling, taking the time and trouble to label every single item. However, he lost interest, which is where our intrepid English owner stepped in.

As a genuine Austin Healey enthusiast, the German labels didn’t deter him; he and his equally skilled friends only needed to glance at a piece to know exactly where it should go. Now fully completed and gently run in with 250 miles under its belts, the owner feels it’s time the Frogeye Sprite went to someone who is in a position to enjoy the fruits of his labours.

The car was completely stripped to a bare bodyshell before being refurbished and finished in Snowberry White. The result is perfect shutlines, immaculately finished panels, and a deep, even gloss to the paintwork. It is, it’s fair to say, now looking way, way better than it would ever have looked in period. Please take the time to view the dozens of photographs that were taken while the work was being undertaken to gauge the care and professionalism that went into creating a finish like this.

The soft-top and tonneau cover are both brand new, so fit perfectly and are as wind- and rain-proof as any Sprite items are ever going to be. The tonneau, in particular, would be our cover of choice, allowing a cafe racer-style of motoring in the dry while offering a modicum of protection in the wet and cold; if you’re prepared to dress like you’re riding a motorbike then the Frogeye could easily be used all year round. 

The steel wheels, complete with chromed and painted hubcaps, are in better-than-new condition and are shod with brand new, matching high-quality tyres.

Oh, and engine bay is fully detailed and immaculately presented, and the underside is as clean as the topside. Literally. Use the Contact Seller button to arrange a viewing before auction end if you want to see the results for yourself.

The red leather interior is all new and has been assembled with more than the usual care and attention to detail. The seats are piped in white and the dashboard is as well-finished as the seats; the car has been fitted with new electrics throughout including a new wiring loom, and the original dashboard, instruments, switches and steering wheel have been fully refurbished and restored as necessary.

The whole interior is a study in just how good an early Frogeye Sprite can look if you’re prepared to invest a significant amount of time and money to get it right.

Every single detail is perfectly judged and immaculately executed. The gearknob, lever and rubber gaiter for example, are beautifully installed – and if you think we’re geeking out unnecessarily then this probably isn’t the car for you; quality on this level costs, as only perfectionists are likely to appreciate, and so be prepared to pay, for a car like this… 

The little 948cc engine - the original, something confirmed by a British Motor Industry Heritage Certificate - was stripped to its component parts before being re-assembled with new, or carefully reconditioned, parts throughout. 

The work included an engine rebore and hone before being fitted with new pistons. The crankshaft was reground and fitted with new white metal shells and the cylinder head was also fully reconditioned and converted to unleaded petrol with new valve guides and seats. The engine now runs like a dream, and starts and ticks over perfectly.

The same can be said of every other mechanical and electrical component. If, like us, you’re starting to get the impression that the owner derives his pleasure from the actual process of restoring rather than from admiring the end product, you’ll have started to appreciate just how thorough this restoration is. It is, to all intents and purposes, a brand new car, just made better with modern engineering techniques, materials and a half-decade of understanding what makes ‘em tick.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find more than 130 photographs of the car’s restoration plus a large number of old invoices, bills, and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has an impressively documented restoration.

You can pick up a reasonable Sprite for well under £10,000, but you’re going to have to come up with considerably more than that to get your hands on this one. As we alluded to earlier, cars of this quality do not come cheap and we expect this one to sell for around £22-26,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Halifax, West Yorkshire; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.