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1961 Austin Healey Sprite — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1961 perform at MOT as they age

65 years
Current Age
87.0%
Latest Pass Rate
455
Total Tests (All Years)
32,190 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for Sprite

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1961 Austin Healey Sprite as it ages.

48 yrs66.7%
49 yrs77.6%
50 yrs78.4%
51 yrs74.5%
52 yrs86.5%
53 yrs71.2%
54 yrs78.0%
55 yrs72.9%
56 yrs87.0%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 48 to 56 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
48 yrs66.7%45
49 yrs77.6%49
50 yrs78.4%51
51 yrs74.5%55
52 yrs86.5%52
53 yrs71.2%59
54 yrs78.0%50
55 yrs72.9%48
56 yrs87.0%46

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1961 Austin Healey Sprite pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 9 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2017 (56 yrs)87%46
2016 (55 yrs)72.9%48
2015 (54 yrs)78%50
2014 (53 yrs)71.2%59
2013 (52 yrs)86.5%52
2012 (51 yrs)74.5%55
2011 (50 yrs)78.4%51
2010 (49 yrs)77.6%49
2009 (48 yrs)66.7%45

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
66.7%
Age (yrs) 48Tests 45Avg Mileage 41,609Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.2%
2010
77.6%
Age (yrs) 49Tests 49Avg Mileage 56,777Top Failure Brakes — 12.2%
2011
78.4%
Age (yrs) 50Tests 51Avg Mileage 38,262Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 17.6%
2012
74.5%
Age (yrs) 51Tests 55Avg Mileage 39,194Top Failure Brakes — 12.7%
2013
86.5%
Age (yrs) 52Tests 52Avg Mileage 33,594Top Failure Suspension — 25.0%
2014
71.2%
Age (yrs) 53Tests 59Avg Mileage 33,262Top Failure Brakes — 47.5%
2015
78.0%
Age (yrs) 54Tests 50Avg Mileage 37,469Top Failure Brakes — 30.0%
2016
72.9%
Age (yrs) 55Tests 48Avg Mileage 30,158Top Failure Brakes — 25.0%
2017
87.0%
Age (yrs) 56Tests 46Avg Mileage 32,190Top Failure Suspension — 19.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1961 Austin Healey Sprite, with age trends.

Brakes
20.5%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
16.7%
— Consistent
Suspension
16.6%
↑ Increases with age
Tyres
9.6%
— Consistent
Driver's View of the Road
8.1%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension8.9% (48 yrs)19.6% (56 yrs)
+10.7%
🔴 ↑
Brakes17.8% (48 yrs)8.7% (56 yrs)
-9.1%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Austin Healey Sprite page →

About This Data

This page shows how Austin Healey Sprite cars manufactured in 1961 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 455 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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