Long lost sprite

[Elizabeth Jones]

Hello everyone. I'm Elizabeth, and have fairly recently returned to the UK from a sojourn in the US, where my late husband and I were quite active in the British car arena.
One of my nephews used to own my late brother's 1969 Mk IV Sprite. He's been able to find out that it is still registered but can find no other information.
Knowing as I do how wonderfully helpful this list can be I thought I would appeal to you all to contact me if any of you know of YLA 827G. It was racing green, but who knows now?

[Basil]

Hi Elizabeth,
In addition to posting your query in this "New Member" forum, you should also post this is our "Spridgets" forum (where we discuss Sprites and Midgets). More likely to get a response.

[Basil]

Elizabeth, I took the number to be a VIN, but was just informed that it is likely a British License plate number? Is that correct? Was this a car that was in England and probably still is?

[Diablo666]

I Found a picture of it on a Google plus album:https://plus.google.com/photos/10265...81753221184130
YLA 827G.jpg
The album seems to belong to Robin Coult, perhaps he could be contacted where he took the picture.

Best regards, Robin

PS Basil: thanx for the mail, it gave me inspiration to search the web for this sprite

[Basil]

I Found a picture of it on a Google plus album:https://plus.google.com/photos/10265...81753221184130
YLA 827G.jpg
The album seems to belong to Robin Coult, perhaps he could be contacted where he took the picture.

Best regards, Robin

PS Basil: thanx for the mail, it gave me inspiration to search the web for this sprite

Wow, that is very good sleuthing! By the way, hope you'll stick around and not be such a stranger! LOL

[Elizabeth Jones]

Absolutely wonderful. Thank you all so very much. I did also post on the Spridgets list, so perhaps more info will be forthcoming. I'll forward the picture to my nephew.
Again, thank you so very much.

[Basil]

Is your Nephew hoping to re-acquire the car or just interested in its whereabouts?

[Editor_Reid]

Elizabeth, your best bet is likely to contact the Sprite Register keeper in the UK, Bob Kemp. His email is spritereg@austinhealeyclub.com

I'd also recommend looking over the UK Healey club's website for potential additional leads in case Bob can't help: www.austinhealeyclub.com

Good luck.

[Toledo_Man]

Just done a check on the DVLA site and it is still currently taxed & MoTd. You can check any UK vehicle HERE

Hope this helps.

[Elizabeth Jones]

Thank you all so much. This community never fails to delight!
My nephew would very much like to re-acquire the car, but I forwarded the picture to him and when we spoke I could hear the grin in his voice.
You are all wonderful!

[Basil]

Thank you all so much. This community never fails to delight!
My nephew would very much like to re-acquire the car, but I forwarded the picture to him and when we spoke I could hear the grin in his voice.
You are all wonderful!

If he does manage to re-acquire the car, be sure to tell him he MUST join our forum! (or, to paraphrase Basil Fawlty, "we shall visit him in the small hours and put a bat up his night dress" )

[Elizabeth Jones]

I couldn't agree more, Basil. We used the lists in the US and they, indeed, were invaluable.

[BusterB]

Speaking of 'long losts', see this ebay.co.uk item for sale at the moment...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323497554821?ul_noapp=true
My first car was a Tahiti Blue 1969 Hillman Imp!
I wonder if this one is the same one.....
Hmmmm!

[Peter newton]

Hi All, I thought I would drop a few lines into this thread ...... I’m the nephew, Peter.
Many thanks to all that have taken the time to look into Long-Lost-Sprite and especially Diablo666 who came up with the photograph of YLA827G. I must admit that my heart skipped a beat when I saw the picture and so many memories came flooding back. I won’t bore you with the history of my ownership or reasons for selling, other than to say we parted company over 30 years ago - and that was a decision I very quickly regretted and have done ever since.
What I can tell you is what I now know. The car has been taxed and mot’d for as long as I can remember (a quick search on ‘Tax My Car’ with the DVLA tells you that) and it’s fair to say that I have regularly typed the reg into the DVLA’s website search box. When I looked into the photo (thanks again Diablo) I came up a blank with the suggested name of Robin Coult but the picture had a small signature bottom left, a chap called Chris Knowles. After seemingly stalking (I promise I wasn’t!) a number of guys on Facebook who seemed to have an interest in photography with a penchant for classic cars I finally found THE Chris Knowles and we exchanged a few messages. Chris was really helpful and told me he took the picture in June 2016 at a classic car show in Alton, Hampshire, about 25 miles south of Reading. It was a random shot of a nice car and he does not know who the owner was.
The classic car show at Alton is a semi regular event run from The Departure Lounge Cafe and the next scheduled event is for 7th April this year.
I googled AH spares and specialists in the area and low and behold Rawles Motorsport are just up the road. I thought if anyone knew anything about LLS then perhaps they would so I emailed them, but sadly no reply.
Anyway, my wife and I are booked into a local hotel for the show in Alton weekend and plan to make the journey down from Glasgow in the hope that the elusive Sprite might make an appearance once again - who knows, some of you may be there too. I’ll be recognisable I’m sure, given I shall likely be carrying a placard shouting HAS ANYONE SEEN MY LONG LOST SPRITE YLA827G??
Once again, many thanks for your time. Peter
Ps. And thank you Aunty Liz 😘

[Basil]

Wow Peter, thanks for the update! (and welcome to the British Car Forum). It's great that, with some help from our great members, you were able to find the photographer and at least where that picture was taken. I'd think there would be a good chance someone at the next show at that location might know who owns the car (or if you're really lucky the car will show up again).

Best of luck and keep us posted!

[Peter newton]

Wow Peter, thanks for the update! (and welcome to the British Car Forum). It's great that, with some help from our great members, you were able to find the photographer and at least where that picture was taken. I'd think there would be a good chance someone at the next show at that location might know who owns the car (or if you're really lucky the car will show up again).

Best of luck and keep us posted!

Thanks Basil. I will definitely update this thread with any news I have, and hopefully as you suggest the show might bring us another step closer 👍🏻