For Sale NOW on Bring A Trailer

For Sale: 1960 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite Mark 1 – “Tink”

Forced sale…

… I’m moving and I’m unable to take my precious “Tink” (short for Tinkerbell) with me. It’s heartbreaking. I LOVE this car. I hope you love her, too.

This ain’t no regular Bugeye

There are a million 1275s with Mini-lites and disc brakes. There are some roaches, and there are some nice ones. They’re fun! These are great cars for car people. But they’re not original.

And then there are some original cars. And they’re fantastic, too! Each with their own quirks.

But there are fewer than a handful with documented period racing history.

Dave Hubbard 1275 currently running – original 948 – needs freshening – included

Tink comes with all this and a lot more.

Tink at speed circa 1965 – Emory Smith driving

And almost all of those have been developed. They are definitely not as raced in the 1960s.

This ex-Emory Smith car is offered as exceptionally original, with many original parts, and has documented Southern California mid-1960s racing history. This is a rare find indeed.

I bought the car from Emory in 1994; he was the second owner. He bought the car in ’62 or ’63 from the original owner.

Since ’94, Tink has served as my daily driver on and off for many years. Well sorted, very original. As you can see from the racing photo Emory gave me when I bought the car (along with his racing notes and helmet), he had the car repainted BRG when he put it up for sale at Lomita Sportscar Repair on PCH and Oak. I’ve kept it much as he had it. Comes with the original 948 and the original smooth case gearbox, brooklands style racing windscreen (as pictured, but cracked long ago before I got the car), the roll bar, bumper, original top frame and top. I also have a wooden steering wheel if you want to try a different look. I’ve kept Emory’s suspension modifications intact. They make her very, very fun.

Emory competed in a bunch of races in this sprite – a few Santa Barbara Road Races, San Luis Obispo, and the Times Grand Prix at Riverside Raceway. The car and his name are in the programs pictured.

Obviously, this history is not as significant as the $250k Sebring Sprites or prototypes. But this is no run of the mill Sprite either. This cute girl is somewhere in between for significance of racing Sprites, but she’ll always have a special place in my heart.

When I first got her, I entered her in the Palos Verdes Concours and we won the people’s choice award. It was fun! She’s never been and would never be (with me) a concours car because I wanted to honor the way Emory kept her all those years.

I am so extremely grateful for the fulfilling years I have had with Tink. She always started when I needed her and she always got me where I needed to go – rain or shine. She has been lovingly stored in a garage in Southern California for her entire life with me. She’s not perfect, but she’s just the best to me. Very solid runner.

Serious inquiries only. If you want to pay plain Sprite money, this is not the car for you. If you want something truly special, head over to BaT.