1959 Austin Healey SPRITE Mk1 Frog Eye

In the care of the original owner from the 1st of August 1959 until 2017, the vendor has been aware of the car since 1973 when he was 11 years old. Having admired it for over forty years, he was offered the Sprite when the owner became too ill to drive it.

As a professional mechanic with his own garage in Wembley, the original owner had maintained it himself over the years but had put it into storage when he was unable to drive it. So, the vendor put it through a comprehensive programme of recommissioning before using it himself for the past two-and-a-half years.

Now running beautifully and mechanically strong, it is charmingly patinated and could either be used ‘as is’ as some cheap, carefree summer fun, or the refurbishment could be extended to include the bodywork and interior.

The green bodywork is remarkably straight and clean. With no significant dents or other damage, the green paintwork looks good from a few metres away, but up close it shows the patina you’d expect given the history. Panel fit is good, and the flanks are straight and true and free of ripples. The doors open and close as they should, and the windscreen surround is in great shape.

Of course, given its originality there are some faded areas, stonechips, minor marks, cracks, microblisters and other signs of use but what there is is easily dismissed and is, for us at least, a large part of its considerable charm. If we are being honest, we think the photos show the paint in a little better condition than it is in the flesh.

The black folding roof might be rudimentary but it seems to be in good shape and free of damage. So much so in fact that we can’t help but think that it must have been replaced fairly recently as the plastic windows haven’t gone milky. The inside is a little stained, and while the metal roof frame is rusty in places, it’s straight and gets the job done very well.

The 13-inch steel wheels have a light patina of rust on them, but what corrosion there is is superficial. The hub caps are the originals, and the red ‘AH’ is charmingly worn. The wheels are shod with five new matching Avon tyres, and the wheels are retained with new wheel nuts.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The chromework is generally very good. Straight and free of dents and damage, it is only very lightly pitted and polishes up well. The chrome grille is fitted with a period Austin-Healey Club badge.

Problems that will need attention are the bonnet and wing assembly; there is a rust patch on the lower nearside corner that needs catching sooner rather than later. The top of the front wings and the lower edge of the front inner wings are starting to go, and the bulkhead could do with cleaning up and repainting to halt what little rust is there. The vendor can vouch for this car’s originality, and we feel that just some sympathetic preservation, and good use, is what this car cries out for.

Localized repairs could be made as and when time and funds allow.

The green interior is gloriously weathered; having had just one owner for almost six decades its condition is a large part of the Frogeye’s appeal and if it were ours we’d follow the vendor’s lead and leave it well alone.

But the classic car world is a broad church and we’d understand if the new owner wants to restore the car to its former glory. So, here’s a quick rundown of its condition:

The green vinyl seats are in a wonderful condition, being only very gently worn and still looking fabulous. Low-back bucket seats like this are both supportive and more comfortable than they look, and these need nothing doing to them at all.

Nor does the vinyl-covered dashboard. Green (as is most of the interior), it’s in fine fettle and fitted with the original Smiths gauges. The padded top edge of the dashboard is good too, albeit slightly more worn than the face.

The green carpets have faded to brown in some places and do have some stains. However, lifting them shows a solid floor underneath.

The steering wheel shows the appropriate wear patterns, and both it and the carpets could easily be lived with if originality is more important than a concours finish.

An original Smiths heater is fitted, and the boot contains the spare wheel, which also has a new Avon tyre fitted.

The recommissioning was comprehensive and included the following:

• Braking system: new front flexible brake hoses plus all four wheel cylinders and the master cylinder were replaced, as were the front brake shoes before the system was refilled and bled with fresh brake fluid.

• Carburettor: the twin SU carburettors were overhauled.

• Ignition system: overhauled and fitted with new points, condenser and a rotor arm.

• Suspension: the front suspension was fitted with new bushes and bump stops.

• Cooling system: the antifreeze was replaced and a new thermostat gasket fitted.

• Wheels: all five tyres were replaced, and new wheel nuts fitted.

• Miscellaneous: various hoses, clips, and gaiters were replaced, and the car’s grease points were lubricated.

The engine bay is a little grubby and there is some light surface rust to it. But, it’s solid and original, and what problems it does show could be easily and cheaply remedied. The vendor has been delving into his memory and seems to remember that the engine was rebuilt many years ago, but guarantees that there is no paperwork, or anything he, or we, can use to verify this.

The underside looks to be solid but does have the odd patch of surface rust, so could probably do with wire-brushing clean and the rust treated before reapplying a decent coat of underseal.

The Sprite doesn’t have a current MOT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The car comes with a number of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years as well as its original Austin-Healey Sprite Driver’s Handbook, a genuine Workshop Manual and Parts List in two ring binders, and a line diagram from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust.

It also comes with the original owner’s handwritten membership card for the Austin-Healey Club. Expiring in March 1977, it’s a lovely part of the car’s unrivalled provenance.

The car also comes with a few spares including another hood, a set of red carpets and various bits and bobs like radiator hoses. Please see the photo for details of what is included.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained in recent years to the very highest standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not go to see the car in person, please contact the owner and ask them if they can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like them to concentrate on.

Wearing its heart on it sleeve, if this were ours we’d be minded to follow the lead of conservationists outside the car world by stabilizing its condition and enjoying its hard-earned patina as part of the joy of owning such an original car. (We wrote about the subject here: https://picks.getpatina.com/2017/07/restore-or-refurbish/)

After all, how often are you going to be able to get your hands on a Frogeye Sprite that was in the same hands for the first 58 years of its life and had been admired by the vendor since he was a boy?

(We also can’t help thinking that the classic car world has too many trailer queens and not enough lovingly maintained originals like this…)

And yet, while this patination is for many of us ones of the car’s biggest draws, for others it merely signals the need to spend more money. Which is a shame but entirely understandable.

So, we think this one will sell for between £10,000 and £15,000, or between a half and three-quarters of the sum being asked for the best cars. Given its extraordinary provenance, that seems a pitiful small sum to pay for what is one of the most appealing Frogeyes we’ve ever seen.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon, South Oxfordshire; 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: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localized paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

 Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.