Have you always yearned to own a classic British roadster but you think you can’t afford one? Well, I have some good news for you and some no-so-good news. If you have always wanted one of these open-topped, dual SU carb-equipped marvels from the UK there is a car that fits the bill and, even better, that costs less than $10,000 to buy and a pittance to keep running. It’s the Austin Healey Sprite.
Pick of the day is this 1964 Mk2 Austin Healey Sprite located in Stratford, Connecticut.
According to the seller’s advertisement on ClassicCars.com, the car is a very nice example, with excellent rus- free floors and a very clean body with nice (mostly original) paint. The car also has redone seats, new carpets, new interior panels, new shocks and a very good top, tonneau and side curtains. It also comes with its spare wheel/tire/jack, original front license plate frame, and lug wrench. These Mk2 Sprites featured many upgrades from the earlier Bigeye versions, including disc brakes and a 1100cc engine that features twin SU carbs.
The seller states that the engine runs great with 60 psi oil pressure when warm, with between 155-175 psi compression in every cylinder and no smoke, hot or cold. Also, and amazingly, all electrics and the original gauges work ss they should and the original chrome trim is also in very nice shape.
The gearbox exhibits some noise from the trans in first gear, though all the other gears work as they should. As an added bonus and to relieve you of some worries, the seller is also having a proper rib case Sprite trans rebuilt which comes with a warranty and is included in the price.
Sprites are some of the most fun to drive British roadsters you can own, offering wind in the hair motoring, nice handling, and for just about any size person. I am 6-foot-4 and somehow can drive these cars comfortably.
You do not see early post-Bugeye Sprites for sale that often and a car this clean and nice seems like a bargain at the seller’s asking price of $8,900.
These cars offer all the romance of a British roadster in a small package and with incredible ease of maintenance and dirt-cheap parts prices. Early cars such as this one are getting more and more rarey.
No, they will never be worth a ton of money, but the fun they offer more than offsets any lack of appreciation in the marketplace. Remember, at the end of the day, it is about driving the cars and any Sprite is a fun car from behind the wheel.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
