Остин-Хили Спрайт: История британского спортивного автомобиля

The Austin Healey Sprite is a small open sports car produced in the United Kingdom from 1958 until 1971. The Sprite was announced to the press in Monte Carlo by the British Motor Corporation on 20 May 1958, two days after that year's Monaco Grand Prix. It was intended to be a low cost model that "a chap could keep in his bike shed", yet be the successor to the sporting versions of the pre war Austin Seven. The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production being undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon. It first went on sale for £669, using a tuned version of the Austin A Series engine and as many other components from existing cars as possible to keep costs down. When the Mk. II Sprite was introduced in 1961 it was joined by a badge engineered MG version, the Midget, reviving a model name used by MG from the late 1920s through to the mid 1950s. Enthusiasts often refer to these later Sprites and Midgets collectively as "Spridgets." The MG badged version of the car continued in production for several years after the Austin Healey brand ceased to exist.

The Sprite (and its MG Midget sibling) have been successful club level race cars since their launch and continue to race in various events to the present day. International events were entered throughout the 1960s and surprisingly good results were achieved, including a 12th place finish at Le Mans in 1965. The works cars began with use of a commercially available fibreglass bodied Sprite (with a Falcon body) before utilising lightweight body panels of standard appearance. By the mid 60s, use was made of the wind tunnel at Longbridge. Barry Bilbie (the chassis designer) utilised the results to produce a streamlined body, built in Birmabright alloy at Healey's Warwick workshops by Bill Buckingham and Terry Westwood. These cars were powered by BMC's Courthouse Green's tuned engines and eventually produced a reliable 110 bhp, which enabled a top speed of around 150 mph on the Mulsanne Straight. One off gearboxes were also made at Courthouse Green, with MGB gearboxes modified with an externally mounted 5th gear and overdrive in some cases. BMC works entries recorded class wins at Sebring with drivers including Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren and Steve McQueen, as well as competing in the Targa Florio and Mugello sports car races.

Sprites were imported into Australia in completely knocked down (CKD) kit form and assembled by the Pressed Metal Corporation at Enfield, in New South Wales. The original Innocenti 950 Spider had the Frogeye's 948 cc engine with , 624 of these were built. Later in 1961 an uprated was installed. In February 1963 the 1098 cc "S" model was introduced, this also had front disc brakes to cope with the extra power. 4,790 of the 950 Spiders were built, and 2,074 of the 1100 cc Spiders. Only 794 were built when production ended in 1968.

The Lenham Motor Company of Kent, founded in 1960, was, and still is, one of the once many "cottage industry" automotive companies providing specialist conversions based upon commercial brand platforms. Best known for its Spridget coupé conversions and the big Healey based Lenham Healey (a replica of the Healey Silverstone), the firm also produced hard tops for Jaguar E types, Triumphs, the Jensen Healey, the Lotus Elan and for the MGB.

The Tifosi Rana Frogeye Sprite replica retains a significant amount of the character and appeal of the original version by using the MG Midget as its basis. As the MG Midget traces its roots directly back to the original Austin Healey ‘Frogeye’, the Tifosi replica perhaps merits the sobriquet "Spridget" even more than the originals. They are supplied and/or built by Halls Garage near Bourne in Lincolnshire, home of the now defunct BRM Formula 1 racing cars. The Tifosi Rana replica has a fibreglass body with upgrades such as external door handles and wind up windows as standard. A "Custom package" allows a purchaser to specify various choices of engine, transmission suspension, paint and trim.

Keith Brading started Frogeye Car company on the Isle of Wight in the 1980s. The first examples of these cars were restoration kits which used a ladder frame chassis to do away with the often rusted out original body shell. Brading was known to Geoffrey Healey through a mutual friend and because he, at one stage, owned the two prototype 3000 coupes. Geoffrey Healey notes that Brading's re design of the "Frogeye" was shortly to receive approval from Donald Healey, calling the concept "brilliant", and after some modifications, "just the vehicle to carry the Healey approval". The last sports car to have his father's approval benefited from Geoffrey Healey's direct input until his unexpected death in 1994 and the car he used is still owned by Keith Brading. Another “engineering superstar” who also contributed to the Healey Frogeye development was John Ackroyd who designed Thrust2, which held the world land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 25 September 1997. The Frogeye Car Company was a sideline to Keith Brading's main business, and no cars have been manufactured since 1998.

On 24 May 2008, the official UK golden anniversary of the introduction of the Austin Healey Sprite, "Spridget 50The Big Party" was held at the British Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, Warwickshire. Up to 1000 Sprites, Midgets and derivatives were in attendancea record number. The event was jointly organised and promoted by the UK's Midget and Sprite Club, Healey Drivers Club, MG Owners Club, Austin Healey Club and MG Car Clubthe first time an event of this size has been supported by all of the marque representing clubs.