“Lucky John” – 4 copies currently in stock. £53 each incl UK p + p. Order via Feedback
Above and below are photos of the Hill Climb Special now owned by Ivo Visser which in its early life was known as an Abarth Sprite having a very Abarth-like bonnet shape. It was later fitted with the A.G.Thorpe bonnet and its tail shortened, the car was fitted with a number of Speedwell and BMC competition parts for hill-climbing. In the 1964 shot (top left) it had a BMC hardtop. Ivo tells its story:
“As an SPRITE ABARTH it had a very rare bonnet, which indeed looks like an ABARTH creation featuring some italian details. On the third picture (above) you’ll see at the rear a Speedwell and Abarth badge. Some interesting instruments made a “living” dashboard together with the rare steering wheel. In 1966 the Sprite was bought by Peter Loderer who traded it against a 1954 Porsche paying an extra 3000DM. He used it for several slaloms and rallies before he changed it in 1968 into a Hill-climb special for class up to 1150cc, using the Sebring-Sprite Homologation for the 2 seater race car ONS-wagenpass. (ONS= Oberste Nationale Sportkommission fur den Automobilsport in Deutschland.) Several race and tuning parts were bought at the BMC-competition department and also from Speedwell. Peter Loderer became a member of the Hediri-Racing-Team and the Sprite was, during 1969-1970, entered in 2 races and 2 hill-climbs being referred to in the entry-list as a Sebring Sprite. During the last race at the Airport Kaufbeuren it dropped out with engine damage caused by the short-differential. Taking the Sprite home it was stored until 1990 before it was sold to Gerhard Hutzler for 20.000DM. With best regards from Holland, Ivo.”
SEBRING REPLICA
going to auction at Silverstone on 22nd Feb Guide Price £15/18,000
Shorrock Supercharger Badge
currently for sale on ebay
SOLD for £180!!
[Pete Taylor]
A good photo of 585 MY Speedwell GT at Mugello in 1966 in the hands of Graham White & Terry Hunter.
[supplied by David Morys]
Another pair of adjustable Armstrongs on ebay
at £500 – Unsold – no bids
[Pete Taylor]
Robert Visser has 2 DHMC hardtops. One, with his ex-works rally car XOH 276 (left) has no number, is lighter in weight, with 3mm Perspex window and narrow gutters – perhaps a prototype or competition model? We now know of nearly 20 tops with numbers ranging from 41 to 322 giving some idea of the numbers made.
Albert Voogd suggests compiling a list of the rare W & P fastback hardtops. Anyone know of any? Feedback
Photo of LWD at Sebring in 1969 now on ebay
[Paul Webb]
The ex-Stan Annis Sebring 4444 DA (now owned by Paul Webb) seen here on the 1961 London Rally “where she finished 3rd overall beating a certain John Sprinzel who came 5th”. The car has DHMC hardtop No.322.
A photo of 1411 WD in the paddock at Brands Hatch is for sale on ebay by RaceBears.com
[David Morys]
From rusty Californian import to 2-tone Tulip Rally car (2009) built by Uwe Quack (No.14) – uses Mazda MX5 seats.
DHMC HARDTOP WANTED
Roger Friend has recently bought a Frogeye and is turning it into a standard-bodied Sebring. He is keen to obtain one of the ‘works’ “tall side-screen” hardtops. If you know of one available please email him.
DHMC TALL SIDE-SCREEN HARDTOPS
At the suggestion of Jim Dougherty, I am compiling a list of those who own DHMC hardtops and the numbers stamped on a plate inside the left-hand door opening. In this way we may gradually get an idea as to how many were made. Please let me know if you have one. Feedback The list is shown in the left-hand column of the DHMC hardtops page.
STREAMLINERS TO VISIT UK IN 2014 (after 46 years away!)
Steve Coleman is planning to bring the last 2 wind-tunnel ‘works’ Sprites from Texas to the UK this summer. He plans to display them at the Silverstone Classic (25/26/27 July) and hopes there will be a good showing of Sebring and Special Sprites there. So owners, please put the date in your diary. (More information to follow)
FULLY RESTORED NOW RARE 1961 MARK 2 SPRITE FOR SALE IN HOLLAND
Modified in the 1960’s with Speedwell Monza bonnet and an Ashley Fastback hardtop, this car was fully restored to almost perfect condition just a few years ago. It is available with either Minilite wheels, as show, or a set of wires. The car has been dry-stored for some time and is in running order. Its owner, Angelo Van de Rijt is looking for
Offers in the region of 15,000 Euros (about £12,400 UK) He can be contacted by email.
A message from Pat Slade, after he received his copy of “Lucky John”
See “Your Comments”
BMC competition catalogue 1961
(published in the USA)
This is something new to me – anyone seen it before?
Pages 7 & 8 relate to Sprites
[Thanks to Karsten Stelk]
John Sprinzel on Bonneville Sprites
Bonneville Sprite – sorry – me again. We did quite a few Bonnevilles, with the Shorrocks blower, wire wheels and Girling disks with 8” rear drums. The four wheel Dunlop Disk brakes were not used by us, either at Grosvenor Street nor at the Mews, as they were not homologated, and I certainly cannot ever recall suffering with a lack of brakes. Geoff used them on earlier ’59 and ’60 Sprites, and I am not at all sure how this was possible with the FIA rules, but then there was not nearly as much ‘inspection’ as in later years, though I seem to remember the ‘Dunlop’ cars were often entered in the Sports Car (group 4) category, which allowed a lot more latitude. One of the best results was Paul Hawkins in Cyril’s S221, which was turned into a Bonneville for the Goodwood TT, which didn’t accept cars under 1000cc, so the blower put it into the next higher class. Paul finished 20th overall in front of three Lotus Elites, Chris Lawrence’s Morgan Plus 4, John Bekaert’s A.Healey 3000 and an Elva – not bad going for a steel bodied Sprite.
More on EAC 90C
In conversation with Dave Groves I discovered that his cousin was married to Dudley Lucas who raced EAC with Arthur Appleby. It seems that after the Mugello crash in 1970 the car was broken up and its remains buried beneath a new entrance drive. The dry-sump motor, Healey wheels and other mechanicals were built into another racing Sprite which had a Sebring bonnet and DHMC Mk2 hardtop. Never registered for the road this car was eventually dismantled and the parts sold off.
JOE ARMOUR ASSEMBLES THE FUEL INJECTION FOR HAN9-R-237
“Here is my head and short inlet manifolds being refurbished in Victoria. I also have a cam, fuel pump and Lucas fuel distributor. But no inlet trumpets. We can cast some as the base and butterflys are standard S.U. Carb items. What I need is the length and dia at the bell mouth. Also I would like to get the cast in numbers on the trumpet. Interesting the fuel injection appears to have been removed when the car was sold to the publishing house of ‘CAR AND CAR CONVERSIONS’ when they purchased it from Healeys. What is most interesting is that the Chairman/director of the company was Donald Healeys Promotions Manager, Ken Gregory who had been Stirling Moss’s manager. Previously Ken had suggested and pre-arranged a buyer of the 1958 ? London Show car 100/6 with gold metalwork trim and unique upholstery. The fuel injection has not been fitted from that time, the reason being I believe was due to easier maintenance and tuning.
Regards Joe Armour” (NSW Australia).
MORE ON BONNEVILLE SPRITES FROM ALEX POSTAN
My Bonnie has rear drums – as does the FIA homologation form. I doubt that the darn thing ever goes fast enough to warrant rear discs and I surmise that it was extremely unlikely to have been done back in the days of Lancaster Mews.
MORE HISTORY OF RTL 304
From Meico Koudstaal of the Netherlands comes this message: “I bought the car from Peter Ecury and raced it at Zandvoort, Montlhery, Zolder and Croix enternoix in the North of France for two years. As the engine was 1300 cc I bought a Formula 3 1098 cc engine from Alain Bailey. I drove the car once and then sold it to Mr van Hulsenbeek in Holland as I bought an OSCA FJ to race. I must have some historical documentation which I am glad to send to the current owner if interested. M.K.”
ALAN ANSTEAD tells of his experiences with a Shorrock supercharger on his Frogeye – See “Your Comments”
Mike Cockayne’s Fastback is coming together well, with its rear bodywork fitted including a sturdy roll-cage, competition halfshafts and even an instruction book!
Bonneville Sprites & Shorrock superchargers
I am planning to bring my Shorrock C75B back into service on JJO this summer which reminds me I must put together a web page on the subject. Originating from the record attempts made by the Healeys at the Bonneville Salt Flats using a supercharged Sprite engine, Sprites fitted with the Shorrock supercharger were often referred to as Bonneville Sprites. Ken Grasing (USA) is planning to build one and asks: “It will be a standard bodied Sebring, probably along the lines of FEY 678, homologation 87, as I’ve acquired a Shorrock’s blower. I do need a bit more help on research. Were all the Bonneville, supercharged, standard-bodied cars fitted with four-wheel discs, as FEY 678, or were some fitted with the Girling type 10 up front and the Girling 8” drums in the rear?” I cannot imagine many cars had 4 wheel discs, and I don’t think Alex Postan has them on FEY but will check – anyone know about this?
Those who are not members of the Midget & Sprite Club, so
have not had the opportunity to read Gary Lazarus’s excellent article on the Ecurie Ecosse Sprite and itys recent sale may like
to view a similar one now available on Bonhams’ website at: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20934/lot/4/
Thanks to Pete Taylor and Peter Fletcher for this reference. [You will have to copy & paste it into your web browser]
The ‘works’ Targa Florio entry for 1965, TFR 3, registered EAC 90C
and as TFR 4 in 1966 with Coupe top.
[photos courtesy of
Karsten Stelk]
A pair of Armstrong adjustable rear shockers now SOLD on ebay at £610 – 20th Jan, 2014
“Mighty Midgets & Special Sprites” by John Baggott – a copy
now sold on ebay at £11.51.
Expired: 19th Jan, 2014
Many thanks to Paul Webb, Neil Anderson, Pete Taylor and Mark Matthews for informing me of the above.
Steve Coleman’s
HAN9-R-238
web page
is now complete
New Frogeye bodyshells ~ an announcement from Mike Marczynski of Frogeye spares/ClassicCarCo
I’d like to formally advise you that as of late December 2013, we have acquired the Wheeler and Davies business of Brian Wheeler re: the manufacture of Frogeye Sprite bodyshells and repair panels, and are delighted to have made this purchase! Production is continuing at Wolvey for the time being, as we are having our workshop roof at Manchester renewed, and hopefully this will be completed by the end of January/early February. Brian is continuing to work with us for as long as possible, and our guys are currently learning all his skills at Wolvey, prior to the move. We’ll continue to use all the same equipment and suppliers as Brian used, to ensure continuity and quality. We will be adding a section to our existing website www.frogeyespares.co.uk , but temporarily have added a couple of lines within the body panels’ section. Our web techie, Trevor Ashley, is working on various additions to encompass the new service. Frogeye Spares is part of our www.classicarco.com business, thus anyone wanting a bodyshell or any servicing or repair/restoration of the Sprite or Midget, or to buy any parts, has come to the right place!
[Mike is holding to the prices which Brian put out in October last year and is honouring previous prices if a client placed a formal order with Brian prior to his acquisition.
Current bodyshell prices, excluding VAT, are Stage 1 £3018.04; Stage 2 £4884.04; and Stage 3 £7139.04 ]
Wishing you all happy spriting IN 2014
I have received (27 Jan) a further batch of signed copies of John’s excellent autobiography. Price including UK post and package is £53. Contact me via Feedback
4646 UE
Paul Tarry’s body specialist Barry Carter, has now completed the re-working of his aluminium bodyshell and his full report and photos are now on the car’s web page.
