Was this seat belt a real BMC part?

[Luke_Healey]

My 'new' Sprite came with aftermarket lap belts from the 1980s. They replaced the dealer-installed lap belts. I'm wanting to get new webbing and use the original belts since they would look better and are also wider.

I'm curious if these were an original BMC part, or if they were some cheesy JC Whitney option?

All I got were the buckle sides. The inserts are missing, so I need to find some new ones. I see that they are called "Aircraft Style" according to Moss Motors' catalog.

Thanks for any information.

 

[racingenglishcars]

I think they were bmc optional equipment.

 

[ncbugeye]

IMHO these are probably aftermarket and would probably have been regarded as violating BL's trademark if they were shipped in the 80s. I would doubt if the legal/marketing people at BL would let anything out of the door that had a cross-brand logo on it like that. It was either MG or Austin-Healey, never both, and the MG logo, particualrly the Octagon, was always rather zealously defended by BL's legal eagles.

It would be like having both the Chevrolet and Pontiac badges on the part at the same time.

BTW I don't think they are cheesy at all - I think they are very well executed, and you should definitely keep them.

FYI the Austin-Healey was a dead brand before the 1980s anyway - the agreement with Healey petered out in 1970, and the last Sprite was called the Austin Sprite (AAN10) and was then dropped in 1971. The final Triumph-engined variant (GAN6) was only ever sold as an MG, even through they were all nominally made at Abingdon (with much help from Cowley).

 

[Luke_Healey]

No, the seatbelts that are in the car now are circa 1989.

These ones have 1966 on the tags, but made in New York, USA.

The MG/Austin-Healey logo is identical to the one in a 1966 Playboy magazine I have in my possession: