While the term `bug eye' may sound
derogatory – and probably is – it allowed the little Austin
Healey Sprite sports car to create its own personality when first
introduced. Making a splash with new car product is an expensive
business, so the addition of the add-on style head lights to the
bonnet had an immediate impact. Once seen, the car was unlikely to
be forgotten. Makers these days crave that sort of instant
recognition.
In looking at the Sprite it is just as
well the the bug eyes were added, as the overall design is pretty
much forgettable. It was designed to be an austere, cheap, small open
sports car for the masses. So not a lot of creativity went into
design. In Austin lineage the Sprite was the successor to the pre-war
Austin Seven, so it had reasonably large boots to fill.
In a strange twist we in Australia
called the car the `bug eye' Sprite while the Brits called it the
`frog-eye', while the US also called it bug eye. The cars came to
Australia in CKD (Complete Knock Down kit form) and were assembled
here. The car was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company for
British Motor Corporation. In keeping with the concept of keeping the
car's price down as many components as possible came from existing
Austin models. As such the 948cc engine was derived from the Austin
A35 and Morris Minor 1000 models. To give it a sporting edge twin SU
carburettors of just 1 and 1/8 inch were added.
Even during early production it was
intended the Sprite have a flip-up type headlight, pivoting from the
front of the light. This meant when not in use they would be pointed
skywards. However, cost cutting saw this idea shelved and the
addition of the lights to the bonnet, looking like they were an
after-thought. Which they were. The car was first shown at Monte
Carlo in May, 1958.
When we mentioned austere it is worth
noting the car had no door handles – just reach inside and open up
– and there was a boot, but no boot lid. To gain entry to the boot
cavity, which shared luggage with the spare wheel, owners had to push
the seat-backs forward and gain access via the back of the cabin.
With no boot lid at least the car's rear end had a clean, sculpted
appearance.
On the other side of the coin the
Sprite was spritely and handled quite well. Like many British sports
cars of this era they were designed and built for a foreign market –
the Americans. Hence the reason there are so many US car clubs
devoted to these small British roadsters from the 1950s and 60s.
Another spin-off was the resurrection of the MG Midget name and the
Sprite was re-badged accordingly.
The void the Sprite and Midgets filled
as a budget sports car was that under Austin Healey 100 6, Triumph TR
3, and MGA. Sprite was built on a monocoque chassis and used a four
speed manual transmission and Morris Minor brakes and rack and pinion
steering. No doubt there was a fair bit of hard sell involved with
the Sprite. Firstly, convincing people that the bug eyes were an
intended feature, not an after-thought, a boot that had no lid and a
bonnet that hinged from the rear end, not all that easily, to reveal
and the entire engine, which was then extremely easy to work on. Then
there was the build quality.
On the other side of the ledger was the
fact it was as cheap as chips and weighing less than 590 kg had good
performance and handling. It was also reliable. In a nut-shell the
Sprite was simply a fun car. It brought a smile to people's faces.
Still does 50 years later. With it's light weight and nimble handling
the fun did not end with it's appearance. Drivers appreciated the
car's ability to nip around crowded streets, in and out of traffic,
where other dare not go.
By 1961 the Bug Eye had, however, run
its race. Another, more sophisticated Sprite was on the way. Not
surprisingly it had real headlights placed into the mudguards and a
boot that actually had a lid. The Mark 11 was produced from 1961 to
1965 and until 1964 was still powered by the 948cc engine. From 1962
to 1964 an optional 1098 cc engine from the Austin A- Series was also
available. It had the same bore and stroke as the Morris Minor 1000.
Along with the more powerful engine the Sprite go front disc brakes
and optional wire wheels.
It is worth noting that loyal `Bug Eye'
fans were horrified when the Series 11 arrived with conventional
lights. To them the Bug Eyes made the car unique. It is interesting
to note that this has a parallel with the wonderful little Mazda MX5,
which started it's life 20 years ago with pop-up head lights. When
Mazda re-designed the car and eliminated the pop-ups, a similar
backlash took place from faithful supporters of the Japanese sports
car.
From 1966 the Sprite was powered by a 1275cc
engine. But, the variant that remains iconic –
and most collectible - is the original Bug Eye Sprite. It is the one
Sprite that has true character thanks to designer Gerry Coker who
liked the idea of the protruding lights as a `design feature.'
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