Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite MkI

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Designed by Donald Healey in partnership with BMC, the MkI Sprite was launched in May 1958 and proved such a hit that it spawned a whole new generation of copycat sports cars from the likes of Triumph and MG.

It was intended to be a low-cost model that 'a chap could keep in his bike shed', a Fifties successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war Austin Seven. Based around humble A35 underpinnings, it inspired huge public affection due to its lively road manners and cute 'Frogeye' styling – a happy accident that only came about because the pop-up headlights that the car was designed for proved too costly to mass produce and were changed at the last minute to the fixed pods that so define the car today. Very basic in many ways (it had no exterior door handles and no opening boot lid), it cost just £669 at launch.

This nice white example was first registered in April 1959. The car has been considerably uprated for fast road use including a fully rebuilt 1275cc Midget engine which has been bored out to 1310cc and fitted with a Peter May cylinder head and uprated camshaft among other mods. A dyno sheet in the file shows that it is now producing some 90bhp. Fitted with a ‘works style’ hardtop, it has a soft top and frame stowed in the rear boot area.

The engine is mated to a 5-speed Type 9 gearbox and a 3.9:1 diff has been fitted for more relaxed high speed cruising. Stronger half-shafts are also fitted along with front disc brakes and wire wheels. The suspension has recently been rebuilt with new springs, shocks and the addition of a front anti-roll bar.

The car is now said to drive well with lively road manners and a good turn of speed. With an MOT until 2015, the car comes with a fair amount of history including an old green log book from 1969 when it was in Preston, Lancs. Altogether a well-sorted little sports car that should give its new owner a huge amount of pleasure.

The car is offered for sale from the estate of Mike Cockayne of Bromyard. Mike was a dedicated hill climber who considered Shelsley Walsh in Worcestershire his second home. If he wasn’t competing, he could be found helping rival competitors in the paddock, or making other visitors feel welcome at one of the bars at this fabulous motor racing venue.

Mike had always tinkered and modified cars and after retiring from shop keeping he turned his time almost exclusively to fettling old motors. The Frogeye on sale today was Mike’s everyday classic car, lovingly built by him to be fast and fun. The Healey 3000 elsewhere in this catalogue has also been entered by the executors of Mike’s estate.