Estimated Price: £25,000 - £30,000

The Austin Healey Sprite was conceived during the early months of 1956 at a meeting between Austin's Leonard Lord and Donald Healey, to fill a gap in the market left by the demise of the MG TD and TF Midgets, which had been replaced by the larger MGA. The go-ahead was given for Donald Healey to design a small, inexpensive and fun sports car capable of filling the gap in the existing market. The target was to produce a sports car for the price of a Morris Minor - around £600 at the time. Primary responsibility for the project lay with Geoffrey Healey, son of Donald, with the chassis designed by Barry Bilbie and the body styled by Gerry Coker, the designer of the Austin Healey 100. The design had to be simple and inexpensive to produce - and this was certainly achieved with the new 'Sprite' which with its cheeky looks and smiley face rapidly became known as the 'Frogeye'.

This beautifully restored example was purchased new by Miss Elizabeth Anne Thompson on 7/07/1960 from Charles Clark and Sons of Wolverhampton, bearing the registration number 9206 DA. The accompanying Heritage Certificate confirms that it was an original home-market, right-hand drive car, finished in Leaf Green and was optioned with a heater, rev counter, windscreen washers and a front bumper. Some time later, the keeper details were transferred to her partner’s address, a neighbouring farm, before selling to a Mr Leyland in 2013 making this lovely Sprite just 'two previous owners'.

It’s fitted with a TYPE 75C Shorrock eccentric-rotor compressor (supercharger) that increased power by up to 40% over the standard BMC A-Series engine. A supercharger was not a factory option at the time, however, the Donald Healey Motor Company officially offered and endorsed the fitting of a Shorrock supercharger, in some cases to brand new cars, so perhaps that was the case here.

Purchased for the Collection in January 2024, a full restoration was undertaken and the history file contains a fully documented account of replaced or reconditioned parts. The Shorrock supercharger was fully reconditioned by Keith Luck Supercharger Engineering replacing trunnions and rotor bearings, the engine also received a full in-house rebuild and virtually every component has been checked or replaced. The original body was exceptionally sound, retaining its original steel bonnet and was carefully prepared and refinished in gleaming Old English White set off by silver Minilite-style alloys with chrome knock-offs. The interior has been beautifully retrimmed in Apple Green and the overall quality of the restoration is exceptional, in fact we seriously doubt that a brand new Sprite sat in an Austin-Healey showroom in 1960 would have looked this good.

This Supercharged Sprite was a delight to drive on our photo session and with its well documented provenance and recent meticulous restoration, would make a splendid entry into the world of fun classics.