One of the most fun-to-drive classic sports cars I have owned and driven is the Austin-Healey Sprite. These diminutive vehicles, while not the fastest sports cars ever built, have to be the most fun to drive at or near legal speeds than any other. Due to their small size and a seating position practically at ground level, driving one of these cars at 50 mph feels like 80. My Pick of the Day is from the Mk 2 generation of these cars: a 1964 Austin-Healey Sprite listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Sprite is a very small car, but don’t let that deter you because – like the Tardis in the TV show “Dr. Who” – it somehow defies time and space: Even at 6 feet, 4 inches tall, I can sit behind the wheel and actually look out of the windshield (instead of over it).
The Sprite came to be due to Donald Healey’s need and desire to have a volume-selling entry-level sports car, something that would be a feeder car to the then-new Healey 3000. The original Sprite, nicknamed the Bugeye or Frogeye, was either cute or ugly, depending on the viewer, but became quite popular. Healey sold thousands of them. The next generation did away with the hood-mounted headlight and softened the car a bit. While some people only like the original Sprite, the later-generation models offered lots of improvements and became much more comfortable and capable sports cars. Of the entire run of Sprites, my single favorite generation is the Mk2, which was introduced at the end of 1961. The Mk2 Sprite saw a change to the front end, incorporating the headlights and giving it a more modern look. The rear end was also changed; for the first time the Sprite now had a trunk lid.
In addition, while the interior looks much the same, there is an overall roomier feel to the Mk 2 Sprite. It is still basic, but a tad bit more civilized. It still doesn’t have roll-up door windows, but that means you have more side-to-side room – and, let’s be serious, in 2025 you really don’t want to drive a car like the Sprite in the rain anyway, so who really needs side windows?
The seller describes this Sprite as iconic roadster with a striking red exterior that is a “testament to timeless design and engineering.” They call it a “head-turner wherever it goes,” and they are likely correct.
According to the seller, the seats are covered in black leather, which is an upgrade over the standard vinyl the Sprite was delivered with when new. The simplicity of the dash – with a tach, speedo, fuel level, oil pressure, and temperature gauges – is the very definition of having all you need in a sports car and nothing else. The Sprite’s overall simplicity contributes to making it a truly elemental 1960s British sports car.
Under the hood, the engine looks to be in nice shape – as does everything else. The one change I see from stock is that the dual SU carbs have been replaced with a single two-barrel Weber kit, something very common on these cars. I personally like the original SU carbs, but that is partly because I know how to service and adjust them. The Weber is much simpler in that regard.
Above all, I can guarantee this 1964 Austin-Healey Sprite will deliver driving pleasure that is so often lacking in the cars of today. No, it is not fast and would not be a car I would recommend for integrated driving, but if you are looking for a terrific back-roads classic sports car, this Sprite will deliver. With a price of only $17,500, it represents a good value to me.
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