The Austin-Healey Sprite is a small open sports car that was announced to the
press in Monte Carlo by BMC on 20 May 1958, just before that year's Monaco
Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low-cost model that "a chap could keep
in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre-war
Austin Seven. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with
production being undertaken by Austin-Healey. It first went on sale at
a price of £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A-Series engine and as
many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down.
The Sprite was made at the MG sports car factory at Abingdon and it was
inevitable that the success of the design would spawn an MG version known
as the Midget, reviving a popular pre-war model name. Enthusiasts often
refer to Sprites and MG Midgets collectively as "Spridgets."
Mark I The little Sprite quickly became
affectionately known as the Frogeye in the UK and the Bugeye in the US, because
its headlights were prominently mounted on top of the bonnet, inboard of the
front wings. The car's designers had intended that the headlights could be
retracted, with the lenses facing skyward when not in use; a similar
arrangement was used many years later on the Porsche 928. But cost cutting by BMC
led to the flip-up mechanism being deleted, therefore the headlights were
simply fixed in a permanently upright position, giving the car its most
distinctive feature. The body was styled by Gerry Coker, with subsequent
alterations by Les Ireland following Coker's emigration to the US in 1957.
The car's distinctive frontal styling bore a strong resemblance to the defunct
American 1951 Crosley Super Sport. 48,987 "Frogeye" Spriters were made.
The problem of providing a rigid structure to an open-topped sports car
was resolved by Barry Bilbie, Healey's chassis designer, who adapted the idea
provided by the Jaguar D-type, with rear suspension forces routed through the
bodyshell's floor pan. The Sprite's chassis design was the world's first
volume-production sports car to use unitary construction, where the sheet
metal body panels take many of the structural stresses. The original metal
gauge of the rear structure specified by Bilbie was reduced by the Austin Design
Office during prototype build, however during testing at M.I.R.A. distortion
and deformation of the rear structure occurred and the original specification
was reinstated. The two front chassis legs projecting forward from the
passenger compartment mean the shell is not a full monocoque. The front
sheet-metal assembly, including the bonnet and wings, was a one-piece unit,
hinged from the back, that swung up to allow access to the engine compartment.
The 43 bhp, 948 cc OHV engine was derived from the Austin A35 & Morris
Minor 1000 models, also BMC products, but upgraded with twin 11⁄8" inch SU
carburettors. The rack and pinion steering was derived from the Morris
Minor 1000 and the front suspension from the Austin A35. The front suspension was
a coil spring and wishbone arrangement, with the arm of the Armstrong lever
shock absorber serving as the top suspension link. The rear axle was both
located and sprung by quarter-elliptic leaf springs, again with lever-arm shock
absorbers and top links. There were no exterior door handles; the driver and
passenger were required to reach inside to open the door. There was also no boot
lid, owing to the need to retain as much structural integrity as possible, and
access to the spare wheel and luggage compartment was achieved by tilting the
seat-backs forward and reaching under the rear deck, a process likened to
potholing by many owners, but which resulted in a large space available to
store soft baggage. Engine:
1958–1961: 948 cc A-Series I4, 43 hp at 5200 rpm and 52 lbf·ft at 3300 rpm
A car was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958. It had a top speed of
82.9 mph and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 20.5 seconds. Fuel consumption of
43 miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car cost £678,
including taxes of £223. The BMC Competition Department entered
Austin Healey Sprites in major international races and rallies, their
first major success coming when John Sprinzel and Willy Cave won their class
on the 1958 Alpine Rally. Private competitors also competed with much
success in Sprites. Because of its affordability and practicality, the
Austin Healey Sprite was developed into a formidable competition car, assuming
many variants by John Sprinzel, Speedwell and WSM. The Sebring Sprite
became the most iconic of the racing breed of Austin Healey Sprites. Many
owners use their Austin Healey Sprites in competition today, fifty years after
its introduction. Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I Gallery
Mark II The Mark II used the same 948 cc engine,
but with larger twin 11⁄4 inch SU carburettors, increasing power to 46.5
bhp. A close-ratio gearbox was fitted. The bodywork was completely revamped,
with the headlights migrating to a more conventional position in the wings,
either side of a full-width grille. At the rear, styling borrowed from the
soon-to-be-announced MGB gave a similarly more modern look, with the
added advantages of an opening boot lid and conventional rear bumper bar. The
result was a much less eccentric-looking sports car, though at the expense of
some 100 lbs extra weight. In contrast to the 'frogeye', the later cars are
often collectively referred to as square-bodied Sprites by enthusiasts.
An MG version of the car was introduced in May 1961 as, 'the new Midget,'
reviving a model name which had been a great success for the MG Car Company in
the 1930s. The Midget was to prove more popular with the public than the Sprite
and by 1972 had completely supplanted it within the BMC range. In October 1962,
both Sprites and Midgets were given a long-stroke 1098 cc engine, which was
also fitted in single carburettor form to the Austin A40 and Morris Minor 1000.
A strengthened gearbox with Porsche synchromesh was introduced to cope with
the extra power – a heady 56 bhp. Front disc brakes were also introduced at the
same time and wire wheels became an option. 31,665 Mark II Sprites were
made. Innocenti also produced their own
version of the Sprite, using the standard production underframe, but
clothed in the sharpest of Italian suits, styled by the American Tom
Tjaarda, then working at Carrozzeria Ghia. The Innocenti 950 Spider and later
1100 Spider were produced from 1961 until 1968.
A car with hardtop tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1961 had a top
speed of 85.8 mph and could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 20.0 seconds. A fuel
consumption of 43.5 miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car, which
was to de-luxe specification cost £705 including taxes of £208.
Engines: 1961–1964: 948 cc A-Series I4, 46 hp at
5500 rpm and 53 lbf·ft at 3000 rpm 1962–1964: 1098 cc A-Series I4, 56 hp at
5500 rpm and 62 lbf·ft at 3250 rpm Mark III
The Mark III Sprite was also marketed as the Mark II MG Midget – differences
between the two were again restricted to minor trim detailing. Although still
1098 cc, the engine had a stronger block casting, and the size of the crankshaft
main bearings was increased to two inches.
A new curved-glass windscreen was introduced with hinged quarterlights and
wind-up side windows. Exterior door handles were provided for the first
time, with separate door locks. Though the car could now be secured, with a
soft-top roof the added protection was limited. The rear suspension was
modified from quarter-elliptic to semi-elliptic leaf springs, which gave a
more comfortable ride for a near-negligible weight penalty as well
as providing additional axle location, the upper links fitted to the
quarter-elliptic models being deleted. Though scarcely sybaritic, these changes
helped the Sprite and Midget compete with the recently released Triumph
Spitfire. 25,905 Mark III Sprites were made.
Engine: 1964–66: 1098 cc A-Series I4, 59 hp at
5750 rpm and 65 lbf·ft at 3500 rpm Mark IV and Austin Sprite
The next upgrade was presented at the London Motor Show in October 1966.
Besides receiving the larger 1275 cc engine, the Mark IV and its cousin the
Mark III MG Midget had several changes which were more than cosmetic. Most
notable is the change from a removable convertible top, which had to be stowed
in the boot, to a permanently affixed, folding top of greatly improved design,
which was much easier to use. Separate brake and clutch master cylinders were
fitted, as car manufacturers' thoughts began to turn to making their products
safer. On US market versions the larger engine sacrificed some of its
performance from 1968 on, through the use of smog pumps and other
modifications to comply with federal emission control requirements. 1969 was
the final year the Sprite was exported to the US.
For the 1970 model year cast-alloy wheels were fitted and the grille was
changed to resemble that fitted to the MG Midget. 22,790 Mark IV Sprites were
made. Engine:
1966–1971: 1275 cc A-Series I4, 65 hp at 6000 rpm and 72 lbf·ft at 3000 rpm
The Healey connection was discontinued in 1971, so the final 1,022 Sprites
built were simply Austin Sprites. This was a cost-cutting move of Donald
Stokes', enabling British Leyland to stop paying royalties to the Donald
Healey Motor Company. There was no direct successor, as BL's extensive
range already contained the MG Midget, which was identical to the Sprite except
for badging, and the similarly dimensioned and priced Triumph Spitfire.
Competition The Sprite have been successful club
level race cars since their launch and continue to race in various events to
the present day. International events were entered throughout the 1960s and
surprisingly good results were achieved, including a 12th place finish at Le Mans
in 1965. The works cars began with use of a commercially available
fibreglass-bodied Sprite before utilising lightweight body panels of
standard appearance. By the mid-60s, use was made of the wind-tunnel at
Longbridge. Barry Bilbie utilised the results to produce a streamlined body,
built in Birmabright alloy at Healey's Warwick workshops by Bill Buckingham and
Terry Westwood. These cars were powered by BMC's Courthouse Green's tuned
engines and eventually produced a reliable 110 bhp, which enabled a top
speed of around 150 mph on the Mulsanne Straight. One-off gearboxes were also
made at Courthouse Green, with MGB gearboxes modified with an externally
mounted 5th gear and overdrive in some cases. BMC works entries recorded class
wins at Sebring with drivers including Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren and Steve
McQueen, as well as competing in the Targa Florio and Mugello sports car
races. Australian production
Sprites were imported into Australia in completely knocked down kit form and
assembled by the Pressed Metal Corporation at Enfield, in New South
Wales. Models assembled in Australia included the Mk 1, 2, 2A, 3 and 3A.
Innocenti Spider and C Coupé At the 1960 Turin Auto Show, BMC's
Italian partner Innocenti showed an attractive little Spider built upon
Sprite underpinnings. The car was the first design of Tom Tjaarda's, drawn for
Carrozzeria Ghia. Ghia's partner firm OSI built the bodyshells, when the car
entered production in early 1961. The original Innocenti 950 Spider had the
Frogeye's 948 cc engine with 43 hp, 624 of these were built. Later in 1961 an
uprated 46.5 hp was installed. In February 1963 the 1098 cc "S" model was
introduced, this also had front disc brakes to cope with the extra power. The
1100 has 58 hp and could also be fitted with a removable hardtop. The Spider
wasn't a mere reshelling, as the entire bulkhead was moved forward to provide
longer doors and a more modern look. Unlike the spartan Frogeye, the Spider
also had wind-up windows and a permanent windscreen. 4,790 of the 950 Spiders
were built, and 2,074 of the 1100 cc Spiders.
The Innocenti Spider originally sold well in Italy, with production running
at 13 cars per day in 1962, but it had a hard time competing against the cheaper
Sprite in export markets. As more modern competitors arrived and as the
British-built Sprite was modernised, sales dropped precipitously, with only
63 cars built in 1965. Thus, Innocenti presented the reworked Innocenti Coupé
in September 1966, still with the same 1100 engine as seen in late Spiders. The
badging on the car simply read "Innocenti C". The Coupé's all-new
bodywork was wider and longer than the Spider's, and the wheelbase was extended
by 150 mm to 2,180 mm. The floorpan was reworked to allow for the seats to be
mounted lower than in a Sprite, making the cabin less cramped. It was
competitively priced in the Italian market, slotting nicely between the
smaller Fiat 850 Coupé and the bigger Fiat 124 Sport Spider. Only 794 were
built when production ended in 1968. Lenham GT Coupe
The Lenham Motor Company of Kent, founded in 1960, was, and still is, one
of the once many "cottage industry" automotive companies providing
specialist conversions based upon commercial brand platforms. Best known
for its Spridget coupé conversions and the big-Healey based Lenham Healey, the
firm also produced hard-tops for Jaguar E-types, Triumphs, the Jensen-Healey,
the Lotus Elan and for the MGB. UK 50th anniversary celebration
On 24 May 2008, the official UK golden anniversary of the introduction of the
Austin Healey Sprite, "Spridget 50 – The Big Party" was held at the British
Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire. Up to 1000 Sprites,
Midgets and derivatives were in attendance – a record number. The event
was jointly organised and promoted by the UK's Midget and Sprite Club, Healey
Drivers Club, MG Owners Club, Austin Healey Club and MG Car Club – the first
time an event of this size has been supported by all of the
marque-representing clubs. References
Further reading External links
Austin Memories—History of Austin and Longbridge
Photographic Database of UK Registered Mk1 Sprites – UK Registered Frogeye
images plus Period Adverts and Press Articles.