In a message dated 5/31/99 11:48:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
racer45@bellsouth.net writes:
<< Ok, you seem to have some pretty precise reference under your thumb,
what about VIN HAN9U 82346G is this a 68,69 0r 70 Austin Healey Sprite? >>
1969, because HAN9-79236 was built 1/69, and in August of 1969 production of
the HAN10 began. The U designates North American model. This practice was
started when specific models were required (read safety regs) for the US.
They continued to use L or R for the rest of the world cars. The G suffix
means the car was built at Abingdon. There were no 1970 US Sprites, all
1,282 built were RHD (home market). About this time Donald's contract with
BMC was ending. The Midget had been out selling the Sprite for a while and
BMC did not have to pay a royalty on Midgets like they did on Sprites. The
big Healey was already out of production, so - the end of the Austin Healey
Sprite. BMC continued with the Austin Sprite for a very short time (about
the first 6 months of 1971, only 1,022 units buitd), then dropped the Sprite
altogether and continued with the Midget.
Bruce
|