Description
RARE 1958 AUSTIN HEALEY SEBRING SPRITE REPLICA both ROAD LEGAL and ready for HISTORIC RACE.
This is a John Sprinzels special-bodied Sebring Coupe replication based on the 410EAO registered car campaigned by Andrew Hedges. Its traditional style Norwegian registration plate has S221 as a tribute to racer Cyril Simson. Old English White paintwork with green foil livery. A competitive Sprite that can be driven to and fro the races.
The more complete Austin Healey Sebring Sprite story can be found on Wikipedia, with emphasis on the Sprinzel Sebring Sprites excerpt:
Leaving the Healeys to set up his own tuning and race preparation concern at Lancaster Mews in December 1960, John Sprinzel launched his Williams & Pritchard-bodied coupe to immediate acclaim at the Racing Car Show in London. Sprinzel Sebring Sprites were soon being built for racers Cyril Simson (S 221), Chris Williams (52 LPH), Ian Walker (WJB 707), Andrew Hedges (410 EAO) and for BMC works rally driver David Seigle-Morris (D 20). Sprinzel's personal Sebring Sprite bore the registration number PMO 200, and he campaigned the car at Sebring and in international rallies as well as races throughout the 1961 season, culminating in an outright win in the Targa Rusticana rally at the beginning of 1962.
Jonathan Whitehouse-Bird’s restoration of the original 410EAO described in the til AH-Club RevCounter club magazine inspired me to build my own version very close to the original competition car.
Early in 2005 I visited the Archers Garage run by Brian Archer and Andrew Forster supplying glassfiber body kits for the enthusiast market. Brian Wheeler manufacturing Sprite Mk1 chassis/ body shells was my next visit. A somewhat crashed Sprite Mk1 Norwegian registered donor car enabled me later that year to place orders for such chassis/ shell plus body kit including aluminium doors and hinges, windows, brakes/ cluch, master cylinders etc. All this was collected and by summer of 2007 the build was painted and road-tested.
May 2008 saw my wife and I proudly joining the “Spridget 50 The Big Party” in our finished Sprinzel Sebring Sprite at The Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, England.
Having decided to enter this car in historic racing in 2009 my application for a FIA Historic Technical Passport was declined due to disc brakes, incorrect gearbox and the GRP body. It took until 2012 for a replacement alloy body was painted OEW and correct spares were fitted, and, voila! I had a FIA approval. A Sprite for both road and track were at hand, no less.
In 2013 and -14 the Sprite and I did Historic Racing in Norway and later in 2017, -19, -22 and -23 ditto in Sweden starting and finishing all races with no incidents nor damages.
Technical specifications:
Engine:
981 ccm w/ new bearings all over, JE lightweight flat top pistons, new piston rings 2022, 998 ccm balanced connecting rods, lightened flywheel w/ 9 springs clutch cover, all well balanced, modified cyl. head (10. 5:1 comp.), choice of 2A629 or 12G295 cyl. head, forged rocker assembly, Kent 530/ 649 (stardrive) camshaft, duplex vernier adjustable steel gear set, Aldon 100AR distributor, oil cooler, large dynamo pulley, electric cooling fan.
Cluch and gearbox:
9 springs clutch cover, modified smoothcase gearbox housing with ribcase straight cut and close ratio gear set, new bearings, front cover with oil seal.
Brakes:
Sebring pedal box (separate brake and clutch master cylinders) front: 8” disc brakes w/ ATE Calipers, rear: 8” Wolseley brake cyl. and drums.
4J13 wire wheels, Dunlop Racing 4. 50 L 13
Rear axle:
Diff. 4, 55:1 (4, 22:1 spare), Peter May driveshafts, panhard rod and spring wedge, Spridgetmania ¼ eliptic rear springs, 4 leaves. LSD not permitted (not homologated).
Fuel:
New original foam filled fuel tank, 2 x 1 ½” S. U. H4 carburetors, Healey inlet manifolds
2 x S. U. fuel pumps (working individually)
Miscellaneous:
2 x Sebring seats plus one alternative Kirkey aluminum racing seat.
Sparco 6-point safety harness (HANS) expiry 2028,
Sparco 2, 4 L fire extinguisher (foam).
Speedwell Weston electronic rev. counter.
Various engines, gearboxes and differentials available. (Prices to be negotiated).
