BUGEYE SPECIAL
with 2 litre Alfa engine & box
clearly needing restoration
US$10,000 asking price
(courtesy Tony Giordano)
Bill Postins has entered the ex-Brian Mulcare Sebring Rep in Brightwells auction on 15 May – Lot 144. Guide price is £18,000 to £20,000 (Thanks to J.W.B)
AUCTION RESULT
A disappointing outcome for Jim Prentice when HNX 455D went to auction on Saturday. The bidding reached £170,000 when the Lot was was withdrawn as it failed to meet the reserve price.
ATTENTION ALL SEBRING REP OWNERS
If you would like to bring your car to the 20 year celebration at the Silverstone Classic in July, MASC have kindly given us permission to use their discount code enabling you to bring the car and 2 occupants in forthe price of a a Single ticket. Discounts for advance purchase. Contact me on Feedback
The forthcoming sale of HNX 455D brought me into contact with Charles Shields, one time owner of JAX 12, which Stirling Moss drove for him on several occasions. They also did the Pirelli Marathon (London to Cortina) together in 1990 (see below)
MORE ON THE TOM COTTER/JIM PRENTICE SEBRING/LE MANS SPRITE GOING TO AUCTION THIS SATURDAY (27TH APRIL)
Neil Anderson has drawn my attention to Tuesday’s edition of Hemmings Daily in which Kurt Ernst reports
the forthcoming sale. I have sent a reply, as follows:
“Over the last 12 months or so I have been researching the history of these cars as I was unsure which car raced where and when and with which drivers. There were, and are, in fact 10 cars built by the Donald Healey Motor Co to this design (with variations) 6 of which were raced by the ‘works’ between 1965 and 1968. Today, the first car built (1965 Sebring) is in Belgium, the two ’65 Le mans cars are both in Japan, the car going to auction is in the UK while its sister car (Sebring & Le Mans ’66) went on to race again at Sebring and Le Mans in ’67. I am as sure as I can be that after Clive Baker bent it at Le Mans it was rebuilt as a ‘new’ car for Le Mans ’68 and is now in Australia.The 6th race car was the ’67 Targa Florio car which also raced at Sebring in ’68 and is now also in Japan. One car went to Fred Royston in the States for him to convert for street use – now owned by Jeff Brenner. DHMC built one car as a potential road version which never saw production – that car still in the UK. The final 2 cars were sold when support was withdrawn by BMC and are now owned by Steve Colman in the USA. A fascinating story. Obviously we in the UK are rather hoping the Cotter/Prentice car will stay in the UK as it’s the only race version we still have here. The 10 cars can be seen on: http://www.sebringsprite.com/worksregister65-69.html Cheers, Martin”
Dave Matthews taking 3rd place from Paul Woolmer in the 1988 Donald Healey Memorial Race at Silverstone in his newly-lowered Lenham
Photo: the late Chris Harvey
H 221 SURVIVES
I had a letter this week from Dave Greaves who has confirmed that he still owns The ex-David Harris racer H221 which has been in long-term storage since 1996. However the car is now in the process of being restored – the shell should be back with him later in the year.
PAIR OF GIRLING TYPE 10 CALIPERS & BRACKETS FOR SALE
Russell Filby, the Turner Registrar has been going through his spares and has decided to offer these “RARE AS HEN’S TEETH” items for sale. He is looking for offers on £1,000. (Somerset)
NOW SOLD – THANK YOU
20 YEAR celebration of the Archer Sebring replica – July 26th to 28th at Silverstone Andrew Forster of Archers Garage has reminded me that it is twenty years this summer since he and Brian began production of the Sprinzel Sebring replica. Numbers sold are now close to 100 although not all kits supplied have yet been assembled. We are planning to celebrate this event alongside the 30 year celebration of the Midget and Sprite Club at the Silverstone Classic over the weekend of July 26 – 28. We will be having a get-together of Sebring in conjunction with the Midget & Sprite Club. Please let me know if you would like to bring your car along. More details later.
STOP PRESS- 22nd April 2013
Mike Wylie tells me that yesterday afternoon Motors TV showed ‘Delayed Live Motorport’ from VSCC Silverstone. David Wylie in the Speedwell GT could be seen having a great dice with the ‘Lumbertubs’ Sprite’. The transmission started at 4.30 pm which meant that their race, that also included Ian Hullet in the WSM and Rae Davis in the Mini-Gem, didn’t start until about 7.20pm, as it was all coverage in real time.
It is on again tonight, apparently showing at 11 pm for anyone interested, and prepared to try to stay awake until 1.45 am on Motors TV.
SEBRING REAR HUBS
Dave Wood is now planning to produce some Sebring rear splined hubs in E16 steel. Price around £195 each.
If interested contact Dave by email or go to www.orsonequipment.co.uk
or tel: (+44) 01384 241717
CALLING ALL COMPETITION SPRITE & MIDGET OWNERS
You are invited to register your car with the
Competition Midget & Sprite Register run by Stephen Luscombe
Please download a form and post it off – whether your car is a current or past racer.
Paul Webb has kindly supplied a drawing of the brake caliper bracket needed to fit Vauxhall calipers to Sprite Mk.1 stub axles
GUIDE PRICE FOR HNX 455D set at £200,000 to £220,000!
To be auctioned next Saturday, 27th April
at Coys, Ascot
INFORMATION ON SMITHS FUEL GAUGES FITTED TO SPRITES & MIDGETS
From Pete Taylor: “I am planning to fit a large fuel tank in my Le Mans replica (17 Gallons ) as was in the original and want to use the standard Smiths fuel gauge in the dash rather than a modern unit. There is a problem as the sender will be a tube unit so that none of the tank safety foam gets in the way. I needed to match the sender with the ohms value of the Smiths gauge and couldn’t find the correct info until I discovered a firm in Wales called Caerbon Automotive who share the business with Speedy Cables. Caerbon carry on the work that Smiths used to do and have all the data. What I needed was the Ohms Value and he tells me that the fuel gauge works on 240 Empty, 20 Full, and 67 mid range. Gauge numbers BF 2223-00 or BF2226-00.
CAERBON AUTOMOTIVE are on telephone 01639 732200 – speak to Ian John”
The ‘Works’ lightweight
MG Midget rally cars
of 1961
Fancy a trip to Sebring, Florida or even Daytona?
Pete Taylor (he of Le Mans Sprite replica fame) is offering his 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom Holiday home with Pool close to Disneyland at £500 per week. Click for more info
HAN8-R-144 after Clive Baker’s Le Mans incident
10 ex-works Sprites (’65-’69)
I have made a number of minor revisions to the following web pages in the light of new information becoming available:
HAN9-R-237
HNX 455D
Works Register 65-69
HAN8-R-144 at Sebring, 1967
After reading the latest news of the 20th anniversary of the Archer Sebring replica on 26-28 July, Neil Blaney in Australia has set himself a goal to finish his car for that date. He says: “I can’t bring the car over for the celebration at Silverstone but I will be with you in spirit”. He’s currently putting in the wiring loom.
HNX 455D ~ 1966 Sebring/Le Mans car for auction
Jim Prentice has reluctantly decided to part with his historic Sebring/Le Mans Sprite which will be offered at Coys Ascot Auction on April 27th
This is the car with which Paul Hawkins and Timo Makinen achieved a class win at Sebring – see HNX 455D page
The car at Le Mans in 1966 with Hedges and Hopkirk on left and Geoff Healey
Volkmar Neumann needs a pair of Girling caliper adaptor rings for his Lenham GT. Does anyone have a pair or a drawing? Feedback
The ex-Peter White car assembled in New Zealand now resides with Mark Gagnon in the USA. They get around don’t they?
Brother & sister IN S221 AT Le Mans in June
CHARLIE CLEGG and his sister INDIA have an entry for the LE MANS LEGENDS support race to the 24 HOURS on 20th-23rd June in S221 and so will be replicating the Stirling and Pat Moss brother/sister pairing back in 1961 at Sebring.
This Saturday 7th April S221 & 184 FGJ will be racing at Silverstone
Both S221 and 184 FGJ will be racing this Saturday at the AMOC Silverstone race meeting and Charlie says “as ever it would be good to catch up with any Sebring enthusiasts if they are going”.
Photos are from the Silverstone Classic back in July 2012.
An update on Pierre Lequeux’ rebuild of 2080 PO
Pierre has now discovered that the mechanics who worked on his car in the 1960’s were George Arnold (a well-known character in Sussex who also used to dive, and discovered the wreck of HMS Hazardous…) and his colleagues Steve Taunton and Reg Styles. Steve has told him that the car was lightened a lot, which 
of course he had already discovered, and that it raced at Goodwood against a car prepared by the Alexander company – and on that day 2080 PO apparently won the race. Later the mechanics were invited by the chaps from Alexander to exchange notes….all exciting stuff! Pierre has decided that as the Alfin front drum brakes were not in good order and the engine is now to be of 1330cc he will fit a later disc brake set-up. Andrew, at Archers, is making progress as can be seen in the latest photos on the 2080 PO web page. And see Pierre’s website: www.cyberspot.co.uk
Graham Bish has turned out some more of his photos – from the 1994 NEC and 1995 Silverstone Classic below:
ENX 416C (now in Japan)
ENX 415C (also now in Japan)
JJO at the NEC, 1994
Pete Taylor pointed out this deep sump (now sold) on ebay (170963472709) “an enlarged sump and longer pickup – useful for long distance Sprite/Midget racers.
Stapleton mentions an extra deep sump in his “Total Tuning” book and gives Special Tuning part numbers of C-AJJ3324 and C-AJJ3323″.
[Thanks to Graeme Williams]
The late Mike Sutton’s Sebring Rep is back on the market. Having achieved a lowly £12,320 at auction just 5 weeks ago the car is now available again at £24,950!!
New web page for
ANGOULEME 2007
