The Bug Eyed Sprite is a two seat sports car, no doubt about it. It has leaf springs in the rear suspension and it rode like a Conestoga Wagon.
I found bumps and holes in the road that I did not know existed prior to driving the Sprite.
The 948cc 4 cylinder engine put out 42.5 HP with a four speed stick shift. Not as exciting as I expected, it took about 15 seconds to get to 60 MPH. I played with the dual downdraft carburetors a lot trying to get more life out of the engine to no avail.
Didn't want to get much over 55 or 60 MPH anyway.
There was no rear deck lid. For access to the rear, you tipped the two seat backs forward and you could climb into the space. This was a favorite spot for the kids to ride. The two doors were opened by reaching inside to release a latch......no outside latches.
To access the engine we lifted up on the rear of the hood. The hood and sides of the car tilted forward allowing a lot of access to the front end and engine.
The Sprite sold for about $800 new but today's prices reach $20K. The car was fun for a while but it sobered my view of a sports car. I was used to watching them run around Mid-Ohio in Lexington in F & G production SCCA races. They seemed a lot faster and smoother there.
That was probably the best place for them!
Rich
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