VretroW@aol.com wrote:
>
> i have a question. What exactly is Austin Healey SPRITE? and why does it cost
> much much less than a BJ8, BJ7 and other Austin Healey models?
A) The Austin Healey Sprite is a small sportscar built by the Healey
company for Austin. In May 1958 the first 'Frog-eye' model was seen. It
followed Austin's larger 'sports-car' the 100, 100/6 series. The large
car used the parts from the Austin Westminster six cylinder range by the
time the Sprite appeared, ( having once used the old Austin Taxi,Austin
Atlantic, Austin Sixteen 4 cylinder engine early on.)
The tiny Sprite used parts from the smaller Austin saloons,...well
almost. It was basically an upholstered roller skate, using the
engine,gearbox,rear axle from the Austin A35, of 948cc; though the
Morris Minor version of that 948cc 'A' series engine was actually in the
production model, with twin SU carbs. ( Austin used Zeniths.) From the
Morris Minor came the hydraulic rear brakes and the rack and pinion
steering, ( the A35 had cable rear brakes!!!) The front suspension and
their framework is pure Austin A35 again. These components from the
cheap BMC saloons,( sedans) fitted to the hull designed by Healey
resulted in the very attractive little 'Bug-Eye', or 'Frog-Eye' as in
the UK.
It is a cheap car, not a quality product like the bigger Healeys. It was
built by Austin initially. When MG got to grips with it, in production
at Abingdon, they and Healey redesigned the body, to produced the MG
Midget Mk1, and Sprite Mk2, in 1961. The same car with different badges,
though the MG was about £16 more I think.
The reason behind the Sprite was Austin STILL wanted their own sports
cars, even though by 1958 BMC had MG under their wing. The original
Healey 100 BN1 of 1953 WAS an attempt by Austin to out-gun MG and the
other sports cars. Austin cheated ofcourse, using Donald Healeys company
to develop the model, as long as Austin bits were used!
>
> i'm planning to buy a BJ8, BJ7, BN SERIES, AND SO ON... i'd like to know why
> sprite cost so much less. and its much more uglier than other AH cars.
A) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, some think the Sprite a very
smart little car in its original shape. A company in the UK produces an
identical model today, with modern mechanicals. They sell well, but it
is expensive! It is cheap because it is a mass produced car, that rots
just like the other poor monocoques of the 1950's. It has no chassis
like the BN1 onwards models. Also the parts used by the Sprite are from
cheap small saloons. Those for the bigger cars were from the
top-of-the-range Austin saloons, so cost a lot more to restore.
The engine, gearbox, front suspension, and rear axle date back to the
Austin A30 of 1952; the drum brakes and steering rack to the Morris
Minor of 1947; the gearbox internals back to the Austin Eight of 1935.
The dual master cylinder back to the 1952 Wolseley 4/44,( also in the
MGA,ZA, etc.)
>
> The Healey Man
Neil.
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