1958 Austin Healey Sprite Mk1 Frogeye

This is your chance to get your hands on a well sorted – and quick – Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprite. First built on the 29th of August 1958, it is a genuine UK right-hand-drive car that has been extensively, but not excessivley, modified over the years and now produces a rolling road-verified 95bhp.

The present owner purchased the Sprite in 1986 as a project, and following restoration it was put back on the road in 1988. A second, more comprehensive restoration was carried out between 2009 and 2012 when it was also fitted with all the Good Stuff: a heady engine, a five-speed Frontline Type 9 gearbox, uprated suspension and brakes, and its original steel bonnet.

Following a short period in storage to make space for another project, it has now been checked over, serviced and had an MOT test. As the vendor puts it: “as you would expect given its specification, it is very strong on the road and the modifications offer a complete package, making this a Frogeye that is a delight to drive.”

The work carried out during the most recent restoration in 2009-12 included repairs to the original steel bonnet, replacement A-panels, new doors, new rear wheel arches, rear quarter panels, and a rear valance, a boot floor, main floor panels, and both inner and outer sills. The work was fully documented and a photo album of the work being carried out will be supplied with the car.

While the bodywork is good, the owner describes the Sprite’s paintwork as “fair” and goes on to say that it is “either appropriately patinated or ‘must be done’ depending on your view”, a summary we’d agree with. It’s a decent home-respray that has aged well but is far from perfect. No real rust that we can see, just a gentle deterioration over the years, something we in the office can sympathise with...

However, we would add that we think the majority of buyers would be very happy to leave it as it is and just enjoy driving one of the most well-sorted examples we’ve seen. If it were ours, we’d treat it to a professional machine polish and then not give it another thought.

And, while the chromework has some slight age deterioration and pitting – and some peeling chrome on the luggage rack - it, like the paintwork, would be easy to live with.

As would the MWS wire wheels, which are straight and true – and it’s nice to see that they’re not chrome-plated, a process that might look nice but does nothing for the longevity of the wheels.

They’re also shod with matching Firestone F590 tyres, all of which have decent tread. As we will never tyre 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 weather equipment is pretty good too, and comprises a black Everflex soft-top and matching tonneau cover, for the pared-down look.

Oh, and it’s got a towbar as well as the luggage rack, making this one of the most practical, as well as one of the quickest, Sprites we’ve ever seen!

The dash was rebuilt with electronic instruments, including a retro-style but thoroughly modern GPS speedometer. The rest of the instruments look terrific and the whole lot has been wired in with a new, period-style loom.

To finish it all off the interior was re-trimmed in a complementary light green and fitted with low-back leather bucket seats and Willans 4-point club harnesses. The seats are in an exceptional condition and their design suits the car’s intended purpose to perfection.

The rest of the cockpit trim is in a similarly good condition, and while there isn’t much to it what there is has been neatly done and has weathered the intervening years well; the Mountney steering wheel, for example, is perfectly judged, as is the painted gearlever mount.

The car’s specification reads like an enthusiast’s wish list:

The engine is a 1293cc unit, which has been fully rebuilt and balanced before being fitted with a lightened flywheel, a set of Cooper S flat top pistons, a fast-road ported head with larger valves (hardened, to unleaded spec), and a Piper 285 camshaft. It has been tuned and tested on a Peter Burgess rolling road, which showed a genuine 95 BHP at the engine.

It’s ancillaries include a high-inertia starter motor, a sports coil, a programmable distributor, a heated inlet manifold, a single HIF6 carburettor and K&N filter, a Kenlowe electric fan, and a LCB manifold and RC40 silencer.

The transmission is a five-speed Frontline Type 9 Ford gearbox fitted with a heavy duty clutch, Peter May race half-shafts, and a Midget wire wheel axle with MWS wire wheels and matching Firestone tyres.

Suspension comes courtesy of an uprated front anti-roll bar, uprated front coil springs, uprated lever arm shocks all round, new kingpins and wishbones, and polybushes. Braking is taken care of via front disc brakes and rear drums, and Midget master cylinders or both brake and clutch.

The engine bay is very neatly finished, and shows plenty of recent expenditure on the (non-) oily bits. The underside of the steel bonnet does have plenty of peeling paint though, and this will need some attention if it isn’t to start rusting.

The underside itself is neatly finished but half-a-day with a tin of underseal and a brush would reap dividends in finishing it off.

The Sprite’s MOT certificate expires on the 23rd May 2020 and while this is a short MOT, the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and confirms the car’s low mileage.

The car comes with a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years, as well as three workshop manuals and a variety of other books including its owner’s manual.

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 come to see the car in person, please give the owner a call and ask if he can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like him to concentrate on.

We like the contrast between the Sprite’s well-patinated, shabby chic exterior and the well-trimmed and comfortable interior; pair them with a well-fettled chassis and a genuinely quick engine and you’ve got one of the most usable Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’ Sprites we’ve seen in a long time.

And, as an all-steel, genuine right-hand-drive Mk1 example that’s had an awful spent on over the years, it’s probably a safe place to put your money, too.

Not that it’s going to set you back a fortune; with a guide price of between £11,000 and £15,000, this is a very cost-effective Sprite you can just jump into and enjoy.

And, with the heavy lifting done on the interior and mechanical components, the new owner could undertake a rolling restoration of the bodywork if they would prefer it to match the rest of the car.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor near Tewkesbury; 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.

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.