1958 Austin-Healey Frog-Eye Sprite |

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1958 Austin-Healey Frog-Eye Sprite

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£11,620

Mileage~64,329
TransmissionManual
Engine1.3L (upgraded)
LocationLeicestershire

SOLD

1958 Austin-Healey Frog-Eye Sprite

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Glyn Parry

Professional Consigner

Quirky, full of character and bags of charm, with its smiley frontage, few cars look as happy as the Frog-Eye Sprite.

Open top format, straight forward design and prominently mounted front headlights gave the car its affectionate "Frog-Eye" nickname. Interestingly, it was only a result of cost cutting by the British Motor Corporation that made way for the headlights to remain as they are today. Originally intended to be able to be retractable, the appearance wouldn't have been quite as distinguishing and for owners and admirers alike, the iconic headlight and cheeky grin is the look that we all know and love. Austin-Healey's main focus with these cars was to be an easy car to maintain and work on, using tried and trusted BMC parts and drivetrain, they still have that reputation today.

Having been lovingly restored over the past few years by the vendor, this car comes to market from ~18 year ownership, with just 2 former keepers registered prior. Some really important features such as a rebuilt larger 1,275cc engine, new clutch and restored gearbox installed to make the car even more enjoyable for its future owner. With its green over green colourway, we couldn't think of a more appropriate combination for a Frog-Eye Sprite.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Glyn after meeting Matt the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

Ever since my early 20s I've wanted one of these, I was very happy when later in life I finally bought one.

Coming to market from ~18 year ownership in Matt hands, this Frog-Eye boasting an upgraded engine. The previous owner kept the initial registration number, and had it re-registered to Matt as part of the sale process. Since then Matt has carried out some thoughtful restoration to the car with a new fuel pump, tank and pipes, new heater parts, respray, engine rebuild, an original frogeye bumper added, brake upgrades, air filters, ignition switch and controls. A reconditioned gearbox and a new clutch have also been installed in the current ownership.

Matt lets us know that the car has always been stored dry and kept in the garage when not in use. Having decided to take on a new venture, the garage is now needed for that all important extra space with the Sprite ready for its new future owner. He'll be happy to answer any questions about the car in the comments section below.

Matt

Vehicle Owner

Matt saved £1,980* when they
sold their Austin Healey with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

With its cheeky grin and iconic headlights, the Mk1 Sprite is a really distinctive and recognisable car.

Wheels and Tyres

The 13" wheels have a charming 'AH' branding inset into the chrome hub caps, a beautiful period look. There are some signs of age and pitting, but they still look great even by today's standards.

Rear tyres look to have been replaced this year, the front tyres look to have a fair amount of tread left on these but look older items with some signs of cracking in the tyre wall. Please take a look over the gallery section to see more detail here.

Bodywork

These Sprites are a tidy little package, and this cars panels and doors etc all look to be in good condition with a decent fit. On our visit we didn't note any major signs of dings or anything that caused us a concern. Taking a closer look at the underside of the vehicle we noted some signs of surface rust which would benefit from a little effort to clean down and reseal to keep the car going strong for many more years.

Highlighted through our hi-resolution images and exterior video, we take a closer look at how the car looks across various angles. Take a look over the video for yourself for a detailed look where we take in various angles and viewpoints for you to get a real taste of what's on offer and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Finished in "Leaf Green", it's the prefect colour for a Frog-Eye. The car shows a good coverage of paint across all the panels, the Sprite has had some spray work at some point over its life and there are a few small signs of blistering of the paint around the headlight sections. Overall, nothing that we were overly concerned with.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these hi-resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The windscreen does show a few signs of marking although on our visit we didn't note any issues seeing through the glass, we did note that the glass itself did clean up well but may require some attention from the next owner. There were some slight signs of pitting around the chrome sections but these were in-keeping with the age of the car so not issues that we would be worried about.

We've taken you around the car in greater detail in our "Exterior Review" video, please take the time to look over the video and see how the glass and trim look from different perspectives.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

A compact cabin with internal lockable boot hatch behind the seats, the interior is back to basics but charming in its own right.

Seats and Carpets

Quirky features and details are a big part of the Mk1 Sprite, with no exterior door handles, reaching inside the frame opens the driver and passenger doors. The seats show in a great light with the green colourway continued with the interior decor across the seat area.

The driver seat shows some signs of wear, mainly from use over the years, we did note that there is a repair patch on both of the seats, the drivers side through usage and the passenger side where the seat rests against the belt clip. Overall though, the seats look good and a great spot to take in the roads from.

Carpets look to be original (although not verified), with the wear on the carpet area showing to be in a reasonable condition. We noted there were signs that the carpets had faded colour but felt that this really added extra character to such a distinguished car.

The car is fitted with a unique lockable door door hatch, to the boot area behind the seats, handy for stowing away cases and accessories.

Dashboard

The dashboard showed really well and we didn't note any signs of splits or cracks. Covered in the glorious green colourway and matching the rest of the car. Practical yet simple, the whole of the interior is full of charm. In the current ownership, the vinyl capping to the dashboard and dials have been refurbished.

We covered some more detailed shots of the interior in our hi-resolution gallery, take a look over the images where our aim is to take you through the interior as if you were actually in the car.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The gear stick looked to be in a reasonable condition, showing a few signs of wear on the wood gear knob surround but overall in keeping with the rest of the interior. The Austin-Healey badge in the centre of the gearstick looked nice, showed no cracks or splits but had some signs of wearing from use.

We noted that the steering wheel wasn't original but didn't look to out of place against the rest of the car, likely to be smaller than the original wheel, but on the drive out, didn't seem to cause any issues with driving comfort and it makes getting in and out of the car easier.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

With a reconditioned gearbox, new clutch, petrol tank and fuel pump all added, and fitted with a 1,275cc engine, the running gear is in good stead too.

Engine and Gearbox

Fitted with an upgraded 1,275cc engine, in the current ownership this car has had a new fuel pump, new petrol tank and pipework installed. Also, the Sprite has a reconditioned gearbox and a new clutch.

We noted no issues from start up which we've highlighted in the cold start of the "Mechanical review" video. Take a look over the video for yourselves to hear the Austin-Healey start up from cold and take in the lovely sounds of the engine. We go into further detail about the Sprite and take it out on some local roads to get a better sense of what this car is all about.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks or bangs when out on the road with the Sprite, the car drove as it should with Matt letting us know that the braking elements had been worked on along with an upgrade to the master brake cylinder.

We covered off the underside of the Austin-Healey's exterior in our Mechanical gallery section. Take the time to look over the images and see for yourself what's on display here, equally, head over to our video section where we've summarised our visit in more detail for you to view for yourself.

The Drive

We took the Sprite out on some local roads to help you get a feel for what's on offer which we've included in our 'Mechanical review' video section. Matt reported that he had a great deal of enjoyment from the car and let us know that, "Its such a great driving experience that is easy and pleasurable to work on".

Electrics and Other

Switching on the engine during our visit showed the fuel gauge needle swing around to show a quarter tank of fuel and the oil gauge worked as it should also on our cold start. The gauges overall are of their age and are in keeping with the car. Oil pressure and water temperature gauges were working nicely also for us.

The starter pull, choke, windscreen and headlights switches were also working as they should on our test drive out in the Sprite. Take a look over our Mechanical review video where we show some more of the car's interior and electrical features.

The fold down roof and tonneau are also included as part of the sale which both looked to be in a good condition on initial inspection. The frame for the foldaway roof provided, fits neatly into brackets behind the seats when not in use.

Additionally, original side screens are provided too with a storage bag.

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History and Paperwork

Coming to market from ~18 years ownership, this car has just 2 previous registered owners in the UK, and benefits from good mechanical upkeep and an upgraded 1,275cc engine.

Lovingly cared for over the past 18 years, this Mk1 Sprite has also benefitted from several upgrades and important repair works. Several key elements such as the addition of a new fuel pump, reconditioned gearbox with a new clutch, new petrol tank and fuel pipes as well as the braking system being updated, have all been added. The hood and tonneau are also included as part of the sale as well as the car jack, all are reported to be in a good condition.

We've detailed the MOT certificates carried out in the paperwork gallery section, the Austin-Healey has its MOT validated until August 2023. It comes with the drivers handbook (a replacement) as well as several receipts for works carried out. We've also included the MOT test certificates and included additional MOT information in the history section of the listing.

Should it be needed, Matt would be happy to answer any queries or questions you may have to support your purchasing decision in the comments section below.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
11.08.2022	MOT	64,305
09.05.2016	MOT	63,558
11.09.2014	MOT	63,355
02.08.2013	MOT	63,308
20.06.2012	MOT	63,045
13.05.2011	MOT	62,700
13.04.2010	MOT	62,474
16.03.2009	MOT	61,992
18.04.2007	MOT	61,515
15.04.2006	MOT	61,103