It’s hard to think that I have owned my Sprite for over 37 years!

Back in 1972 I helped a fellow engineering student rebuild his MGB over a few months. This got me keen on buying a sports car. MG's were too expensive and the only sports cars that I could afford were Austin Healey Sprites. I decided on one which had wind up windows as it would be better in wet weather (ha ha).

Eventually, in February 1973 I found a 2nd owner MK111 Sprite in Box Hill which I bought for $1000.00. Over the next few months I enjoyed the highs and lows of Sprite ownership, including breaking an axle in peak hour traffic in Toorak Rd and losing the oil filter in Blackburn Rd.

One lunchtime I was at Kellow Fawkners in South Melbourne buying parts when I met a fellow Sprite owner (Ian Bennett) who told me about the Austin Healey Sprite Drivers’ Club and invited me along to a practice day at Calder Raceway. I joined the Club the next month and was immediately struck how friendly it was. Over the next few years I competed in many events including sprints ,hillclimbs, car rallies and motorkhanas. As it was my only car it got driven to all these events as well as driving to work.

One of my first competition events was a car rally organised by the MSCA called “The Wombats Jaunt” It was held on a combination of dirt and bitumen roads. Part-way through the Rally I hit a bump in the road and spun off into the scrub. When we had a look at the Sprite the front wheels were pointing in different directions .The bolts holding the steering arm to the front disc had fallen out. Thankfully we were able to find one of the bolts and managed to limp slowly to the finish at Wallan.

It also got used on other trips including a camping trip with some friends from work to a property near Omeo. To get to the campsite we had to negotiate numerous paddocks and then ford the Tambo River. After this trip I decided that the Sprite was not suited to such activities, which resulted in me buying an old Land Rover and that started my interest in 4wd's.

My Sprite is not a concourse car and over the years has had many small modifications done to it to make it more reliable. These days the Sprite is used mainly as an “around town” car and on Sunny Sunday drives. I no longer compete in it as after the last engine rebuild the crankshaft is very undersized and I don’t want to break it. But it is still a fun car to drive!

For more details on my Sprite and my other hobbies and interests see my website at http://member.melbpc.org.au/~rdavid/sprite.html

Back in August 1967 I came across Mr Bug sitting on the revolving turntable at Pitstop Motors. At the time I was looking for my first car, it had to be a Bug Eye Sprite as my brother-in-law had one and it was one of the vehicles that I learnt to drive in.

Ross Wyn invited me into the showroom and there he was, after a test drive, negotiations, etc, the day came to take possession of HHC 602. He needed an advance and retard line, so off to Hawthorn Wreckers; that was where Hans Hauck Rogers came on the scene. After a coffee and a chat with Hans and Marie at their flat, I became a member of the Austin Healey Sprite Drivers Club.

My first event soon followed. It was a motorkhana at Belmont Common - after this event many more followed, Mr Bug actually ran at the last official Templestowe Hill Climb!

As records show I won the ballot and became a Nasho in September 1968 and in December I was off to Vietnam, so I gave my father instructions to sell Mr Bug - that took place and it went to a Mr M. Stiff in Shepparton, so that was that!

On my return I purchased a new Mazda 1300 Coupe. In this vehicle I became an Associate Class Driver for several years in all forms of club competition and as the years rolled on, in 1976 The Olde Girl (now CH 2099) came on the scene: the rest is history - 32 years on.

Several years ago, whilst buying parts at The Healey Factory and also looking at John Moores big beast being prepared for America, much to my delight, I was reacquainted with Mr Bug.

Now I am pleased to announce the Mr Bug has come home to the care of Chris and Jim: ironically Mr Stiff Junior was the last owner of the car and it was last registered in 1999. Now HHC 602 has gone full circle - two owners only in 38 years!

Current Car: MK IIA Austin Healey Sprite

Years of Membership: 22

I first joined the AHSDC in 1987 as an 18 year old, after an old school mate, Tim Dore told me what a great weekend he had spent at Bordertown in SA. He had been with his parents, and all these other people where they had been driving around flags in a paddock, then spending the night telling stories about how fantastic the day had been and how much better they were in their youth. All this, while stumbling around with their drinks, ever so careful not to fall into the huge bonfire carefully built by Ralph Dodd - what a fantastic host he was. You would never miss a ‘hay ride’ Sunday mornings.

Tim also had a Mk.1 that was in need of serious body work, so I was happy to help him with this, which gave him time to worry about the much more important mechanical stuff. .

So in 1988 came my first full year of competition in Tim’s Mk.1 with a 948cc or 803cc engine depending on which one we could get to go at the time. This was a fantastic and nervous time learning to drive on racetracks and motorkhanas. I will admit to hating motorkhanas in those days; however, they soon became one of my favourite motorsport events.

1989 saw the combination of father and son driving the Mk.1, so while Mike and Tim fought for ‘Sprite Champion’, I decided I would compete in my Datsun 1600. Meanwhile Owen Crombie decided it would be best if we came to a deal and I drove his newly acquired ‘Mustard Midget’. This was a ‘tidy 1972 round wheel arch American’, with a rough exterior. With a little fettling it soon looked just like an Australian delivered car, so off I went on another educational year of driving. The Midget had some unusual suspension quirks where it would corkscrew into a spin almost every time you took your foot off the accelerator at high speed. It certainly demanded your attention with fine car control. Although Owen was the victor at the end of the year, it was fantastic for both Owen and myself to compete so closely all year long.

Late 1989 saw me needing my own Sprite. This is when Sue Brice (at that time Gardiner) decided she did not need the 1963 “heap of junk” Mk. IIA in their garage. So I bought a project car. In January 1990 this car became EDM 013.

With this car I have had a fantastic time driving at so many AHSDC events. From Sprint events, Hillclimbs and Motorkahanas. The car has won the Sprite Championship 5 times, once with Owen driving in 1995 and 4 other times with myself, and runner-up in 2002 with Della driving. In 2001 we had fantastic success at the National Challenge in Goulburn. Although the car managed to take home many awards, the highlight was Del winning fastest lady, and second outright in the ‘Street Motorkhana’. Not bad for someone driving in her third event! Over the years the car has competed at National challenges in Vic, NSW, SA and QLD.

Not so long ago, we would say our favourite events were tarmac rallies. The sensation of driving a good Sprite very quickly on a closed twisty public road, with your navigator telling you what’s ahead, is something that all Sprite enthusiasts should try. Over a ten year period EDM managed to win its class three times. Much to Del’s and my excitement we were able to win in 2007 - the final year ‘open cars’ were eligible to compete.

Del has also raced EDM in Vic State Races, Sandown Historic meetings, and at many events over a seven year period from 2001. Talk about a steep learning curve, after a couple of years motorkhanas and sprints, Del finds herself on the grid on the front straight at Sandown with 35 other MGs and Sprites! Not to mention the fantastic experiences we have had competing together at ‘Rally Tasmania’ events. These days we are enjoying the challenge of the Victorian Hillclimb Championship Events and the occasional motorkhana.

We have also enjoyed being on at least 10 different Committees over the years, not to mention National Challenge Sub-Committees. In 1993 it was very rewarding to be President of a Car Club with 210 members, and 30 competitors at any of the 6 motorkhanas we would run a year.

It’s true to say that that the Sprite Club is still very much part of our lives, we have formed friendships and memories we will carry with us for life. With the car only being 47 years young, there must still be heaps of things we can do in the future……....

Simon was awarded Life Membership in November 2008.

Purchased in February 1979 as a shell with a couple of trailer loads of bits, the Bugeye had been extensively modified to house a Holden 6 cylinder grey motor, gearbox and radiator. The transmission tunnel was missing from the handbrake forwards as was the inner footwell sides, chassis cross member, radiator supports and battery box area. The rear guards were cut and flared out 4" each side to cover wide wheels. Front and rear inner guards were mostly missing. The body had been stripped of all parts and was to be crushed. John Fowler rescued the rusty shell from Bob Gill (Gillspeed) and for the bargain basement price of $400 threw in most of the other bits and pieces needed to assemble a complete car.

With the assistance of local night-school panel beating classes and measurements taken from Ray English's Bugeye, the body was rebuilt using a combination of new and secondhand panels, as well as many hand-shaped repair sections. It's now a complete shell but sports a fibreglass Bugeye bonnet and an alloy fuel tank that has been made to the original dimensions.

The restoration was completed by Xmas 1979. It ran a warm 948 engine, Mk 2 smooth case gearbox, front sway bar, 8" front drums, a rear panhard rod, alloy Roll-over bar and chrome 4.5" wheels. Everything else was standard.

The car has been used extensively since the rebuild. As well as regular weekend social use, it has competed in many motorkhanas, hillclimbs, sprints and rally events over the past 30 years, taking class wins in the Victorian Motorkhana Championship, Three peaks Rally, Sprite Championships, MSCA Championships and Concours events.

In 1998, to celebrate its 40th birthday, the Sprite was entered in the Lactos Heritage Rally in Tasmania and the International Healey Commemorative Race at Bathurst. A more powerful !!!! 998cc engine with a sidedraft Weber was installed; stronger stub axles and drive shafts were fitted, 5" alloy wheels with sticky tyres found their way under the guards, cooling fins and cold air ducting were adapted to the front brakes and a collapsible steering column replaced the original. The little car performed well, placing 3rd in class in both events.

Since 1998 it has competed regularly at Sprite Club National Challenges and the Arthur's Seat historic hillclimb where, until 2000 it held the class record. During the last few years the front shockers have been replaced with a ‘Front Line’ telescopic shocker conversion kit and a ‘Morriservice’ Datsun (Nissan Sunny) 5-speed gearbox conversion has also been fitted.

Web Editor’s Note: Steve is very modest about his achievements, attributing them to the car! He is also successfully punting a Morris Cooper S in the Victorian Hillclimb Championships and, with fellow Club member, Tony Young, as navigator, recently competed in (and completed all stages) of Targa Tasmania in his classic 1968 124 Fiat AC Coupe.