Austin Healey Sprite Mark 1 Frogeye with tonneau cover invested over €20,000 (1960)

Vehicle description

Model history:

In order to enable sports car fans with smaller budgets to enjoy driving a Healey, Austin-Healey decided to launch a particularly inexpensive roadster called Sprite from 1958 onwards, which was intended to appeal primarily to younger drivers. By 1971, a total of four generations of the Sprite had been produced, all of which together produced almost 130,000 units. In terms of optics, the Mark I came across as the most striking, because it had the nickname "Frogeye" due to its attached headlights (in the USA it was even called "Bugeye").

General information about the vehicle:

An Austin-Healey Sprite, first registered in 1964, is now being offered for auction in this auction. According to the seller, this roadster is a German first registration, which has the chassis number AN5L46332 and had a total of only 4 owners. The so-called matching numbers are assumed - the history of this partially restored car can no longer be traced exactly, but the mileage should be partially verifiable according to the current owner. It is also worth mentioning that this Austin-Healey Sprite MK1 has a valid MOT until October 2024 and is already allowed to carry an H license plate.

Exterior paint/paint/body:

Visually, this "Frogeye" impresses with its classic dark green paint color - repainting cannot be ruled out according to the seller, but overall the paint is in good shape according to the current owner. In addition, all chrome trim elements on the vehicle are apparently completely preserved. All attachments of the Sprite MK1 are in good condition and the seller can completely rule out an accident. All soft top elements of the Sprite (in black color) are included with the vehicle and can be viewed in the meaningful series of pictures.

Exterior rims/brakes/chassis:

On silver 8-spoke alloy wheels, whitewall tires - which, according to the seller, were only recently new - are mounted, the brakes have recently been renewed and there are no inconsistencies in the chassis area.

Interior:

Accordingly, the interior is as tightly tailored as the entire vehicle - but the red leather seats and chrome-rimmed fittings as well as the perforated 3-spoke wooden steering wheel give the small sprite a certain charm. According to the seller, damage or missing parts cannot be named, and according to him, the traces of use are very limited. In addition to the 3-spoke sports steering wheel and the leather seats, the Austin-Healey's equipment also includes a tarpaulin (in black). For a detailed overview of the interior and the equipment elements, we refer to the other photos.

Mileage:

Almost 32.000 kilometers can be read from the noble speedometer of the Austin-Healey Sprite MK1 - the seller also mentions that the total mileage is partially verifiable and all functions in the interior do their job without any problems.

Engine:

If you fold up the large hood of the Sprite MK1, the 1.3-liter inline four-cylinder appears, which produces 65 hp and is coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission. This sprite underwent a final service in May 2023.

Subsoil:

After consultation with the seller, the underbody can be attested to be in good condition - given the age of the vehicle of almost 60 years - and the current owner assures that the underside is unwelded. In addition, the seller mentions that over € 20,000 was invested in the course of the partial restoration of this Austin-Healey Sprite MK1 offered here - in the corresponding condition, the small "Frogeye" is now for sale here and is waiting for its future owner.

Vehicle videos

Why Kickdown? The NDR summed it up well!