LOT 510

1972 Starley Lotus Sprite Mk1 Registration no. AUF 1L Chassis no. LS/904868/Mk1 Engine no. LP1890LB

Sold for £12,650 inc. premium

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Lot 510

1972 Starley Lotus Sprite Mk1

The Beaulieu Sale: Collectors' Motor Cars & Automobilia|14 September 2024, 13:00 BST|Beaulieu, National Motor Museum

1972 Starley Lotus Sprite Mk1
Registration no. AUF 1L
Chassis no. LS/904868/Mk1
Engine no. LP1890LB

• Unique creation
• Lotus chassis and Sprite body
• 1,558cc Lotus twin-cam engine
• Professionally constructed in the late 1960s/early 1970s

This unique vehicle was created by marrying a Lotus backbone chassis to an extensively modified Austin-Healey Sprite Mk1 bodyshell. The Sprite (registered 'YCD 926') had been used on the road and competed successfully in sprints, hill climbs, and driving tests in the early 1960s, and having been fitted with an experimental 1,299cc engine, which enjoyed great success, was rendered uncompetitive when it was subsequently placed in the same class as Lotus Elans. The owner, a Mr Starley, was a Lotus Service Dealer and it was his idea to create the car offered here, a process that took all of seven years to complete. The conversion kept the Lotus suspension and brakes, while the wheels were magnesium alloy and a full stainless steel under-tray was fitted. Reusing the BMC engine no longer being a competitive option, an 'all-steel' 1,558cc Lotus twin-cam unit was installed in its place, built to full-race specification using mainly Cosworth parts and with a big-valve cylinder head. A Borg & Beck clutch transmitted power to the standard Lotus four-speed gearbox. Lotus boss Colin Chapman gave his permission for a Lotus badge to be displayed on the bonnet, provided that the car was finished in non-Lotus colours. The project was finally completed in 1972 and registered as a Lotus on 4th September 1972 with the registration number 'AUF 1L' (see V5C document on file). Also on file is the vendor's account of the car's origins and construction (perusal recommended).

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