1958 Austin-Healey Sprite Downton Sebring Evocation

Registration No: RAM 35
Chassis No: AN5/1307
MOT: Exempt

• Built by the late owner Keith Hopwood as a replica of the original Paddy Gaston campaigned Downton Sebring Sprite 'RAM 35'
• Understood to have been fitted with some of the original parts of 'RAM 35' during ownership by John Britten
• Supplied fitted with 1275cc engine and Weber carburettor plus a spare 1150cc engine and various carburettors
• Ideal for Modsport category of the Midget & Sprite Challenge

Thanks to its prominent, bonnet-mounted headlights, the original Sprite quickly became known as the 'Frogeye' - a moniker that has stuck to this day. The little two-seater, designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company and built by BMC at the MG factory in Abingdon, was launched in Monte Carlo immediately prior to the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. The unique, one-piece bonnet covered a mildly tuned, 43bhp 948cc version of the BMC 'A' series engine already found in the Austin A35 and Morris Minor. The suspension was coil spring and wishbone at the front and quarter elliptic springs at the rear, with lever arm dampers all round. The construction was 'integrated' rather than a full monocoque and featured forward projecting chassis legs of the type used in the E-Type Jaguar. The minimal specification excluded exterior door handles and boot lid. Some 49,000 Frogeyes were built between 1958 and 1961. The Sprite was quickly adopted for competition by both privateers and the Works - the latter's first major success being the win of John Sprinzel and Willy Cave on the 1958 Alpine Rally. The model is still proving handy in rallies, races, sprints, hillclimbs and autotests to this day.

According to records on file, chassis AN5/1307 was sold by W Goddard & Co of Salisbury and registered as ‘RAM 35’ on the 19^th May 1958 and is understood to have been bought new by Mr Daniel Richmond of Downton Engineering. Uprated extensively and forever developed, the car was to mainly be driven by John H. (Paddy) Gaston in competition for the following years and eventually was rebodied in full ‘Sebring Sprite’ coupe coachwork and fitted with a Supercharger. Gaston had a tuning and repairs business based in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey and took the Sprite to its first outing at the Snetterton 1 hour race. Gaston would enter the car in a further 22 events over the next three seasons. He won his class with the car on several occasions including the Snetterton 3 Hours in 1960.

Fast forward to 1966 and following several magazine articles which are presented within the history file, ‘RAM 35’ was sold to renowned ‘Spridget’ racer John Britten. Unfortunately, on his first outing with the car at Mallory Park, the pair endured a very dramatic crash which John Baggott described in his book Mighty Midgets and Special Sprites as follows:

"The car hit the banking hard, bounced back on to the track and was tapped by another car, sending it into a multiple roll. He remembers being in the cockpit, counting to himself the number of times it went over: 'One, two, three'. The Sprite came to rest in the middle of the track and burst into flames, which were quickly extinguished by the marshals. The driver emerged from the wreck very shaken, but otherwise unharmed".

The crash spelled the end for the original shell of ‘RAM 35’, however many of the uprated components were transferred to Britten’s Lenham bodied Sprite known as ‘SS 1800’ which was campaigned far more successfully over the following years and was eventually rebodied with Arkley panels for which it became well known in its own right. Sometime during the late 1990’s, the late owner Keith Hopwood acquired ‘SS 1800’ along with the ID for ‘RAM 35’ and chose to build a recreation of the ex-Paddy Gaston racer which would invariably use some of the original car’s componentry. Hopwood wanted to recreate ‘RAM 35’ with a Sebring style bonnet, and had a new front end and Speedwell-style hardtop made from Fibreglass by Omnibob Ltd. A highly tuned 1275 engine was fitted complete with a Weber DCOE 45 carburettor and the shell from ‘SS 1800’ was further adapted to quarter-elliptic spring arrangement. Once complete, the car was used successfully for several hillclimb and track events and was invited to attend the Goodwood Revival for display in 2008.

Mr Hopwood sadly passed away several years ago and the Sprite was left to his widow who has now decided that it is time to sell the car which is now in need of recommissioning having not been run for several years. Offered with an extensive history file displaying all of Mr Hopwood’s research which includes scans of original registration records, magazine articles and several historic photographs of the car in all guises (both ‘RAM 35’ and ‘SS 1800’) plus spares including a spare bored out 1098cc engine block, cylinder head and three different carburettor options, the current incarnation of ‘RAM 35’ is a perfect opportunity for anybody who wishes to enter historic motorsport events and relive the exciting life of Paddy Gaston!

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430