I had been on the hunt for a nice Bugeye for several years, but I knew that there was a beauty owned by fellow MGs of Baltimore car club member Bert Shirey. I made it known to him years ago that I would love to have his if it ever came time to pass the…
By Leo Kob Our 1959 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite’s maiden voyage last October was with the Philadelphia Chapter of the Austin Healey Sports & Touring Club’s (AHSTC) frostbite tour. During a long COVID-safe picnic at Sailor’s Point (on the north side of Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park, Bucks County, PA) we relayed this luv-puppy’s…
By Warren Mann “Hey Jon, just a heads up… six months till the Invasion!” On a cold March morning, I fired off a text message to my cousin, reminding him it might be a good time to dive into one of his Healey projects so that he’d be ready for the long drive to Stowe,…
By Tony Ly I have been in the hobby since my late teens. I love these cars, especially the Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite for its unique personality and character. As I got older, my visual taste and appreciation expanded to other forms of art, too. The first time I saw Revi Ferrer’s work, I was immediately…
The name Lenham Motor Company might not mean much on first blush, but the firm has existed in various forms for over 50 years and has epitomized the men in sheds that formed the second tier of the British automotive industry in the 50s, 60s and 70s. In a small corner of Kent in the…
The classified add read: “FOR SALE: ’61 Sprite, partially race-prepared, Engine rebuilt – $300. SW 4-1622 days till 7:00 pm.” We drove to Tom’s ABC Auto Service and there it was, a Cherry Red, H Production Bugeye Sprite with roll-bar, open exhaust, no windshield or front bumper. Too boot, it was a “Sebring Sprite” with…
One of our customer service reps here at Moss Motors recently told me about two local guys—buddies George Heesen and David Ristig—who were in a friendly competition to see who could finish his restoration project first. Since the two cars they were working on would be featured in this issue of British Motoring, I thought…
If there were an all-time award for car cuteness throughout the entire history of automobiles, the Bugeye Sprite would sweep the honors. With an almost-giggling grille smile and astonished, star-struck eyes, no other car model projects a happier disposition than the original Austin-Healey Sprite. It’s easy to imagine this little speedster as your best friend,…
Domenic & Davana Valentino’s 1959 AN5 Sprite By Andrew Schear As he cranked the starter, the supercharged 948cc motor roared to life with a high raspy idle and puffs of smoke from the dual Abarth exhaust. After 15 seconds the idle dropped and Domenic and Davana Valentino motored out of the parking lot of their…
(This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Donald Mitchell Healey, and as such, we would like to present an interview with him which Paul Chudecki undertook in 1986, and which gives an insight into the man responsible for those magnificent machines. Paul traveled down to Perranporth, Cornwall, to interview Donald just…
