Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

To be fair the ~70hp in the standard Spridget is on the verge of overwhelming the chassis - the halfshafts are notoriously easy to break. Stiffer springs and shocks would've helped mine no end on twisty roads, too, although the Spridget already handles well. Personally I would stick with the A-Series and upgrade to electronic ignition - but I like tinkering with greasy old tech, so it may not be for you. Supercharging them isn't uncommon.

I prefer the 90 odd bhp in the front wheel drive fulvia.

But I agree with you in some ways, in other a more modern similar or smaller engine has alot closer tolerances. More power and better MPG.

A frog eye with four amal carbs made it a very thirsty car but alot more power over the standard. Made me laugh.