The Austin Healey Sprite and MG Midget twins have long been known as Spridgets. From it’s beginning as the Bugeye (frogeye in the UK) in 1958 all the way until the rubber bumper cars of the Eighties, the Spridget has been a favourite of Brit car fans and road racers all over the world. Here in The Garage, Grandpa Bud began his racing career in a Bugeye. He was actually the first ever Ontario Sports Car Racing Champion, winning the Alitalia Trophy driving none other than a Mk II Sprite, way back in 1967. I even made an aborted attempt to restore a 72 Spridget in the late Eighties. I gave up, vowing one day to buy an H-Production Sprite some day. I still don’t have one.
A bunch of the MG and Austin Healey clubs in the UK have gotten together to plan Spridget 50: The Big Party. They are encouraging Spridget owners from around the world to join them on May 18, 2008 in Warwickshire for what promises to be the biggest gathering of the little cars of all time. What a great adventure that would be. Imagine flying your Spridget to Jolly Olde to meet up with all it’s cousins. There will be a ton of British motoring celebs. They haven’t announced any sporting events, but I would be surprised if there isn’t a weekend full of racing somewhere. I wonder if they’ve invited Peter Egan, he of the Return Of The Bugeye.
Full details of the event can be found at the Spridget 50 home page.
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