MINI GUIDES

A MARQUE BY MARQUE GUIDE ON BRIT AND EURO’S FINEST

The British Motor Corporation (commonly known as BMC) brought together an extraordinary collection of vehicle brands, diverse ideas and lost opportunities.

One of its great successes though was Austin-Healey and in particular the Sprite sports car that made open-top motoring affordable to almost anyone.

Donald Healey’s son Geoffrey was given responsibility for the design which was required to be simple, cheap to build and visually appealing. Within 18 months the original Sprite was on the market; its rapid development largely due to BMC’s legendary parts inventory.

The Sprite engine, transmission, suspension and brake parts were shared with Austin’s A35 parts and other parts including rack and pinion steering from the Morris Minor. Ingenious quarter-elliptic rear springs allowed the Sprite to sit on a relatively long wheelbase while preserving compact dimensions.

‘Bug-eye’ headlamps made the car instantly recognisable and, depending on whose version you believe, existed because the cost of making them retractable was too high or because mounting the lights alongside the grille would make them too low to meet US market regulations.

The Sprite was also the first mass-produced British sports car to use monocoque construction, its all-steel shell giving BMC’s economy model greater structural integrity than the MGA, Healey 100 or TR3 Triumph.

Three years and 49,000 Bug-Eyes later the Sprite design changed dramatically and into something vastly more ‘corporate’ and conservative than the original.

Early Mark 2 Sprites used 948cc engines but that changed in 1962 when capacity was enlarged to 1098cc and power increased by 7kW. From the arrival of Mark 2A models the Sprite also included front disc brakes as standard.

In Australia the Sprite offered a cheap and interesting alternative to conventional passenger cars. At $1996 plus charges in 1963, the Mark 2A was only $60 more than a 1.2-litre Ford Cortina and $120 less than a basic EH Holden.

Fittings and comforts were adequate for a car of this age and price bracket – a speedo, tachometer, temperature and fuel gauges plus a rudimentary heater/demister that by 1966 was a requirement on Australian cars.

The seats were narrow and thinly padded and the boot cramped with half the space occupied by a spare wheel. However if you ran with the roof up there was a decent-sized storage area behind the seats in later cars.

Mark 3A cars brought an improved hood design, 1275cc engine and wire-spoke wheels. however they sold in Australia only until early 1967 when replaced by the almost-identical MG Midget.

Sprites of all eras appear regularly in used-car listings and there are clubs throughout Australia which cater to these cars. Mark 1 models are expensive given their cramped cabin and ordinary performance but who can put a value on cuteness?

Better buying at $15-20,000 are Mark 3 and Mark 3A cars that offer improved features – such as external door handles – and 150km/h performance. Cars with the optional hardtop are better suited to frequent use but cost $1000-1500 more.