[Spridgets] anyone ever hear of a factory Mk I Sprite, w/boot/trunk lid?

[Bud Osbourne]

At a local trolley museum anniversary celebration (50 years), yesterday.
The museum had a classic car display and asked our local Triumph club to get
some cars out.  Yeah, mine was the only MG there, but that's fine, too.

Anyway, there was a guy there with a Mk I Sprite, which was fitted with a
boot/trunk lid.  He says he's the second owner and the original owner was a
good friend of his.  He claims the he was told (he really didn't know much
about Brit cars and didn't claim to, either) that his car is one of six
Sprites built with boot/trunk lids.

 

Anyone ever hear of the factory doing anything like this?  I thought it
could possibly have been some sort of prototype/design study done late in
the Mk I production run, when BMC was looking for ways to "freshen" the
design, to compete against the soon to be introduced Spitfire.  Thoughts?

And, no, unfortunately, I didn't have my camera along with me.

Thanks, guys.

Bud