Youngest Sprite Buyer

[HealeyRick]

Sorella Stoute, 14 months, stands in front of the 1962 Austin Healey Sprite she bought on eBay (July 9, 2013, KOIN 6 News/Dean Barron)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Sorella Stoute bought a 1962 Austin Healey Sprite on eBay last month. She’s a toddler.
The 14-month-old opened the eBay app on her dad’s smartphone last month and bought the car for $225 — without his knowledge.
Her dad, Paul Stoute, didn’t know about it until he got a congratulatory email from eBay. He checked — and eBay was right.
Sorella Stoute, 14 months old, bought a 1962 Austin Healey on eBay using her dad’s smartphone app, July 9, 2013 (KOIN 6 News/Dean Barron)

“She decided to open the eBay app, and started clicking around and one thing led to another and we own a car,” he told KOIN 6 News, laughing.
Mom and Dad had an “initial panic,” he said. “‘What do we do? We can’t really afford it’ kind of thing.”
But they decided to keep it.
They called Sorrella’s grandmother, Carlene Stenejhem, and told her the toddler just bought a car.
“I said, yeah, right,” Stenejhem said. “And she said, no, Sorella bought a car on eBay and we have to buy it.”
The previous owner lives in Tualatin, which made it convenient for Stoute to pick up the car since it could have been anywhere in the US.
The Stoute family lives in a condo in Portland, so for now the Austin Healey is at her grandparents’ Milwaukie home for storage.
Paul Stoute said he’d like to restore the car and just started a page on a fundraiser website.
“I’ve done a lot of body work in the past, like bondo and stuff like that,” he said. “But this is another realm altogether.”
Maybe he’ll give it to her for her 16th birthday or for graduation.
“I’m just glad she didn’t buy the $38,000 Porsche I was looking at,” he said.
Since Sorella bought the car, though, he activated the facial recognition technology and has a new PIN code, just in case she ever gets the shopping bug again.

 

[Guest]

LOL!

 

[AN5Sprite]

Good looking car for $225...

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I smell a rat.

 

[AN5Sprite]

I smell a rat.

Geez, I was trying really hard to suppress my own cynicism Trevor... Do you mean "rat" as in the current customizing trend or "rat" as in a low-life bum who's using a toddler to hopefully get free parts/money...? :shocked:

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Sorry, I'm a very cynical person.

I meant "rat" as in the current owner blaming the toddler so that he doesn't get in trouble with his significant other. I'm guessing that the story went over so well that he decided to see if he could eek more out of it. IMO, the responsible thing to do is resell it for a loss (scrap if all else fails). Even if people help him out it is costing him money that he obviously doesn't have. Raising children is expensive and time consuming, I'm not sure where a project car fits into his life at the moment.

When my oldest child was a baby I started on a project car, but my story was different. I had disposable income and I worked on it in my father's garage on the weekends so that my parents could spend time with their only grandchild. I'm not saying you should give up hobbies when you have children, but you have to have the means to support your family and hobby or choose a cheaper and less time consuming hobby.

I have two project cars in the garage that could have been completed long ago, but my children are only young once and we have very busy days with little time for wrenching. However, my oldest does understand the basic principles of an internal combustion engine and can identify many common engine parts. She has a bit of interest in mechanical stuff. My youngest is more interested in driving. She has an electric go cart that she likes to drive on a mini-autocross that she sets up in the court. I'm blessed that I've been able to share such things with my children. However, I certainly put their needs ahead of my hobbies. I'd sell it all tomorrow if needed.

 

[HealeyRick]

Good looking car for $225...

Even came with a fiberglass bugeye nose:

 

[nomad]

Ah,Trevor, you burst my bubble! I was thinking that that was such a nice little story but you're probably right. I'm usually a cynic as well.

As to the rest of your post its good to see you are a responsible dad. Unfortunatly way too few now days and its seems they have the most kid's!

Kurt.

 

[aeronca65t]

I have two 16 month old twin grandkids and another grandkid that's 18 months. I can totally see any of them doing this.

I think the kid did pretty well! (no offense, but better than some of the deals I've seen by adults buy here).

When I was a single Dad with three little kids and no money, low-buck car projects like this kept me sane.

 

[RickB]

Lets play nice, just a suggestion.
If he's legit then he may just come here and read this, we are a Spridget group after all - not some high end Italian or German car group.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

OK, maybe I was being too hard on him. But if my child did such a thing (and I agree it could happen), I'd unload the car and cut my losses.

 

[RickB]

He's young and has dreams. Can't knock that!

 

[aeronca65t]

He appears to be on Linkedin.

I have not joined that site, but if anyone else has, why not invite him here!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulstoute

 

[tlthorne]

Heck the young lady is the one you should invite! She already showing bargain hunting skills!

 

[bug_sixty]

I'm with Rick... Who are we going to pass these lizards too after we kick?? Give them the BUG and forever a BE nut

 

[M_and_P]

I like how he started a fund to pay to rebuild the car that he "might" give to her when she turns 16... I am guess this is just a scam to try to get his project car paid for...

 

[HealeyRick]

This kid is a genius! This wasn't a Buy It Now Auction. She actually had to punch in the winning bid. Here's the bid history:

 

[Trevor Jessie]

That may be from the first time the car sold and the buyer bailed.

 

[HealeyRick]

That may be from the first time the car sold and the buyer bailed.

The top screen grab is from the second auction. Here's the auction link

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190854743209

The bottom attachment is from the first auction. Here's the link for that one: https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Aus...=item2c6f348212&vxp=mtr#ht_500wt_1047&afsrc=1

 

[Guest]

Bigger picture guys, this story is all over the net. Shill, scam or not, I wonder how much this hurt the perceived of value of Spridgets.