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Re: 1959 or 1960?

To: jleclainche@home.com, spridgets@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: 1959 or 1960?
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 21:42:24 EDT
In a message dated 10/16/01 3:22:53 PM, jleclainche@home.com writes:

<< I found out my Sprite was built on 7 october 1959, and shipped to the US on
9 October 1959... and the car was first registered by the DMV in California
in 1959... So it's a 1959, right?

My VARA log book for the same car says it's a 1960. Is this a mistake?

I also found out my car was built with "heater, less sliding sidescreens".
Does not seem to make much sense- if I wanted the heater, I would certainly
want the screens to keep the heat in...right?..
 >>
Jacques

Assume your car is near mine (25371).   It typically took 6 weeks to receive 
cars from England on the east coast and 3 months on the West. Mine was not 
sold or licensed until February 1960 in California.  There were no "model 
years" in England as we knew them and that came out about every September 
from Detroit.  At that time, California required that cars be dated on the 
year they were first registered, so the new models in September were next 
year's models, but they had this year's date for registration.  A car sold 
around the first of the year obviously has to have been built the previous 
year.

One for sure difference between the 1959 and the 1960 Sprites, regardless of 
when they were manufactured, was the way the soft top fit in front.  1958 and 
1959 had  a row of lift-a-dots across the windscreen surround.  1960, and 61 
bugeye, had a  bar that fit into a recess in the windscreen surround, with 1 
lift-a-dot on each side to hold it into position.

Except for Florida, all Bugeyes came with Heaters.  The heater gives lots of 
heat around the footwells and is very cosy in cool evening temperatures.  The 
 sliding sidescreens were normally replacements for soft vinyl flap 
sidecurtains.  I am not sure if they were delivered with hardtops or were 
"specials" or after market.  Ours had a  heater and vinyl sidecurtains, as 
did most of the ones we were familiar with.  The Vinyl flap sidecurtains and 
soft top with the heater kept you warm under all but the worst weather 
conditions.  (Like raining for 5 solid days when you are on the road.)   
Without the top, the  sidecurtains were mostly used because every little bit 
helps.  Sliders made  it easier to get a breath of cool air now and then.

I thought about sending this to you off list.  I will entertain questions, 
but this is the truth as I remember it and I am sticking to it.  I know you 
aren't old enough to remember new bugeyes,  and I don't want to get into a 
discussion of how the rest of the "kids" think it was.   If you weren't 
there, please don't tell the old lady her memory is bad,  okay.


Annice & Bob
1960 Bugeye (Mk. IV in disguise)
1966 Sprite Mk. III (Still in Boxes)



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