Austin Healey Sprite group GT (1958)
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Home » Racing Sports Cars » Austin Healey Sprite

560px-Austin_Healey_%27Frogeye%27_Sprite_-_Flickr_-_exfordy.jpg Source

Chassis numbers explained
History
BMC Engine Codes

Specifications

Mk I production
Mk II production

6 units built (Sprinzel Coupe '61)

Click here and here and here for Mk I '57
Click here for Mk I Sebring '58

Homologation number 47 89 52 106 161 524 568 3015 26 93 92
Homologation start 1958 10/11/1962 15/2/1962 9/5/1963 12/4/1964 1/1/1966 1/7/1967 1/4/1970 11/8/1960 29/1/1963 29/1/1963
Model Austin Healey Sprite Sebring Austin Healey Sprite Supercharger Bonneville Austin Healey Sprite Mk II Austin Healey Sprite Mk III Austin Healey Sprite Mk IV Speedwell GT Speedwell GT 2B Speedwell GT 2A
Capacity 960 cc 949 cc 1098 cc 1275 cc 980 cc 1080 cc

Falcon Spider '60
Sebring setup: front Girling disc brakes, rear 8" drums, and steel wheels
Le Mans setup: Dunlop Light Car 4 wheel disc brakes, and wire wheels

This 948cc engine was only fitted until October 1962 when it was changed to a 1,098cc version of the Austin “A Series” producing 56hp @ 5,500rpm and torque of 62lb/ft @ 3,250rpm.

949 cc
62.93 x 76.2 mm
8.3:1
42 BHP (30.912 KW) @ 5000 RPM
52 Ft-Lbs (71 NM) @ 3300 RPM

45.6 PS (45 bhp) (33.6 kW) @ 5500 rpm
71 Nm (52 ft·lb) (7.2 kgm) @ 3000 rpm

Sebring
960 cc
63.53 x 76.2 mm
9.3:1
Cast-iron block, 218.4mm deck height
Cast-iron reverse flow head with 'heart' shaped square combustion chambers, 2 inlet ports and 3 exhaust ports
3 main bearings 44.5mm diameter, 41.3mm big end journals diameter
aluminium alloy piston with 4 rings and 34mm compression height
side camshaft with over head valves (OHV), chain driven. pushrods operated
2 valves per cyl - 8 valves total. 31.6mm inlet valve diameter, 27.8mm exhaust valve diameter
2 x SU H1 carburetors (1¼”)
12 V, Lucas ignition coil
water cooled, 5.7 lt
wet sump with 1 oil cooler, 3.2 lt

4 speed Manual gearbox
constant: 28/19
1st: 3.627/1 (32/13)
2nd: 2.374/1 (29/18)
3rd: 1.412/1 (23/24)
4th: 1.000/1 (-)
R: 4.66/1 (18/13x32/14)

constant: 28/20
1st: 3.198/1 (32/13)
2nd: 1.911/1 (28/19)
3rd: 1.357/1 (24/23)
4th: 1.000/1 (-)
R: 4.115/1 (18/13x32/14)
final drive, 4.22/1 (38/9), 4.55/1 (41/9), 5.375/1 (43/8), 3.727/1 (42/11), 3.9/1 (39/10)
Borg & Beck 6 1/4 AG, dry single plate clutch 6 1/4" diameter
Front Suspension: Upper/lower A-arms with coil springs and hydraulic lever shock absorbers
Rear Suspension: live axle with double trailing links, quarter-elliptic leaf springs and hydraulic lever shock absorbers
Rack and Pinion steering, 2.3 turns lock to lock
front Girling disc brakes 216mm diameter with 2 piston calipers 38.1mm diameter. Rear drums 203.2mm diameter with 1 double piston caliper 15.875mm diameter", dual circuit, no servo
Length, 3368 mm (132.6")
Width, 1346 mm (53")
Height, 1265 mm (49.8")
Wheelbase, 2032 mm (80")
Front Track, 1163 mm (45.8")
Rear Track, 1138 mm (44.8")
Tires, 5.20x13"
600 kg, 50/50 f/r distribution, Sebring: 570kg
fuel tank, 27 or 45 lt


Results in WSCC

Season

Mk I 'Frogeye' 948cc
Car entry, chassis number Car number/ result
Sebring Targa Florio Nurburgring Le Mans Tourist Trophy
Team 12h 1000km 24h
Donald Healey, Ltd, (ST400) (TFR1 group S) #70, 18th
Hambro Auto Corp (Sebring) #53, 31st
Hambro Auto Corp, AN5/8145 (Sebring) #54, 36th
Hambro Auto Corp (Sebring) #55, 38th
Hambro Auto Corp #T, spare car
Bahamas Auto Club (Sebring) #78, spare car
Ken Mackenzie/ Tom Barnard/ Paddy Gaston in entry list
Statistics
Works Starts/finishes 4/4 3/3 1/1
Drivers Team entries and car number
Donald Healey, Ltd
Tommy Wisdom 70
Bernard Cahier 70
Hambro Auto Corp
Ed Leavens 53
Harold Kunz 53
Phil Stiles 54
Hugh Sutherland 54
Fred Hayes 55
John Christy 55
John Colgate 55, T
Bahamas Auto Club
Sydney Oakes 78
Greta Oakes 78
Peter Bethell 78
John Fulp 78

Results in Rally Championship

Entry Rally event
Driver
Codriver
Team MC C d Alpes 1000 lakes
John Sprinzel
William Cave
14th
Tommy Wisdom
Douglas Johns
AN5/7565
63rd
Raymond Baxter
John Reece
dnf
Statistics
Others starts/finishes 3/2 3/2

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1959-AUSTIN-HEALEY-FROGEYE-SPRITE-00-820x547.jpg Source
Mk I 'Frogeye'
ef03a9c0-6809-4671-bae6-6e9845215021.jpg Source
Mk III
1961LenhamGT.jpg Source
Lenham GT Coupe '61
PMO200-001L.jpg Source
Sprinzel Coupe '61
TMbD34_LUMyoOxZITEiBjguDAUKt1m8IU0F_w4ZyX-o6-6NqXq3-kYksSBMxBCUGv2S3euBOBqjuCWHoWHWGUqc9PZo4VAfT1lmzkRQi9bjy Source
Sprinzel Coupe '61
Austin-Healey_Sebring_Sprite_Coupe_-_Flickr_-_exfordy.jpg Source
Speedwell Coupe
8d0e3458b741678f9c2151bf1ba7665f-700.jpg Source
austin-healey-sprinte-1.jpg Source

Drawings

Austin-Healey-Sprite-Bugeye-Vutaway-1600x1126.jpeg Source
Mk I
Austin-Healey-Sprite-Cutaway.jpeg Source
Mk II
A-Brief-History-of-the-Austin-Healey-Sprite-13-bmc.jpg Source
Mk I
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Mk II Hardtop

SU carburetors

tech_su_05a.jpg Source
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