Because of its characteristic appearance with the headlights mounted on the hood, the Austin Healey Sprite Mark 1 has been nicknamed "Frogeye" or "Bugeye" in the USA.
Originally, it was planned that the headlights would be made retractable, but for cost reasons, the retraction mechanism was then omitted.
The Austin-Healey Sprite was built from 1958 to 1971 in various versions . It was intended to be a sporty low-cost model and initially went on sale at a price of £669.
The Sprite's chassis design was the world's first mass-produced sports car to feature a unitized construction, with sheet metal body panels (apart from the hood) carrying many of the structural loads.
The 43-hp, 948cc OHV engine was derived from the Austin A35 and Morris Minor 1000 models, also British Motor Company (BMC) products, but upgraded with two 1 1⁄8-inch SU carburetors.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. There were no outside door handles - the driver and passenger had to reach inside to open the door .There was also no trunk lid to retain as much structural integrity as possible, and access to the spare wheel and luggage compartment was achieved by folding the seatbacks forwardand reaching under the rear deck.
The British Motor
Company competition department entered Austin Healey Sprites in
major international races and rallies and won some important
races with the car, including the 1958 Alpine Rally du the
12-hour race at Sebring, Florida.
Due to its
affordability and practicality, the Austin-Healey Sprite became
a formidable competition car that was also driven to victory by
many private teams
Many owners use their Austin Healey Sprites in competition today, fifty years after their introduction.
Engine: 948 cc
OHV
Power: 43 hp @ 5200
rpm
Torque 71 Nm @ 3300
rpm
Top speed: 133.4
kmh
Acceleration: 20.5
seconds from 0 to 60 mph (97 kmh)
Fuel consumption:
6,6 l / 100 km
The car is in top condition, imported to Austria a few years ago and has an individual vehicle approval as a classic car.
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The sale is maid on behalf of the current owner.
€ 22.900,00