CAUGHT ON CAMERA! THE AUSTIN-GEELY BUG-EYED SPRITE!

2016 Austin-Geely 蟲-Eyed Sprite
photographed during testing

UPDATED SPRITE TO BE FIRST PRODUCT OF NEW BRITISH-CHINESE JOINT VENTURE, SAY INSIDERS

It won’t roll off the assembly line for at least 18 months, but sources say that when it does, “it” will be a modern-day Bug-Eyed Sprite.

The small roadster, to be called the
蟲-Eyed Sprite in China, is the first of several planned vehicles from the new British-Chinese company Austin-Geely.

“They haven’t announced whether they’ll build it in England or in China, or somewhere halfway between, like Muynak, Uzbekistan,” said auto industry analyst Bubbles McTeague. “I’d put my money on Muynak, because there’s plenty of land available for a factory, plus many opportunities for recreational boating.”

McTeague added that, based on what she’s heard, the new Sprite will feature all the fun and unreliability of the first one.