Today I am looking at this Austin Healey Sprite fitted with an Ashley nose and a Lenham Fastback, a body style also apparently known as a Lenham GT which found a new owner at last weekends Race Retro exhibition for £10,450 / $ 17,000 thanks to auctioneers H&H;.
Sporting a twin carb 1,100cc / 67 cui A series motor up from the original 948 cc / 57 cui fitted to a four speed gearbox which all points to a competition history.
This undated and uncaptioned photo taken from the H&H; website of a vehicle bearing the same registration number (888 HPA) gives a tantalizing insight into an interesting race history that is said to have included preparation by the ‘Naylor Brothers’ and modification to Sebring Spec prior to the Lenham Fastback bodywork being fitted.
More recently this vehicle was driven to 5th in class in the 20th Classic Marathon by Peter & Betty Banham along a route from Belgium to the Dolomite mountains of Italy.
I’d like to thank David Birchall over at The Nostalgia Forum who came up with additional information on the identity of the nose type. If you have any interesting info on this vehicle in either of the photographs please add your comments below.
Hope you have enjoyed today’s transformer edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look at another Great British sports car. Don’t forget to come back now !
