Baby Seven: 1968 Arkley SS
We are always looking for unique cars to drive, but hate the headaches that usually go along with owning a low production car. Limited parts availability and little support can be difficult. Well we think we found the answer. It’s a 1968 Arkley SS and it can be found on eBay with an opening bid of $1000.
The reason we doubt this car will cause too many headaches is because it is based on an Austin Healey Sprite. Parts are plentiful and cheap, so repairs shouldn’t be too difficult. The Arkley body is made of fiberglass, so it’s light and easy to repair.
Arkley started manufacturing and selling these custom bodies in 1970 with the goal of breathing new life into all the old and tired Sprites and Midgets out there. The Arkley SS could be ordered as a DIY conversion kit or as a complete car from the factory. The conversion used most of the Sprites components, such as the drive train, chassis, and interior.
This Arkley hasn’t been on the road for a while and the seller doesn’t state whether the engine is running. It probably won’t be a lot of work to get this thing running again. This car should easily out perform a regular Sprite due to the reduction in overall weight. A quick search online revealed that a few of these have been used in vintage racing. We wonder which organizations would allow this to run.
We are really intrigued by this Arkley with its mix of Lotus 7 and Morgan styling. Its more unique then a Sprite and just as affordable to maintain. This car is going to need some work to get it back on the road, but it seems to be in good condition. We would check the floors and frame for rust and we would go over the fiberglass body panels for serious cracks. Then get it running and you have a fun and affordable car that will stand out where ever it goes.
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Comments
Wow is that ugly.
Had 3 of these right from the early days of John Britten a Mrgan dealer in Arkley North LondonMy car was based on a late salvage car but some were based on already rusted tubs. Usual poor metal problems mean a lot of tin worm ubnless you are lucky. Later cars based on 1500 triumph engines not so desirable in my book. A lot of fun and who said theyre ugly??? I loved mined but lack of grunt led me to a Marlin Roadster with 1800 B series lump.