The British have been making the finest sports cars out there since the early days of the automobile. Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Lotus are perhaps the most iconic brands, but Triumph, Caterham, and Austin-Healey also produced a few fine machines.
Austin-Healey doesn't get as much attention as the other brands, though. Established in 1952 through a joint venture between the Austin division of the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Donald Healey Motor Company, Austin-Healey began making cars in 1953.
The venture lasted through 1971 and spawned four main nameplates: the 100, 100-6, 3000, and the Sprite. The latter remained in production for 13 years and saw daylight in four iterations. The Mark II to IV were very similar to the MG Midget, but the Mark I variant was quite the unique rig design-wise.
Nicknamed "frog-eye" or "bug-eye" due to its headlamps being mounted high on the front hood, the first-gen Sprite was quite successful for a sports car. Built from 1958 to 1961, it moved almost 49,000 units. The Sprite featured a tiny 0.9-liter four-cylinder engine rated at only 43 horsepower and 52 pound-feet (71 Nm) of torque. That's laughable by modern standards, but we need to keep in mind that the Sprite was only 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) long and tipped the scales at only 1,543 pounds (700 kg).
Come 2024, the cute-looking Sprite is not among the most desirable British sports cars. But thankfully enough, some examples have been kept on the road by diehard enthusiasts. Moreover, Sprites that have been parked for decades are being brought back to life. The red "bug-eye" is one of the lucky ones.
Unearthed by YouTube's "This Week With Cars," this Sprite had been sitting for decades when our host got it out of a barn more than a year ago. Having spent all this time fixing the engine and getting the car back on the road, the owner decided it was time to give the Sprite a much-deserved cleaning. Its first in God knows how long.
And while most barn-found rigs reveal patina and rust holes when washed, this Austin-Healey morphed into a gorgeous survivor. It's unclear if this car was repainted, but the red coating still shines in the sun, and the chrome pieces almost look new. Sure, it's not a Concours-ready gem by any means, but this Sprite is just a bit of work away from becoming a striking classic.
The sports car no longer has the original wheels, and the interior has been carpeted. But even though it's no longer 100% original, it still has its factory engine and hard top. The latter is quite a rare piece today. Check out the transformation in the video below.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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