One of the trickiest aspects of the Concours restoration process of a Bugeye (or Sprite Mark II) is the flooring. All Mark I and Mark II Sprites (And Mark I Midgets) from 1958 to September of 1962 had rubber floor mats that covered both footwells, both front cross members, the transmission tunnel, and several smaller areas around the seat mounts. Over time, these thin factory mats have proven to be incredibly brittle and fragile, and in the decades since their installation almost every one of them has deteriorated into an unusable mess.
These have been unavailable for years and while molding new ones has been discussed in several circles, the cost and time to make them has been a barrier. So we have a new solution that we can custom make for your car, and this is the closest you can get to an original looking mat set.
Our 501 mat set is aptly named since it was proven in AN5L 501, the first production Bugeye Sprite, which recently attained gold level concours certification after comprehensive judging in 2022 at the national Austin-Healey Enclave in Pennsylvania. These mats were acknowledged as an effective reproduction of the originals. Now you can have the same look in your car. They are available in green, black, blue, and red, just like the original rubber mats. We custom sew them in our shop, so please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery.
If you are looking for other options, we also sell a custom fit carpet kit for Bugeyes and Mark II Sprites, as well as a Hardura kit, which is a nice option if you want original-type materials (Hardura was used in the boots of all early sprites). You can select these options below. But if you want the most accurate recreation to the original available today, our 501 mat kit is for you!
Never seen an original tunnel or floor mat? Check out the video below!
