MARK 2 RESTORATION PROJECT FOR SALE
ALISTAIR ROSS tells me he knows of “a MK2 AH Sprite which needs to be cleared. He says: “The car is in bits but dry
stored and looked pretty solid and is for sale. If anyone is interested I can put them in contact with the owner”.
Contact me in the first instance on Feedback.
Sven Eckhardt’s recently completed restoration of 4444 DA
SYB
and a few more.
I have done my best to caption the above but would welcome further detail from someone who was there please. Feedback.
FROGEYE FOR SALE IN THE NETHERLANDS
1959 Austin Healey Sprite MK 1, cherry red, 30 000 miles after complete restoration and overhaul, very well maintained. Imported form the US in 1990. On Dutch licenceplate for myself since 1994. Heritage certificate available. Very reliable car with the 948 cc A engine and smooth-case gearbox. Diff. changed to 3.9, but 4.2 available. Bunch of spares including steel-rims and front fender. Complete documentation available. Member of the Dutch AHOCN since 1994 and participated in all events in Europe. Selling the car because of my age of 72 yrs. The car needs to find a good home. 19 000 euro negotiable.
Contact: Lau de Smet on +31 164 241591 or by email
A BIT OF SPEEDWELL HISTORY from GLENN CASTLE
“I was away for a short break in Upton upon Severn this weekend and on the way home we stopped for a break at Stow on the Wold. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the Cafe belonged to the Grandson of Len Adams ! I have pasted the text below from his site A lovely chap and well worth a visit for good food and drinks.
https://www.speedwellsatstow.co.uk/
‘Speedwell’ stands for many different things; a flower, a telephone directory of old for Golders green, a printing company, a car tuning company and now a restaurant. Most importantly all these things are linked.
Meet Sam Adams, owner of Speedwells at Stow and also grandson of the late great Len Adams, one of the designers of the Speedwell Sprite. When Sam decided to buy his parents restaurant he thought it needed a face lift. After 12 years of trading it had evolved from its humble origins as a basic Coffee House into a restaurant serving British classics, warming breakfasts and great coffee. With this evolution it was apparent that the name “The Coffee House” no longer fitted and a new name was needed. With much thought the name of Speedwells was chosen as a tribute to Sam’s family history … and it seemed a great name for what was to come.
So a little brief history for you here… It all started with a Coffee House. Not The Coffee House that we used to be but a Coffee House in North London in the late 1950s. Len Adams used to meet 2 friends who were also car enthusiasts: John Sprinzel and George Hulbert. John raced as team Speedwell ( the name of his father’s printing company) and on one of their meetings John mentioned he had a race coming up but he wasn’t happy with his car, after which George looked at it and reworked the cylinder head. John won his next race after which he was interviewed in which the word Speedwell was mentioned several times. The next day Speedwell printing company received several phone calls asking where they could get their cars tuned to perform like John’s had. This gave the three gentleman an idea and soon Speedwell tuning company was created. The business took off very quickly and over the next couple of years they performed hundreds of tuning jobs, took on budding racing driver Graham Hill , and had several race wins attributed to the speedwell tuning company infact they won on 14 races out of 19 in one year. But as they say all good things come to an end and during the 1960s the men went their own ways”.
James Thacker sent in these photos from MGCC Castle Combe on 11th Sept 1971, Richard Budd’s car is number 142 and Chris Westell 137.
“Above [sorry the quality is not that good] shows Richard Budd and my cousin Edward putting their helmets on before going out on the track. My wife Matty is by Richard with a clip board and wind-up stop watches”
“Next photo is on the grid with Richard’s special alloy bodied Sprite [142 ] nearer the camera alongside TZA [134]
“Third photo is the start of the race with Chris Westell 1150cc Midget taking an early lead; followed by Edward Thacker in TZA [1071cc] and Richard Budd’s 1293cc Sprite.
As a comparison to Roger Friend’s picture of 763 Finchley Rd today, attached is a picture of Speedwells in the day, taken from the same angle (care of Peter Eva)
ALISTAIR ROSS
WISHING A HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY TO THE BUGEYE SPRITE.
Cheap and cheerful, headlights stuck up on the very heavy front, with a top that leaked onto the passengers at the slightest drop of rain. A hard-to-get-at spare wheel in a boot without a lid, an engine that overheated as no air got through the radiator dropping oil pressure to 5 lbs per sq. inch, valve bounce if you got up over 70 mph and brakes which faded on the second downhill dash.
Yet within a few days, John Anstice-Brown won the Leinster Race outright in Ireland, Doug Wilson-Spratt won a club rally in the UK and Ray Brookes, Tommy Wisdom and I took Sprites to a 1, 2 and 3 in class on the tough French Alpine Rally – the only manufacturer to finish all the cars that started.
The Sprite went on to win RAC and Autoport Championships, finish on the podium on quite a few International Rallies, and win hundreds and hundreds of races and rallies right up unto this day.
So enjoy your birthday and salute the enthusiasts who have kept them running so well over sixty years.
John Sprinzel
CONGRATS TO OLLY FRIEND who achieved success at Oulton Park at the weekend. He not only won the class but also came 9th overall in the Equipe GTS race, against MGBs, TVRs, Alfas, on a 30 car grid, and to think they only got the engine back from Swiftune on the Wednesday evening.
[courtesy of John Baggott]
SPEEDWELL’S FORMER SHOWROOM
Roger Friend sent in this “shot of where Speedwell’s showroom used to be – big enough for two, maybe 3 cars, in the 60s”.
(above) Sample A-Series engines being run at BMC’s engineering quality assurance department
TREVOR McILROY recently gave 171 DKA another outing at Craiganlet Hillclimb leaving his Sebring, XXC818, in storage.
RICHARD BUDD’S FUNERAL
I understand that the funeral is to take place at Oakley Wood Crematorium, Warwickshire on Wednesday 23rd May at 2pm. Richard’s widow, Corrine would like anyone who knew Richard from the MGCC and/or his time racing his MGB and Sprite to be there supporting her and the family. Unfortunately his good friend James Thacker will be away at the time and it is too far for me to get there from Teesdale so we are hoping others may be able to get along to celebrate Richard’s life.
RICHARD BUDD
I was very sorry to hear from James Thacker that Richard Budd, owner of the ex-works car,
4 HAC had passed away. James says: “I had known him for 50 yeas and competed against him in speed and circuit events in his alloy bodied Healey Le Mans prototype’ 4 HAC
I remember one of my first races in TZA being wheel to wheel with Richard in the Sprite/Midget race at MGCC Silverstone in 1971/2 and seeing him at extremely close quarters drifting the Sprite around Becketts on opposite lock and Richard in an immaculate cream shirt and MGCC tie before the days of compulsory fire-proof overalls”.
We send our sincere condolences to Richard’s wife and family.
My thanks to all those who have kindly tipped me off to the fact that 776 KNX is being offered for sale once again at
US $ 245,000. This was one of the two Sebring works entries in 1964 and is in amazing original condition. Contact: Dan Rapley
More photos and information.
FROM PETE BOWER: “Just a couple of photos of my Sprite as it undergoes its evolution. It has a new Monza bonnet after the damage at Castle Combe, The alloy doors will follow on soon but need a little re-work first. A new lighter and more aesthetic roll (hoop) and a super light alloy race seat. The engine has had a head re-work, a new cam and a Weber 40. Its showing a healthy output on its first rolling road with the promise of more to come…”
SVEN ECKHARDT’s RESTORATION of 4444 DA is nearing completion just in time fore the 60th anniversary celebrations. Well done mate.
BOB BLAYDEN enjoyed himself among the historics at the Australian GP and is now accompanying his friend Russell on a 5,500 mile round trip of Australia by Frogeye.
