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MG Midget and Sprite General - What on earth was Healey Sprite Motor Company?

Puzzled by a brochure for a company of this name, announcing two models for the 1998 British Motor Show. Healey Sprite Roadster hand built Sportscar with a 1.8 Ford Zetec 115 BHP engine and the
Healey Sprite 4x4 Workhorse- Tilt or Pick Up Truck powered by a Mercedes 2.4 diesel engine (described as a good looking sexy vehicle)
The truck is madness - but what was the 115 bhp Frogeye and did it ever make it into production? Looks like a Mk I Sprite. Does anyone have any knowledge of this beast? Was Geoff Healey involved - surely they can't have used the name without his permission. It's well after the demise of the Frogeye Car Company and their Healey-approved Sprites.

C Whiting

Can you scan the brochure and post it?
Alex G Matla

As ever, Google is your friend. The company was dissolve
Ved on 1999 and the following is on the Independent's web site in the same year:

A ROW has broken out in the world of British classic cars over who has the right to the name "Healey", the former manufacturer of sports cars such as the Austin-Healey 3000 and the Austin-Healey Sprite.

Healey Automobile Consultants Ltd of Queen Street, Leeds, is suing Brian Rayward and three of his companies based in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire: Healey Sprite Motor Company, Healey Sprite Group and Healey Sprite Trucks.

The Austin-Healey Sprite was built in the late 1950s and early 1960s. A small two-seater convertible, the Mark I Sprite was memorable for its "frogeye" headlights, mounted on the top of the bonnet.

Healey Automobile is demanding that Mr Rayward's group of companies all change their names by dropping any reference to "Healey" or any other similar word.

The Leeds company is also seeking an injunction to stop Mr Rayward's firms from infringing their registered trade mark, and from selling any car parts or publishing any promotional material with the Healey name.


You could also try http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=6468.0

In short, another bunch of chancres with a rubbish product trying to do well on the back of someone else's name! We see it regularly...
Max max-at-midgetmax-dot-com

Thanks for that - I should have Googled first! I have posted a picture of the cover. If anyone is interested it is for sale on eBay at the moment. Don't think I'll be bidding (I think starting price is about £12) but it is interesting. I'd stil like to know whether they actually built any and if they used a space-frame like the IoW Frogeyes.


C Whiting

Suppose there's possibly a market for the Trifosi replicas - as not everyone can build a kit car - but, at least they don't try and jump on a name ....
rachmacb

Plus ca change... sadly this sort of stunt still goes on today, with people trying to cash in others fame and "legacy goodwill". Nowadays under consumer protection legislation it can be a criminal offence to misrepresent oneself as a "continuation" business of a previous enterprise when you aren't...
Mothy - '65 GAN3 and '65 HAN8

I have this leaflet and was at the very Motor Show. I'm not sure if I've scanned it or not but anyone can have my original after I've scanned it for a fiver at Donington on Sunday.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

They did produce finished Frogeyes and they were to a very good standard.
I too saw them at the Motor Show and owned the 3rd one produced.
The body was as per IOW Frogs and made by Island Plastics on the IOW. So some body fittings, hinges, bonnet catches were the same as IOW sprites.
They did have a spaceframe chassis and body tub all in stainless steel. Ford Zetec 1.8 litre, fuel injected. Ford MT75 gearbox. Double wishbone suspension all round and disc brakes all round.
This was registered as a brand new 'Austin Healey Sprite' on the V5 in year 2000 and had a cat and emmissions printed on the V5. It seems if you tell DVLA it is a certain car they will register it as that!
it drove and handled very well, i did get it up to 120mph around Goodwood.
I did change several things about the car as it had some really naff alloys that I quickly changed for Minilites. I couldn't fit original steels as it needed 14inch wheels to clear the double whishbones. Seats were modern high back rally style which again I changed for more period ones.
It does seem strange they thought they could get away with the name and I'm sure it was this problem that closed them down.

Mike Authers

Well, its stupid to think to get away with the name-thing but a pitty another spridget related company went bust.
Would be great to still have such a company or the IOW frogcompany arround, develloping on in the spridgetscene!
Arie de Best

Arie,

I think a large part of the IOW frogeye company problem was competing against the likes of the MX5 at a similar price and getting much less for your money. A local guy I used to know had a meeting between himself, another gentleman, and Keith Brading IIRC regarding how to make the supersprite more economically but I don't think they came up with much useful to help due to the low volumes concerned. I was asked along after the meeting and had a look around the car and was taken for a test drive and it seemed to go well if rather soft compared to my frogeye. I don't think it was long after that meeting that the IOW company stopped production. The car had the K series and a 5 speed gearbox sourced from what was referred to as an eastern European GT car, I later found out what it was but can't remember at the moment but it turned out to be a FIAT derived gearbox with a Rover designed bellhousing.
David Billington

TBH, I don't want a new one.....
Alex G Matla

This thread was discussed between 25/08/2011 and 31/08/2011

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