The long, hot, dry Summer and the joy of British Sports Cars.
45 years ago my younger brother and I set off to look at a Frogeye Sprite which we had spotted in Exchange and Mart which was required weekly reading if you wanted a classic car.
£900 was duly given to the owner of 616 ANP and a tidy little car in the rather sweet colour of Speedwell Blue was ours. I was alotted the pleasure of driving the little car home and was almost overwhelmed by the strong smell of petrol due to the undisclosed fact that the tank was leaking!
616 ANP stayed with us for many years and ended up with a 1275cc engine which was supercharged , lowered and stiffer suspension and disc brakes. All this made the car much quicker but much less fun to drive!
Last week I decided that SRD 329, my Frogeye should be my wheels for the week. This car which is often on display is one of those lovely original cars that has been loved for all its life. Its in very good original condition and has covered a genuine 48,000 miles. It retains its original 948cc A series engine which delivers 45bhp. Before you dismiss this as laughably little, remember that this diminutive little car weighs a mere 627kgs. Yes 0-50 does take 12 seconds but once you have her up to speed this is a truly joyful car to drive.
Donald Healey knew about vehicle dynamics and the result is a car that changes direction with amazing ease and responds immediately to very small amounts of steering input. The suspension is crude but highly effective and the main secret is to use the brakes as little as possible. My car has a servo which means that the drum brakes are slightly more effective but this car needs to maintain momentum so a down change and immediate throttle through the apex is the way to carry speed.
A bit more power would perhaps be fine but too much will spoil the balance and make the car much less poised and predictable.
The MK 2, 3 and 4 cars lost the Frog eyes and were slightly softer sprung ending up with 1275cc and quite a lot more power . They are great fun too but the handling cant’t match the Frog.
I had a particularly worn out and rotten one in the early 80s which cost about £500. It cost a lot more to get it through its first MOT in my ownership and with the reg ROP 651 G became justifiably named ROPEY.
616ANP still appears on the DVLA database as taxed but poor old Ropey appears to have gone to that great scrapyard in the sky!
PS If you encounter an Old English White Frogeye Sprite on the A 5012 Via Gellia , please excuse the exuberant driving and rather flatulent exhaust note !
