Without a doubt, classic British Roadsters of the post-war period deliver the purest form of open air, wind-in-your-hair motoring imaginable. The diminutive Sprite, clever result of niche engineering by BMC's Sir Leonard Lord and Donald Healey, truly has everything you need, nothing you don't.

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From 1958 to 1961, exactly 48,999 of the bug-eyed Sprites were manufactured at the legendary Abingdon, Berkshire factory, alongside the "big" Austin Healey 100/6 and the MGA.
US headlight height regulations and the primary goal to provide lots of sporting fun for as little money as possible, caused the initially planned retractable headlights to give way to bonnet-mounted pods. With additional cuteness added and now wearing a smily face, the Sprite gained his famous nicknames "Bugeye" this side of the pond and "Frogeye" in the Olde World.

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Roughly half a Century has passed since the last Bugeyes left the factory, a long time in anybody's life, a veritable eternity for an automobile. Most of the lovely early Sprites have since passed on to the big junkyard in the sky; of the few that have survived, many have been "restored" with varying degrees of competence. Rarely will you find a car that has never been restored, never needed restoration, and is still sprightly enough to be enjoyed exactly the way it is.
Here's one!

Built in the fall of 1958 and sold in November of the same year as a '59 model, VIN *AN5L4103* has been owned and loved by one single individual ever since, for fifty (!) years, to be exact, until December 15, 2008, when we were fortunate enough to acquire the car from the owner's estate.
The document shown above is the original Certificate of Title--called "Pink Slip" in California--issued on 11/17/58, irrefutably documenting the car's Southern California provenance.
How many cars have you seen lately that are half a Century old and still carry their original papers?

Driver's Handbook and rare factory Service Manual are present.

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One of the most desirable and rather unique traits of the Buyeye--shared with the Jaguar E-Type--is the one-piece lift-up bonnet providing easy access to the car's mechanical components.
Open wide!

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Engine compartment houses the fabulous BMC A-series 948cc engine borrowed by Mr. Healey from the Austin A35. Its 43 lively horses provide plenty of pep for the light car, as evidenced by the immense road racing successes enjoyed by early Sprites to this very day.

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Looking rather well kept, the motor presents itself all original, down to the lovely preserved mesh air cleaners for the dual SU carburettors. After 50 years, she still runs like a sewing machine; all that was needed was a good cleaning and a bit of inpainting here and there.

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When inspecting a 50 year-old classic car, especially a lightweight British Roadster of unit body construction, a close survey of the undercarriage is of prime importance, since any major accident might have fatal consequences for its structural integrity.
Due to the fact that the car still carries its original front bumper, which is mounted directly to the stubby frame outriggers, we were reasonably certain that this particular Sprite had never been damaged, an assumption that was confirmed once we crawled underneath, emerging with a completely rust and accident free picture.

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Due to its age, the Sprite's exceptionally nice body--just check out the superb door gaps--was recently repainted. Of the half dozen or so colors available for the MkI Sprite, the iconic Iris Blue might be the most distinct choice. Not a Pebble Beach level job, the finish nevertheless exudes pride of ownership; there are no dings, dents, scratches, or bubbles anywhere. The little car's sparse exterior fittings are in very good to excellent condition throughout.

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Original, painted steel wheels wear chrome dog dish hubcaps with "AH" insignia finished in red; they are wrapped in radial tires of the size 145-13.
Note clean, rust free inner wheel wells.

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Turning our attention to the Healey's interior, we are pleasantly surprised to find it to be almost entirely original. In our humble opinion, it's impossible to beat a vintage automobile that retains nicely patinated, original components, as they provide a window into the cars's history.

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Ed, the Austin Healey's sole owner for the past half Century, clearly loved his little "Bug" (as he affectionately called it), keeping it nice and original, just adding a bit of flavor by installing a couple of extra gauges, among them ammeter and clock, a wooden shift knob with enamelled Healey emblem, and a radio with an interesting under-dash speaker. All lights and switches work, as do most gauges, including fuel and oil pressure gauges and tach.
Note the hard-to-find, original steering wheel.

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Amazingly, the bucket seats still display their original, dark blue morrokide covers with the distinctive, light blue--almost white--piping only the earliest MKI Sprites featured. Priceless!
By the way, there's nothing lilliputian about the Bugeye's cockpit: even very tall drivers are able to pilot the car in a relaxed fashion, with plenty of room for long limbs.
Luggage compartment is accessible by folding the seat backs forward. Note the gray painted convertible top frame. Side curtains are missing, but if you'd seriously contemplate their usefulness, a Bugeye might not be the right kind of car for you anyway.

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Look Ma, there's no trunk lid!
Before we leave for our test drive, let's take a look at the Sprite's floors!

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Incredibly, after a thorough cleaning, the undercarriage revealed its factory primer. These floor pans are truly of reference quality; they have never seen any rust repair, undercoating, or any kind of Mickey-Mouseing. No corrosion worries here, either--this is a dream come true for any enthusiast.

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Valentine's Day provided the perfect opportunity to take Ed's Bug out on a leisurely drive into Ventura's beautiful Hobson Hills neighborhood. California's blue skies providing the perfect backdrop for our excursion, we turn on the ignition, pull the choke and then the starter knob, and the Healey starts instantly, without smoke, idling smoothly.

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Rarely have we had this much fun driving a vintage car. We smiled so much it almost hurt! Naturally, everyone we encountered on the road responded with a happy smile and a wave to the sight of the little blue car. The Bugeye certainly has "the it factor." It's arguably one of the coolest affordable Classics money can buy.

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We truly enjoyed pushing the Sprite up the hills and around the bends. Its predictable handling is delightful (though the shocks are a bit on the soft side), the brakes are sufficient (we just installed fresh rear brake cylinders), clutch action is easy (manually hold it in second or it might pop out under load), and the unfiltered sound (new muffler, too) is heavenly. It is what it is, it oozes character, and it can be enjoyed on a daily basis!

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Warning: Driving a Bugeye is addictive!

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Returning home, we realize that this fantastic little Roadster, with its minimalist concept (almost like a Lotus Seven), must have been the bargain of the Century when new, and it still is a whale of a buy today. It could even be called "politically correct," what with its small carbon footprint and its ability to be recycled forever.

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A cult classic, this fabulous Austin Healey Sprite is definitely ready, willing, and able to bestow another 50 years of fun upon its lucky second caretaker. You only live once, so why not do it with gusto . . .

We sold this lovely Bugeye in April 2009 to a customer on the East Coast.

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