The Arkley, essentially a re-bodied Austin Healey Sprite/MG Midget (Spridget), was produced by John Britten Garages of Arkley, Hertfordshire,[1] designed in association with the Lenham Motor Company. Launched in 1970, it was initially offered in two forms: the S model body kit fitted the standard wheels of the donor vehicle; the SS accommodated wider wheels, and eventually became the standard body type.[2]

The kit, which fits any post-1958 Spridget, comprises new fibreglass front and rear ends to be fitted to a donor car. The motoring journalist Bill Hartford described the end result as “a combination of the Morgan, Triumph TR series and Lotus Seven”.[3] John Britten produced the kits from 1970 until 1987, when Peter May Engineering acquired the manufacturing rights.[2] As at 2019 the company continues to supply the Arkley bodykit.

Dark green sports car
Motorbase
Manufacturer:John Britten Garages, 1970–1987
Peter May Engineering, 1987–present
Production:1100 approximately

References



Bibliography


Hartford, Bill. “Spridget Kit.” Popular Mechanics, Nov. 1973, p. 62.
Hole, Steve. A–Z of Kit-Cars: The Definitive Encyclopaedia of the UK’s Kit-Car Industry Since 1949. Haynes Publishing, 2012.
Motorbase. Arkley SS: Overview. http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/profile/arkley-ss/.