Jay Leno has mentioned his favourite vehicles are authentic an unrestored. His 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite, featured on the newest episode of “Jay Leno’s Storage,” suits into that class.
You may inform the Sprite is unrestored as it is a bit tough across the edges. Nonetheless, whereas it is probably not concours-ready, it is in higher situation than when it was pulled out of the storage the place it had sat for about 50 years, Leno notes within the episode.
This Sprite was a one-owner automobile, so Leno thought it will be higher to protect its originality reasonably than undertake a full restoration. Leno’s store cleaned up the automobile, repaired some dents, and rebuilt the engine, which was essential to get the Sprite working once more.
The automobile’s inline-4 engine displaces simply 948 cc and produces about 40 hp, nevertheless it’s additionally pushing lower than 1,400 kilos of automobile. It exhibits what’s attainable once you remove luxuries like roll-up home windows, exterior door handles, and a trunk. For those who wished extra energy or creature comforts again within the day, you went for a “huge” Healey just like the 100-6.
1959 Austin-Healey Sprite on Jay Leno’s Storage
Lack of energy does make freeway driving a bit dicey, however the Sprite is in its ingredient on quieter canyon roads, Leno notes. Trendy Mini advertising and marketing apart, the Sprite delivers true go-kart dealing with, he says.
With its diminutive dimension and no-frills driving expertise, the Sprite represents the basic period of British sports activities vehicles. Leno’s automobile is a first-generation mannequin, nicknamed “Bugeye” or “Frogeye” due to the distinctive spherical headlights mounted atop the hood. Later variations had been primarily based on the MG Midget and shared most sheetmetal with that extra conventional-looking sports activities automobile.
One other benefit of the Sprite was cheapness. It was cheap when new and was lengthy thought of nugatory as a used automobile, Leno says. That additionally means many examples had been abused or closely modified, so an all-original model like this one is uncommon.
And since this automobile is not in pristine situation, Leno says he can have enjoyable with it with out worrying about scratching one thing. That looks like a reasonably whole lot.
