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Topic starter
17/09/2023 2:49 am
Gunze Sangyo 1/24 Austin Healey Sprite Mk-1
The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 until 1971. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed". The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production being undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon. The Sprite quickly became affectionately known as the "frogeye" in the UK and the "bugeye" in the US. The car's designers had intended that the headlights could be retracted but because of cost cutting measures the headlights were fixed. The car really does have quite a colorful and interesting history, actually Wikipedia covers it well.
17/09/2023 5:28 am
Terrific job Geoff! Yes, the "Bugeye Sprite" brings back fond memories. Didn't know it was referred to a a "Frogeye" in England but that does fit the part!
Steve Jacobs and Charles Rockett reacted
17/09/2023 8:58 am
If you look up the word "cute" in the dictionary you will find a picture of this little fella. I'm sure that traditional Healey enthusiasts groaned with despair when this rather gutless little car was introduced (similar to what Porsche enthusiasts did when the 914 came out...lol) but I think it sold fairly well. My childhood pal's brother had one and man was it a dog and it was always breaking down. He had sold his '50 Ford coupe for it and was always saying how he regretted doing so. But with all that said, it is such a cute little car....how can you not like it?
17/09/2023 9:04 am
Great looking model. I've only seen a couple of these, interesting but odd looking.
John Merritt
South Lyon, Michigan - USA
Steve Jacobs and Tony Perrone reacted
17/09/2023 9:31 am
I neglected to mention that although the tail end is proportionately fairly large, this car had no trunk. You could however access that space via a good long reach from behind the seats! I once read that a trunk wasn't included as a cost cutting measure!
17/09/2023 10:15 am
I LOVE it !!!........... 🧐
17/09/2023 10:44 am
A friend has a 59 among his collection of British cars. Every time he opens his garage door the little car smiles at me. When I ask why he bought the car, which he doesn't fit in, he said his wife wanted it because of its cute face.
17/09/2023 10:48 am
I neglected to mention that although the tail end is proportionately fairly large, this car had no trunk. You could however access that space via a good long reach from behind the seats! I once read that a trunk wasn't included as a cost cutting measure!
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ????? a drug search would probably call for the police ferret squad to be summoned 
to the scene
Jack Dodds reacted
17/09/2023 10:52 am
@john-barry LOL....that or the rookie gets the job of squeezing in back there.
john barry reacted
17/09/2023 10:58 am
@john-barry LOL....that or the rookie gets the job of squeezing in back there.
yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......the ferrets would probably not be trustworthy enough for a job of this nature
Jack Dodds reacted
17/09/2023 11:03 am
@john-barry LOL....that or the rookie gets the job of squeezing in back there.
yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......the ferrets would probably not be trustworthy enough for a job of this nature
Good point. If they get to munching on the product in there and get wasted things could get ugly....digits could be lost.
john barry reacted
Topic starter
17/09/2023 4:07 pm
thank you gentlemen, all insightful comments appreciated!
john barry reacted
17/09/2023 4:42 pm
thank you gentlemen, all insightful comments appreciated!
Geoff....you`re welcome....or I apologize____whichever`s more appropriate
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