AutoCult Austin Healey Sebring Sprite (RHD) (1960) (Great Britain)

About the Original:

A Seat for Sir Stirling Moss

The sports car Austin Healey Sebring Sprite in its original design was built only six times respectively 8 times according to other sources. These cars were built for racing only.

Driving force behind the racecar was Briton Donald Healey with his business the Donald Healey Motor Company. In the late 1950s he recognized that the Austin MK I and the Austin MK II could provide a good basis for a real sports car. Donald Healey removed the body and modified the chassis. He replaced the front drum brakes by disc brakes from Girling. The completely reshaped body was made out of aluminum and fiberglass. Also the engine got a boost in power. After homologation by the FIA, race drivers like Ian Walker, Andrew Hedges, Cyril Simson, Chris Williams and even the BMC-Team were interested in the racecar with its modified chassis and new body. Afterwards Stirling Moss; one of the most successful British race drivers; was the most prominent driver at the steering wheel. He sat in the cockpit during the 4-hour race in Sebring.

Beside the few racecars were a large number of replicas, so that soon fast- and notchback vehicles, which were refitted to disk brakes, were known under the generic term “Sebring Sprite”.