Interesting book

[SaxMan]

I just picked up off Amazon "Austin Healey Sprite 1958 - 1971" published by Brookland Books. It's a collection of car reviews and articles written during the time period. I thought the most interesting thing was how each successive generation was lauded as being an improvement over the previous one, most notably the Square Sprite compared to the Bugeye as a headline announces:

With a new look, new power and new gearing, the Sprite has come of age. It's more expensive than before, but it's more fun and more automobile, too.

The Mark III was introduced "More power, wind up windows and a new rear suspension", and the Mark IV "Best Sprite yet"

When did the pendulum start tilting back towards the Bugeye? The last article from Road and Track "Used Car Classics" in May 1976 seems to suggest it started even while the latest and greatest Midgets were still being produced. "The Bugeye is rapidly approaching classic status and the prices are beginning to reflect this" It says a fully restored Bugeye may bring $2000 or more, and unrestored ones can occasionally be found in the $600 to $800 range, but generally are $200 to $400 more than that.

 

[Deleted member 8987]

1968, I think, used car lot in SoCal, Bug Eye was $695. Drove it.

 

[nomad]

I think in 72 you could buy a new Datsun pick up for $1900 so $2000 for a BE would be a terrific price! Don't you love inflation!

Kurt.

 

[smaceng]

The BE is a tribute to the unique design of Donald Healey to build a low cost yet fun sports car. Just think of it in today's market: No outside trunk, no roll up windows, no outside door handles, engine access to give you back pain, BUT it is cool looking. My 60FROG was all updated, 1275 engine, 5-speed, disc brakes, electronic ignition and control box, more fuses, etc. to make it more fun and civilized. I think some day we will worship an original BE, and it will bring big money, but then who will drive it. Cheers, Scott in CA

 

[HealeyRick]

Bought my first bugeye in '67 for $350. It was rough and rusty and I looked longinly at the Mk IVs with their roll up windows. The updates to the Sprite always added comfort and performance, but even by '67 the bugeye had a certain "cool" factor with that grille and bugeyes. But once the safety and pollution standards came in, the Spridgets became pretty crummy in comparison to their earlier versions and I was quite happy driving my Fiat 124 Spiders than whatever British Leyland was dishing out at the time. My second bugeye and the one I still have was bought in 1977 for $300, rough, rusty but complete and needing a full resto. I probably spent $10k completely restoring it over the next five years and frankly, I could probably have found an original one for less if I was a little wiser in the restoration game at that time.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

And Rick by the time I figure out all of the expenses to build Bugsy IV with new engine, paint , 5 speed and a whole bunch of other upgrades in 2017 I'll be closer to the $20k mark. BE's you'll pay to find and remove the rust or as I did pay far more for a Rust Free, One Owner car that spent it's entire life garaged in LA. I could have done the restoration for less if I stayed with the original car and didn't add upgrades to make it quicker and safer to drive and not be restricted to the Right Lane only.

 

[SaxMan]

As I continue to read the book, I'm finding the contemporary accounts of the Bugeye quite fascinating. I knew the Bugeye was a significant car, but I really didn't have a concept of just how revolutionary this car was by 1958 standards. The journalists are just falling all over themselves on just how much fun the car was -- even with the original 948 motor and 3 speed tranny!

The Miata's introduction was probably the closest analogy during my own lifetime. It's concept was very much along the same lines as the Bugeye. The original Miata was not the fastest or best handling car out there, but it was the most fun to drive car available in 1990.

 

[twas_brillig]

A comment I recollect from the early 90s was that if you wanted to buy a modern, reliable, British sports car - buy a Miata, as it certainly looked like a British design. And - if memory serves - there was a Miata television commercial with a pleased purchaser excited because it came in his favourite colour: British Racing Green. Doug

 

[catfood]

When the Miata (or MX5 as it's known in the UK) first came out the adverts showed an MX5 in front of two MGBs (if I remember correctly the MX5 was in colour, the MGBs black and white). At the time you could have had both MGBs in good nick for the price of the MX5.

 

[HealeyRick]

The journalists are just falling all over themselves on just how much fun the car was -- even with the original 948 motor and 3 speed tranny!

All Sprites had four speeds, including the 948s.

 

[SaxMan]

All Sprites had four speeds, including the 948s.

Oops. I stand corrected. For some reason, I thought early BEs came with 3-speeds. Think I'm getting them confused with Willys Jeeps.