1958 Austin-Healey Sprite

The Austin-Healey ‘Frog-Eye’ Sprite is synonymous with small British 1950s sports cars. British Motor Corporation (BMC) chief Leonard Lord had been very happy with the ‘big’ Austin-Healeys - the 100 and 3000 - so Donald Healey was asked to design a smaller sibling out of available parts.

The resulting Austin-Healey Sprite was an amalgamation of BMC’s other compact cars. Its engine, gearbox, and suspension came from the Austin A35, the rack-and-pinion steering, brakes, and back axle came from the Morris Minor, and the car was built by MG at Abingdon-on-Thames.

The monocoque body was very simple: the boot had no opening lid, and side windows were sliding plastic, lift-out side-screens. The doors were hollow for storage and a one-piece clamshell bonnet opened from the front, providing good engine access. The headlamps had been planned to pop-up, but budgetary constraints resulted in the now iconic “frogeye” lamps.

Because the Sprite weighed only 1,318 lbs, its 4-cylinder, 948cc, 42.5 bhp engine could propel it to a top speed of 86 mph, and 40 mpg was possible. The cost was only £669, (against £894 for the MGA), and 49,987 Frog-Eyes are listed as having been built. The precise total is suspect, however, due to the changeover to the conventional Sprite/MG Midget in mid-1961.

As previously stated, the boot had no outside access, which meant travellers were restricted to soft luggage behind the seats. This also meant that bodywork restorers grew to hate rear-end repairs, as they had to climb inside the boot with their tools. A tachometer was optional and an excellent auxiliary hard top was available. Except for rust, a fragile first gear, and short-lived front shock absorbers, first generation Austin-Healey Sprites were fairly bulletproof. Almost all lost their front bumpers early, so those can take some finding.

The Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite still represents excellent value and some of the most fun you can get per mile. If you don’t mind a left-hand-drive car, California is a good source, as it was a major distribution point, and rust is seldom an issue. The switch to right-hand drive can be easily included as part of any comprehensive restoration project.

Period alternatives to the Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite include the bigger Austin-Healey 3000, the MGA roadster and the later Sprite/ MG Midget.