At just 14-months old, Sorella Stoute had been playing with her father's smart phone when apparently she opened the eBay app. After a couple of taps on the screen, she successfully bid on a 1962 Austin Healy Sprite.
"She's always been good with gadgets, stuff on the remote and things," said the toddler's father.
The seller offered to let her out of the deal. But her dad figured, "Why not?" He paid $202 for the rusted car that won't start.
"As long as we can get it running by the point she can drive, it will probably be her first car," he said.



[www.kgw.com]

Oops, just saw Sam beat me to it. Oh well, this is the local coverage.

I'd hardly call an Austin Healy a sports car. That is the car you give your child as punishment. You tell them that they have to keep it running, rust free, and devoid of electrical issues or you'll replace it with a Yugo.

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MacResource User Map: [www.zeemaps.com]#

Yeah, but for a teenage girl, its sorta sporty...
And the story of "I bought this car when I was only 14 months old" is PRICELESS. Assuming they can get it restored enough to last another 15 years.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

Pshaw - while the original engine may be underpowered by todays standards, the body is underweight as well, making for something that would get around town just fine.



or this if they got the year on the title off -



All I can say is that little Z is slacking... or we're better at using airplane mode when we give her our phones.

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ztirffritz
I'd hardly call an Austin Healy a sports car. That is the car you give your child as punishment. You tell them that they have to keep it running, rust free, and devoid of electrical issues or you'll replace it with a Yugo.

I beg to differ. When I was a teenager I had a 1962 Healey 3000 that had been retro-fitted with a small block chevy 327. With a Borg-Warner T10 trans and the original low geared diff it was a complete screamer for the first 8th of a mile. The right front wheel would come off the ground 3 or 4 inches when power shifting into 2nd. Unaltered the 3000 was a great sports car, well ahead of its time with an inline 6 that still has quite respectable performance.

The Sprite was another story...

Hey, please have some respect for the Spridgets! Although we were mortal enemies, (I had Spits.), we were united in laughter at the Fiat 850s.
Our cars may have been old, but they sure were obsolete...

Eustace

I'd love to have a 3000. The Sprite is just a slightly higher class MG Midget--too small for my taste. I had a 1967 MGB that I really loved--it was John Deere green (apparently they couldn't find British Racing Green in the midwest) and had a bumper sticker proudly proclaiming: "The parts falling of this car are of the finest British manufacture" combined with a Union Jack!

I say you can truly have more sporting fun driving an old, lightwt, small 4-cyl w/modest hp, than a contemporary fire-breathing rocket that's already at triple the legal limit in 1st gear.

Skinny tires and just-adequate brakes only add to the excitement!

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TLB
I'd love to have a 3000. The Sprite is just a slightly higher class MG Midget--too small for my taste. I had a 1967 MGB that I really loved--it was John Deere green (apparently they couldn't find British Racing Green in the midwest) and had a bumper sticker proudly proclaiming: "The parts falling of this car are of the finest British manufacture" combined with a Union Jack!

You got the quote (mostly...) right! About 25 tears ago, some SOL'ers (Originally "Sons Of Lucas", later "Scions Of Lucas") spent many an electron as to whether the second "of" should be a "from". We were all agreed on one thing- it was "Manufacture", so "of" it stayed.
But... your first "of" is probably "off".

I had a few plaques made up; one currently graces the bumper of my Jag. I still have spares, for when it eventually goes walkabout.

Eustace