Sports car used by The Beatles in Tenerife in 1963 to return to Teide for new film
The original red Austin Healey Sprite Mk I driven by members of The Beatles during their stay in Tenerife in March 1963 is set to return to the roads of Mount Teide — more than 60 years later.
This time, however, it will be actors portraying Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr behind the wheel as part of the upcoming Canary Islands-produced feature film Lennon no estuvo aquí (“Lennon Wasn’t Here”), scheduled for release in 2027.
The film recreates the band’s little-known visit to Puerto de la Cruz just before they had their first hit and became global superstars. As the title suggests, John Lennon did not take part in that particular trip, as he was in Torremolinos with the band’s manager, Brian Epstein.
Filming in Teide National Park
Directed by Juanma Betancort and produced by Insularia Films, the project has secured funding from the Canary Islands Government, the Tenerife Cabildo and the regional public broadcaster. The total budget stands at €1.5 million, with €100,000 allocated specifically for filming inside Teide National Park.
According to the official filming schedule submitted for permits, “the same original convertible driven by the Beatles through these landscapes in 1963 will be used”.
The production team plans two filming periods in the national park: from 1st–7th July 2026 and 20th–26th September 2026. Locations will include the TF-21 road, viewpoints such as La Ruleta (Roques de García), Azulejos II, Tabonal Negro and Llano de Ucanca, as well as the surroundings of the Parador hotel.
The vehicle will be transported daily by tow truck into the park and used exclusively for scheduled scenes before being removed at the end of each day.
Planned sequences include a scenic drive with Mount Teide as a backdrop, an arrival at a viewpoint where the characters step out to admire the landscape, and a terrace scene at the Parador.
A Classic British Sports Car
Manufactured in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Austin Healey Sprite Mk I was one of the first affordable British sports cars. Its lightweight build and compact dimensions made it especially popular among younger drivers.
It became widely known as the “Frog-Eye Sprite” due to its distinctive headlights — a defining design feature.
During their 1963 Tenerife visit, McCartney, Harrison and Starr used this very model, bearing Gran Canaria registration GC-14112, to travel around the island.
Klaus Voormann and a Missed Concert
At the time, the car belonged to Klaus Voormann, a close friend of the band who invited them to Tenerife that year. Voormann had first met the Beatles in Hamburg in the early 1960s when they were performing in clubs such as the Kaiserkeller and Star-Club, honing their sound before global fame. He later designed the cover of their 1966 album Revolver.
During that March 1963 trip, Tenerife nearly hosted what would have been the Beatles’ first ever concert in Spain. According to research documented in the book Los Beatles en Tenerife, the band offered to perform at the Lido San Telmo in Puerto de la Cruz.
The proposal was declined, reportedly because they were seen as “long-haired youths”. Had it gone ahead, it would have marked their Spanish debut, weeks before Beatlemania exploded internationally.
Rediscovered in a Garage
Decades later, in the late 80s or early 90s the Frog-Eye was found abandoned in a garage in Puerto de la Cruz by Tenerife businessman Jochen Sieper, while collecting a friend for a fishing trip.
The friend informed him that the vehicle had belonged to Voormann. Although unaware at first of its Beatles connection, Sieper recognised its restoration potential. After tracking Voormann down via a German telephone directory, he purchased the car.
It was restored to its original specifications, including its red paintwork. Only after completing the deal did Sieper fully realise that he had acquired the very car driven by The Beatles on the island decades earlier.
Rather than being confined to a museum, the vehicle has continued to take part in classic car rallies and events, with appearances recorded as recently as 2025.
Now, more than six decades after it was photographed against Tenerife’s iconic volcanic backdrop alongside three future global icons, the Austin Healey Sprite Mk I will once again roll along the roads of Teide — this time as part of a film bringing one of the most intriguing chapters of the Beatles’ Spanish story back to life.
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