To complete the Sprite Club of South Australia’s 50th Anniversary Weekend, the Club members washed and polished their Sprites, Midgets, Clubman and Associate Vehicles and headed to Wigley Reserve, Glenelg for the 50th Anniversary Sprite Display Day.

The weather held, and while cloudy and cool there was no rain to spoil the day.

The only hiccup was the Sprite MkIIIA of Des and Penny Chabrel that decided to have an electrical gremlin that slowed their progress to the display – assistance from the RAA and a bit of a tweak under the bonnet soon had the Sprite back on the road.

With 33 Sprites and Midgets and a similar number of Associate vehicles which included eight “Big” Austin Healey’s from the Austin Healey Owners Club – it was an impressive display of vehicles.

There was also three racing versions of Sprites on display – Chris Brine’s Bugeye, Clive Spreadbury’ s and Peter Stanley’s Sprite Mk IIA’s.

Once the cars were aligned there were many conversations and looking under bonnets as well as the usual “I had one of them many years ago” conversations with members of the public.

The People Choice Awards were popular with over 100 votes for both the Sprite/Midget and Associate vehicles. The voting was close, but the deserving winners were:

• Sprite/Midget – Chris and Tina Brine – Supercharged Bugeye Sprite
• Associate Vehicle – Phil and Maryanne Kies – Triumph TR4A

Chris and Phil both thanked those who voted and Phil also acknowledged the work the fellow club member Gerard Miller and the team at Marque Restorations had put into the TR4A over the past few years during it’s restoration.

We must also note thanks to those members who were able to bring more than one vehicle for the display – Chris Brine, Michael McClaren, Don Cardone and Marcus Booth – and thanks to their family members for assisting with the transport logistics.

As the temperature dropped and a slight mist of rain appeared it was time for the clean vehicles to head home.

Special thanks to Don Cardone for his co-ordination of the day, ably supported by Elaine Cardone, Ray Kinlay, Des Chabrel, Angela Wicks, Gary Brock and assorted helpers on the day.

The members of the Sprite Club of South Australia would like to thank the Federation of Historic Motoring Clubs SA Inc for their support of this special event.

Thanks to Robin Dunk, Steve and Di Kent and Gordon Boyce for the photographic images of the day.