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Austin-Healey Sprite Frogeye '59 1959

General description : Belgian MOT without any remarks, valid until 2026 A lot of maintenance invoices, booklets, and an original workshop manual ‘Frogeye’ says it all, it is a real crowd pleaser The Austin Healey Sprite made its debut in 1958 in Monte Carlo, at the Monaco Grand Prix. Despite its relatively modest power, it is a small sports car that flirts with the lower limits of what’s possible. Its charming headlights and smiling grille quickly capture everyone's heart, leading to successful sales and a production period that lasted an impressive 13 years. Donald Healey - co-founder of Austin Healey - is responsible for creating what may be the cutest sports car ever. He wanted to not only cater to the high-end market, but also the lower-end market with his sports cars. To achieve this, the design needed to be as simplistic as possible to keep production cost low. He took an Austin's A-series 948cc engine and equipped it with two SU carburettors, producing 43 horsepower, which was sufficient thanks to the lightweight chassis and small dimensions. The interior is classic, and the dashboard is far from extravagant, yet the overall building quality and style is maintained. Throughout the 13 years of production, four different succeeding models were produced, each with aesthetic changes. Over time, the engine displacement and carburettor were increased to meet market demand and produce more power. Austin Healey Sprite Mk I (‘Frogeye’) The Austin Healey Sprite Mk I (also known as the ‘Frogeye’) was the first version of the Austin Healey Sprite, produced from 1958 to 1961. The design is a human-like combination of cute headlights and a Mona Lisa smiling grille that make it iconic. Its nickname ‘Frogeye’ (or ‘Bugeye’ in America) is due to those expressive headlights. At less than a thousand British pounds, the Frogeye was affordable to a wide audience. The affordability was the central theme of the Frogeye's design. Initially, the plan was to install pop-up headlights in the hood, but those would be too expensive, thus conventional headlights were used instead. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as those headlights helped make the Frogeye an instant hit. Additionally, to save space, the Sprite didn't have a trunk, and ventilation was only added to the dashboard later on. Due to these budgetary reasons, the car was popular among a broad audience, and sales boomed both in Europe and the US. In 1961, the last Frogeye rolled off the production line and it was succeeded by the Mk II, which would set the standard for British roadster design. Nearly 50,000 Frogeyes were sold, and even today it's a real eye-catcher, making its value considerably appreciated. Technical information: Body work Length (cm): 349 (138 inch) Width (cm): 135 (53 inch) Height (cm): 126 (50 inch) Wheelbase (cm): 203 (80 inch) Weight (kg): 664 (1464 lbs) Mechanics Engine: 948 cc four-cylinder in-line front-engine Valve gear: 8 Fuel system: 2 SU carburettors Gear box: 4-speed manual Transmission: RWD Left-steered power: 45 hp (33 kW) at 5500 t/m torque: 71 Nm at 5500 t/m Top speed: 130 km/h (80 mph)

1959 Austin-Healey Sprite Frogeye '59 is listed for sale on ClassicDigest in Aalter by Oldtimerfarm for €29950.

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