I received the following info from an AHSTC email. I never heard of this
car.
This came from our membership chairman Rick Brodeur: Anybody want to buy a
special 1957 (yes, really 1957) Sprite? Healey Sprites (Mark 1) is for
sale. Please find information on it following. Please feel free to forward
this onto anyone you think may be interested. "Pebble" is for sale by offers
of interest. Austin Healey Sprite PBL75 Offered for sale for the
first time in 41 years PBL75 ("Pebble") was one of the very first Austin
Healey Sprites to be built. The car being built well before production began
in March 1958 and first registered for road use in January of that year. The
car was one of a small number built to test modifications following on from
the Sprite's two prototypes Q1 and Q2. Q2 was the second of only 2
prototypes built by the Healey company at Warwick and tested by BMC. The
exact number of cars that made up this batch is unknown but amounted to only
a hand full. The modifications concerned strengthening in the area of the
rear wheel arches and rear suspension attachment. The modifications were
incorporated into the production design and full production began in March
1958, with the model's public announcement being made in May. It was then
used for the model's launch photos in May 1958 and, for the official road
tests conducted by a number of motoring magazines of the day, including
''Motor'' and ''The Autocar''. Other publications where the car was
featured include launch posters and postcards (still available today),
magazine feature articles, books, and a promotional film made by BMC at
Silverstone featuring Roy Salvadori and John Bolster. This film, which
includes shots from an in car camera, is available on DVD. An interesting
feature of the car is the numbers of the various major components.
Consistency in number progression was never a great concern at BMC, as many
owners will attest. PBL75 is no different and the numbers concerned on the
various plates around the car are as follows; Engine number 3 Body
number 5 Chassis number 7 In addition stamped on the passenger side foot
well roof, in large figures is Body No 4!!! The car was purchased in
April 1965 and brought to Australia in 1967. It was used for AHSDC
competition events until 1969 and took part in the Winton 6 hour relay race
in 1968. A restoration took place between 1975 and 1983 (yes, 8 years!)
and the car was featured in 'Australian Sports Car World' in Dec 1983. A
mid life sea change in 1984 saw the car move, with the Evett's, to
Queensland where it was only used lightly until 1994, when a first motion
shaft chipped and the car was retired to a corner of the garage . Shortly
before the twentieth century was out of the way a second restoration began
and was completed in 2006. (Yes, another 8 years). Today, the car is in
pristine condition and, no doubt is ready to make it through another 20
years or more. The car is in Australia where it has been since 1967.
PBL75 or "Pebble" as it is affectionately known, is offered for sale to a
serious buyer who would continue to maintain this historical vehicle in its
original form for many years to come. Included in the sale are all items
held that assure provenance, and concern the car, ie Log book, insurance
papers, books posters magazines etc. Those seeking further information and
to submit an offer are invited to contact Phil Evett on e mail at
<mailto:pevett@tpg.com.aupevett@tpg.com.au You can call me on +44 787 52
919 52 if you would like further information. Kind regards, Lisa Evett
NFI just passing along information.
Phil Nase
Quakertown, PA
http://home.comcast.net/~philnasecpa
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