Denis WELCH Tragically, at the Silverstone Classic on Sunday, Denis suffered a…

DENIS WELCH
Tragically, at the Silverstone Classic on Sunday, Denis suffered a fatal accident in his Lotus 18. A great Healey exponent for very many years he will be very much missed. Our sincere condolences go to his family, his staff and his friends in motorsport.

Very Rare Shorrock Supercharger Boost Gauge for sale at 250 Euros (£200)
NOW SOLD

Colin Barnett is now fixed up with an Ashley hardtop but is still after a Warwick Mk 2 one.
01329 847121

SILVERSTONE CLASSIC 2014 – JULY 26/27

Chris Clegg in S221
[John Egan]

S221 had a reasonable race (I don’t have result). Right, Paul Woolmer assists.
[John Phillips]

I joined the Midget & Sprite Club at the circuit, driving JJO with supercharger and 5-speed ‘box for the first time. Derek Stewart brought along his Fastback, and Gordon Higgs, his Coupe plus Pierre Lequeux seen (right) talking to John Egan.

Chris Clegg’s S221 was spotted in the pit garage but Charlie’s car was missing, apparently having an engine problem.

STEVE COLEMAN brought his 2 ex-works cars to the Silverstone Classic last weekend where they were on display.
Here HAN9-R-238 gleams in the sun – a piece of history which raced twice in the Sebring 12 Hours (1969 and 1970)

The silver car (HAN9-R-250) was intended to be raced in the Targa Florio in 1969 but was sold by the “works” after their tie-up with BMC ended. Here owner Steve Coleman shows David Piper and Alan Anstead round the car.

MG MIDGET MK 1 for sale.
Oselli 1098 engine, servo brakes, Speedwell handles, etc £4,250 – Email Steve Shears or phone 0208 517 4635

A great photo of the Roger Enever/Alec Poole Sprite (HAN9-R-237) at Le Mans in 1968 being hounded by one of the works Alfas [Joe Armour]

ENX 415C & 416C
An article by John Blunsden on the ex-Le Mans cars run by Richard Groves Racing

This hardtop came with a restoration project recently purchased by John Pearce. He wants to know the maker. If you can help please let me know via Feedback

An extract from Tom Cotter’s book: “Cobra in the Barn”
Part of the history of Sebring/Le Mans car HNX 455D (kindly supplied by Joe Armour)

Gordon Higgs put me on to the Mark 1 Midget with wire wheels and 1098cc engine – must be one of the last as it wasn’t registered until 1964. It’s on ebay currently showing £545 and the auction expires on Friday 25th.
IT SEEMS THIS CAR HAS BEEN SOLD PRIVATELY

XYJ 352
Spotted by David Morys at Shelsey Walsh, this Sebring Rep which (Paul Baker of AHC tells me) belongs to Les Proctor of Cleckheaton. It lacks roof gutters (suggesting it is not an Archers’) and has added wheel arch extensions.

Alan (Anstead) is a dab hand at making up bracketry to fit Ford Type 9 5-speed gearboxes in Spridgets, this set going to Bob Heppel (Sebring Rep No.17)

Alan Anstead spotted this Lenham (? Peter Warren’s) at the Pollhill Classic Car Show last week, and Gary Lazarus has kindly supplied a photo of the car in a previous life. See Lenham GT

LATEST NEWS ON THE TRIP TO THE HEALEY MUSEUM IN SEPTEMBER
Latest News Flash & WJB 707 at the Museum

Andrew Moynagh from New Zealand
has a Turner Climax with the same brakes as a Sebring. He is looking for 2 no. 5/8″ pistons for the wheel cylinders of his 8″ rear brakes. If you can help please send him an email

SILVERSTONE CLASSIC this coming weekend 25/26/27 July..
Charlie Clegg tells me “..both S221 (my father and Martin McGlone) and 184 FGJ (myself and my sister) will be racing in the Pre-63 GT race at the Silverstone Classic next weekend. S221 has just had an engine rebuild and my car has had quite a lot of work done to it at Archers so we are hoping for a good weekend! As ever would be good to see the Sebring Sprite contingent”.
I hope to be there (on Sat) in JJO with her new engine and ‘box, as will Derek Stewart and Pierre Lequeux so why not join us in the Midget & Sprite Club display area. Also present will be Steve Coleman’s 2 ex-works Sprite prototypes. Charlie will soon be: “off to Bonneville to try to beat the land speed record for a 1960s Ford Mustang! 1,200hp and aiming for around 240mph! See below, right.

WANTED – ASHLEY FASTBACK & WARWICK HARDTOPS
Colin Barnett inadvertently bought the wrong model of Ashley top for his Midget Mk 1. He is looking for the right one and is also after a Warwick Mk 2 top. If you can assist, please contact him by email or on 01329 847121.

Giorgio Taglietti has been enjoying his Sprite once again – this time in the “Cesana – Sestriere, 2014”, his 3rd race this season.

Michael Meerlo took these atmospheric shots of Stephen Bowen’s ex-Ian Walker Sebring WJB 707 prior to her going to the Healey Museum – alongside his own red-nosed Sebring Fastback replica

Harvey Woods’ Sebring Race Car is for Sale
As preparing and racing their Austin-Healey 100M is taking up most of Harvey’s and his father’s spare time they have decided to part with the Sebring. See “Car & Classic” £19,300.

I have been enjoying some correspondence with Jim Proffitt, one-time owner of UUV 398. Below is his latest message. A bit of a change from Sprites!

” Hello Martin, Did you know Stan (Huntley*)? He was a lot of fun. Sad to see him die like that. I got to speak with him a few days before his death. He would have been happy to see the car done, and raced. 2002 was a year of a lot of changes. My soon-to-be wife and I finally got together and I sold my 328 BMW coupe back to BMW AG. The funds from that sale allowed my retirement. I started collecting pre-war BMWs about the same time as I got the Sprite. Still have several. Motorbikes too but I no longer ride. I hope we will build an 800 meter warehouse soon to house all our junk. Did you know my wife ran at Bonneville? 2008 she went 280.5 mile per hour on petrol. She is a brave lady – AND not just for marrying me. I think there are a few race cars left in me but I’ve slowed a lot. Here’s a photo of Goodwood 2002. Last time I drove the BMW in anger. Just coming back down the hill, and one outside Rome just warming the oil to temp at a few miles the other side of 120mph! About to acquire the “Red Mist”. So many things to remember . So many memories to make still. Way East, Jimski.

P.S. [RH photo] This is Jesse Alexander’s portrait of me at maybe 3am about a month, no more than 6 weeks, before the 50th anniversary of it’s win at the 1940 Mille Miglia. We took the car to Italy for that race with Joel Naive as my co-pilot. I ran that event five times. You don’t have to look too close to see I’ve had little sleep for many weeks”.

[* Stan Huntley owned HNX 455D prior to Tom Cotter who sold it on to Jim Prentice]

Rick Neville has kindly sent me this link to a fine gallery of photos of the 1959 Stiles/Sutherland Sebring Sprite.

JIM PROFFITT, one-time owner of UUV 398 has corrected a few points about the car and its history – see “Your Comments”

These images kindly supplied by David Baglow of his father, John, rallying LNX in the 80’s.

HNX 455D
The 1966 Sebring’Le Mans Sprite
These photos were included in former owner Tom Cotter’s book “Cobra in the Barn” and show the car during its rebuild by Stan Huntley and later by Tom Cotter.
[Thanks to Joe Armour & Rick Neville]

Nikolaj Mortensen‘s Race-prepared Sebring Rep is now reduced to £23,500 as he has bought a Ford Falcon and a Cooper S so is keen to sell.

Rick Neville & Joe Armour have sent me a link to a US forum in which this “original Sebring Sprite” is shown. It turns out it is Bill Prout’s car.

THE EX-WORKS SEBRING/TARGA SPRITE LNX 629E IS TO GO TO BONHAMS AUCTION AT BEAULIEU ON SEPTEMBER 6TH
While the late John Baglow’s car is now a rather sad site having been damaged in a racing accident many years ago, I suspect there will be considerable interest from buyers. One of very few “square-bodied” Spridgets raced by DHMC in international events this car took part in the Sebring 12 Hours, the Targa Florio, the Nurburgring 1000kms and the Mugello GP in 1968. It was fitted with an XSP 1293cc engine and one of the few 5 speed gearboxes specially built for racing at the time. Bonhams.

PETE TAYLOR is gradually finding all the right bits for his Streamliner Replica: to reproduce the 1293 XSP engine he now has a Cooper S 1275 Block, a 649 Cam with the extra skew drive, scavenge pump and a replica dry-sump reservoir to go in the passenger footwell. Slow progress so far, but he is hoping the project will speed up this year.

David Baglow tells me that his late father’s Sebring/Targa Sprite, LNX 629E has emerged from its garage for the first time in 27 years. David is considering the options but it seems likely that the car will now go to auction with Bonhams at Beaulieu in September (this to be confirmed).

Pierre is still finding me hardtops on ebay (he has 3 already). This curious one ends on 18 July, starts at £15 (SOLD for £102)

CORRECTION:
Both Ray English and Kees van Beijmewerdt have pointed out that the number stamped on a Frogeye bodyshell near the master cylinder (below) is the Thompson number while the official Body No. which can be used in a Heritage trace can be found on a plate inside the RH “A” post (assuming it’s there).

Clifford hardtop on ebay

SOLD £69.99 – 13 July

Greg Heacock has found the Body No. on his Bugeye so we have now ordered a Heritage Certificate to try to discover its early history.

Paul Taylor has come up with another photo of the ex-works 693 LAC after it had its coupe top added for Richard Groves

ASHLEY HARDTOP
This looks in amazing condition but may only suit a Mark 2 Sprite (check). Bought by Phil Harris-Bland – 5th July

4.55 DIFF
Ideal for hill-climbs – on ebay at £49.99 start
UNSOLD 5th July

WJB 707 – Stephen Bowen’s ex-Ian Walker Sebring
is now on display at the Healey Museum in Holland. Stephen says this is not necessarily a permanent arrangement . See the Museum’s Facebook page.
[John Egan]

A message from Greg Heacock (see below) reveals that Louise is in fact his wife. They found the Sprite in a barn on the farm of his father’s friend in Salem Oregon where it had been since 1968. So we still need to find out where it came from before ’68.

More on Greg Heacock’s Sprite
From Ray English’s amazing AUS archive we learn that the car was raced in West Coast USA by Louise Culham

but who took this RHD car to America, and when?