The Bugeye Sprite was produced for only four years, totaling some 48,987 cars. Interiors are spartan, but they feature all of the comforts you need for quick trips or extended tours.
But love is often blind, and owners forgave any inherent weaknesses. The cockpit was minimalist, trimmed in leather.
Bugeye sprite master cylinder windows#
Completely missing were exterior door handles, a trunk lid and bumpers windows were sliding side curtains. These cars were downright Spartan in fit and finish. The original design featured retractable headlights like the later Lotus Elan, but plans were changed due to cost considerations. However, these lamps were a last-minute design compromise. Of course, it was the round headlamps inset on the hood that gave the car its lasting impression along with its nicknames-Bugeye in the States and Frogeye in Europe. It was fitted with drum brakes and drilled steel disk wheels stamped with a simple AH. The tight rack-and-pinion steering suited the speedster. The rear suspension featured quarter-elliptical leaf springs, a rigid axle and lever arm shocks. The handling of the Sprite was typically British stiff, with an independent front suspension featuring coil springs, single arm lever shocks and a lower wishbone on each side. Part of the performance came courtesy of the Bugeye’s low mass, just 1460 flyweight pounds. For the Bugeye, the A-series received stronger valve springs and twin SU carburetors to provide 43 horsepower and a top speed of nearly 85 mph. The car was powered by the four-cylinder Austin-Morris A-series 948cc engine, a proven motor that went on to power the Mini. It had an 80-inch wheelbase and a low stance that provided flat cornering. So the Sprite was born.īased on the Austin A35 sedan, the Sprite was the first British car to use unibody construction. Still, they saw the need for a small, basic sports car to complement the 100. Today, mint examples can cost upward of $20,000.Ī flip-up front end makes for easy access to the engine bay of a Sprite.Īustin-Healey, a company combining the production capability of Austin Motor Company and the design prestige of racer Donald Healey, earned success with their first effort, the 1953 Austin-Healey 100. At about $1500 when new, it undercut the competition by about a thousand dollars.
Now 50 years since it was introduced, the beloved Bugeye Sprite enjoys a near-cult following and a steadily increasing collector value. Plus, the car’s racing pedigree adds to its aura.
Bugeye sprite master cylinder upgrade#
All body and mechanical parts are readily available, and there is a vast number of ways to upgrade performance. Smiling is contagious, after all.Īside from its countenance, the car gives you plenty to grin about-it’s peppy to drive and also easy to work on. This is a car you’d want to spoil with special treatment to keep it smiling, since the car’s happiness rubs off on you when you drive it and on others who see it on the street. It’s easy to imagine this little speedster as your best friend, sharing road trips with plenty of laughs along the way. With an almost-giggling grille smile and astonished, star-struck eyes, no other car model projects a happier disposition than the original Austin-Healey Sprite. If there were an all-time award for car cuteness throughout the entire history of automobiles, the Bugeye Sprite would sweep the honors.
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