1959 Austin-Healey Frog-Eye Sprite |

Sold

1959 Austin-Healey Frog-Eye Sprite

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£6,500

Mileage~6,723 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine948cc
LocationIpswich

SOLD

1959 Austin-Healey Frog-Eye Sprite

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Dom Ginn

Professional Consigner

The Sprite is small in size but enormous in personality - simple, spirited, and irresistibly charming - it turns every road into a grin-inducing adventure.

The Austin-Healey “Frog-Eye” Sprite is one of those rare cars that wins hearts before it even turns a wheel. What began as a budget-friendly British sports car quickly became an icon, celebrated for its simplicity, lightness, and unfiltered driving fun.

Beneath its charming exterior lies a refreshingly honest machine. With minimal weight, modest power, and a low-slung driving position, the Frog-Eye Sprite transforms even the narrowest country lane into a thrilling playground. There are no frills, no excess - just direct steering, eager handling, and the mechanical soundtrack of a car that begs to be driven. It’s not about outright speed; it’s about momentum, balance, and the joy of being fully connected to the road.

Unpretentious yet full of character, the Frog-Eye Sprite embodies the golden age of affordable British sports cars. Decades later, its smile still feels contagious, and every drive feels like a celebration of pure, uncomplicated motoring.

Coming to market after over ~27 and a half years with our vendor, this example needs a little attention to bring it up to standard, so ideally would be suited to someone with time on their hands to invest in its restoration. Perfectly useable in its current condition, the Sprite is a lovely runner and mechanically is functioning without issue.

More recent mechanical works have included, new exchange distributor, rotor arm, distributor cap, ignition leads, spark plugs, ignition coil, electrical connectors, fuses. Historic upgrade works have included, front shock absorbers renewal, rear radius arms fitted, brake flexi hoses, sealing washers, clutch slave cylinder, rear wheel cylinders, brake adjuster, handbrake cable, brake fluid renewal and a new head gasket installed.

Take a look over the images and videos for a further overview of what is required and where we cover off more detail on the Sprite.

This listing was written from information supplied by Dom after meeting Alison the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

It’s been great fun to drive and simply to own - it’s a lovable little car with loads of charm.

Coming to market from a ~27 and a half year ownership with Alison, the current keeper, this Frog-Eye is packed full of charm but requires a little love to bring it back up to its former glory.

Alison had always wanted the experience of an open top car and when she found a friend of a friend was selling it, Alison knew she had to take it on for herself, she said, "The little Sprite was so lovely and had everything I needed - it just had to be".

It's been a car that has been really cherished over its years, "I have loved owning it and have found it hard to let it go whenever anyone has shown interest - I've enjoyed driving in summer months mainly around local area and it will be missed".

The main reason for selling the car now, is simply due to it not being used enough so Alison feels its time to let it go, she said, "I want it to go to a new loving home - as we are not using it as much as we would like - it deserves to be used and adored as it should be to keep it going".

Alison would be happy to answer any questions about the car in the comments section below.

Alison

Vehicle Owner

Alison saved £1,080* when they
sold their Austin Healey with us.

SELLING MADE EASY

We'll take the photos & create the listing.
We'll market it to our 62K buyers & online.
You'll keep your car until it's paid for.

PEACE OF MIND FOR BUYERS

They can fully review our cars online.
They can buy on our trusted platform.
They're able to buy without leaving home.

LEARN MORE

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

It’s purposeful, cheeky, and full of personality - proof that true automotive charm doesn’t need size or aggression to make a lasting impression.

Wheels and Tyres

The 13" wheels have a charming 'AH' branding inset into the chrome hub caps, a beautiful period look. There are obvious signs of age and pitting, but with some attention, the standards of these would be straightforward to improve.

The front of the Sprite is fitted with Kumho tyres, and to the rear, Runway's. To the front and rear, the spec is 145/80. The tyres were new a couple of years ago.

Please take time to review the photos and videos for a detailed view of the exterior, wheels, and tyres so you can make your own assessment of their condition. Tyres are a key safety item, and you should consider replacing any that are cracked, perished, unevenly worn, or over 10 years old.

Bodywork

Looking over the exterior, the panel lines were looking respectable for the age of the car although will need some attention to bring all the lines back to be straight and true. There were a few dings over the body and a dent was noted on the drivers side door when looking around the car.

The bonnet was originally fibre glass, but was replaced with a refurbished original metal one.

Taking a closer look at the underside of the vehicle we noted some signs of surface rust which would benefit from a little effort to clean down and reseal to keep the car going strong for many more years.

Highlighted through our hi-resolution images and exterior video, we take a closer look at how the car looks across various angles. Take a look over the video for yourself for a detailed look where we take in various angles and viewpoints for you to get a real taste of what's on offer and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

Finished in red, it's a lovely colour for a Frog-Eye. The car shows a mixed level of paint coverage across the panels, and it's clear the Sprite has had some spray work at some point over its life. There are differing shades of paint here, so a respray would be of benefit.

There were several stone chip marks around the lower edges of the panels and a few areas where there were larger chips to the finish. We saw a notable mark on the passenger side rear quarter panel which may require some closer attention.

The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there yourself. Please take the time to fully assess these high-resolution images and videos of the car to form your own opinion about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The windscreen is in good shape with no major damage and a decent frame.

The chrome trim is reasonable throughout, all well mounted although there are many signs of pitting.

The driver door latch needs work carried out as this doesn't currently close properly, Alison told us she has a new striker plate for it but hasn't fitted it yet.

Lights, badges and emblems are present and look nice.

The interior cabin trim sections showed in reasonable condition, perfectly useable, but will be worth considering as part of future restorative works.

The car comes with a two hardtops which have never been used although they are not the same colour as the main bodywork. Also included is a tonneau cover, spare windscreen, a soft top and hood frame which hasn't seen much use. The roof is in fair condition, although we weren't able to verify its fitment and the tonneau cover needs some repair work on the zip.

We've taken you around the car in greater detail in our exterior review video, please take the time to look over the video and see how the glass and trim look from different perspectives.

VIEW ALL

INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

Inside, there’s no excess, no distraction - just a low-slung driving position and the unmistakable feeling that this little roadster was built for one thing: honest, open-top fun.

Seats and Carpets

The cabin seats shows signs of wear, mainly from use over the years and we noted a small tear on the driver seat base. Overall though, the seats are functional and a great spot to take in the roads from.

Carpets look to be original (although not verified), with the wear on the carpet area showing to be in a reasonable condition.

We've captured high-resolution photos and a full interior video tour through the car. This covers off the angles inside the car for you to review and appreciate the condition of what's on offer here in our interior review section.

Dashboard

The dashboard is simple in its appearance, covered in dark red colour way and complimenting the rest of the car. We didn't note any major splits or cracks although there were some marks and scuffs.

Practical yet simple, the whole of the interior is full of charm although restorative works would be of real benefit.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel was fairly worn and one of the areas worth noting for restoration, although, didn't seem to cause any issues with driving comfort.

The gear stick looked to be in a reasonable condition, showing a few signs of wear but overall in keeping with the rest of the interior.

VIEW ALL

'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

At its heart is a spirited 948cc A-Series engine - small, eager, and full of character. It thrives on revs and rewards commitment, delivering pure, lightweight driving joy with every press of the throttle.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine fired up straight away, starting on the button. We noted no real concerns and the Sprite performed without issue when out on the road. The car idled smoothly and its engine was easily capable of taking the driver up to speed in no time at all. There were no reported issues with the clutch.

We noted no issues from start up which we've highlighted in the cold start of the "Mechanical review" video. Take a look over the video for yourselves to hear the Austin-Healey start up from cold and take in the lovely sounds of the engine. We go into further detail about the Sprite and take it out on some local roads to get a better sense of what this car is all about.

Suspension and Brakes

We noted no knocks or bangs when out on the road with the Sprite and the car drove and stopped as it should.

We covered off the underside of the Austin-Healey's exterior in our Mechanical gallery section. Take the time to look over the images and see for yourself what's on display here, equally, head over to our video section where we've summarised our visit in more detail for you to view for yourself.

The Drive

The current owner, Alison, has loved owning the little Sprite for many years now, and says, "Taking it out in the summer months mainly around the local area, has really been lovely and we have many fond memories of journeys out on the open road with the roof down".

Driving the Austin-Healey is delightfully simple and feels wonderfully alive. With its featherweight body and sharp steering, the Frog-Eye Sprite thrives on momentum rather than muscle. Every corner is an invitation, every straight a chance to let that eager little engine sing - pure, back-to-basics motoring that turns even the shortest drive into an event.

Electrics and Other

The Sprite is relatively simple in its setup, with the focus more about the driving experience overall.

Alison has a reconditioned engine that comes with the car, although this isn't currently running having been stored in the garage for a few years. A soft top and metal frame is complete with the car although hasn't seen much use.

Two hard tops and tonneau is also included. The hard tops have a different colour to the main body and have never been used in Alison's ownership, the tonneau needs work to the zip. The final sale of the Austin-Healey includes a spare windscreen and wooden luggage rack.

We weren't able to fully test all of the functions when visiting the car, although Alison told us everything was in working order as far as she was aware.

VIEW ALL

History and Paperwork

Long-term owned and full of iconic charm, this largely original Austin just needs a little care but is more than capable of being a shining classic.

Lovingly cared for over the past ~27 and a half years, the Sprite has also benefitted from a few choice upgrades.

Several elements have been considered, such as a new water pump, thermostat housing, fuel drain and cleaned out, refurbished heater matrix, pipes renewal, new battery, handbrake repair, new brake shoes, new exhaust valves and a valve refit and grind in.

More recent works have included, new exchange distributor, rotor arm, distributor cap, ignition leads, spark plugs, ignition coil, electrical connectors, fuses.

Front shock absorbers were renewed, a pair of new rear radius arms fitted, brake flexi hoses, sealing washers, clutch slave cylinder, rear wheel cylinders, brake adjuster, handbrake cable, brake fluid renewal and a new head gasket installed.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a history check on the vehicle - this is a professional check operated by HPI that will highlight if the car has been previously stolen, recorded as being in an accident, or have any outstanding finance - note, this does not include a mileage history check.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
06.04.2022	Engine Flush & Clutch
24.05.2012	MOT	4,880
18.05.2011	MOT	4,139
25.05.2010	MOT	3,795
07.11.2008	MOT	3,394
16.10.2000	MOT	2,489
25.06.1999	MOT	2,247
15.05.1998	MOT	1,078