In 1958 Austin and Healey launched the entry-level sportscar, the Sprite which quickly became affectionally known as the Frogeye. Cute is what many would describe the Froggy, however it did celebrate racing success around the world in its categories proving it a dynamic car to drive.

Small is certainly what one thinks and that’s not a bad thing when it comes to drivability on an entry level classic. Equipped with a 948 cc A-Series I4, 32 kW at 5200 rpm and 71 Nm at 3300 rpm. To put down that “power” effectively in an open top car, the engineering experts had to come up with some clever ideas to increase the structural rigidity. The Sprite’s chassis design was the world’s first volume-production sports car to use unitary construction, where the sheet metal body panels (apart from the bonnet) take many of the structural stresses. Performance was not exactly blistering…. A car was tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958. It had a top speed of 82.9 mph (133.4 km/h) and could accelerate from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.5 seconds. This car however has had the popular disc brake upgrade, so the stopping power is more than adequate.

The car in question has been lying dormant in an indoor collection for a number of years, prior to that, coming out of a respectable dealer in Knysna where it underwent a full restoration. It’s a fantastic car throughout where only minor spend is needed to bring it up a condition for the enthusiasts’ who absolutely needs it to be perfect. We have given it a full mechanical run through so it’s ready for its next caretaker to embark on some happy smiling motoring miles straight from the get-go.

Come past and take a look.

Interesting trade-in’s will be considered.

Location – Cape Town

Jeremy : 083 459 9043
Antony : 074 456 4672
Landline : 021 200 5774