The
Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite Link To Pebble Beach Sports Car Club
Bugeye Video Down The Pacific Coast
Highway
Bugeye Video Over The Coastal Range to the Pacific Coast Highway
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The
Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite
In 1956, Leonard Lord of
British Motor Corporation mentioned to Donald Healey that there was a need for a small,
low-cost sports car to fill the gap left by the disappearance of the pre-war Austin Seven
Nippy and Ulster models. DMH set about designing a prototype which was to become the
famous "Bugeye Sprite".
This picture is a photograph of a copy of the original scale drawing of
the Bugeye Sprite done by Gerry Coker in 1956. The original was reduced to 11 x 17 and the
body hand colored by Mr. Coker. The selected color was Ferrari Red. The reason Ferrari Red
was chosen was that DMH and Mr. Coker used to joke about the Sprite being the "Poor
Man's Ferrari" and according to Mr. Coker, the first Sprite prototype was painted
Ferrari Red. Mr. Coker donated this work to the Austin Healey club to be sold at auction
at the Lake Tahoe International Austin Healey gathering in June of 2002. I was lucky
enough to have purchased it at that time. The Sprite went into production in early 1958
under the Austin-Healey badge as Austin Drawing Office
Project Number 13 (hence the site name ADO13) and was an
instant success.
In the original Gerry
Coker design (see above drawing and photo below), the Sprite was to have pop-up headlamps
that lay flat when closed as later seen on the Porsche 928. They were deleted due to cost
and complexity and the headlamps were mounted on the bonnet giving the car a Frog like
appearance. The Sprite was immediately dubbed the "Frogeye" which was translated
into "Bugeye" on this side of the pond.
The "Bugeye" was built from 1958 through 1960 at which time it was replaced by
the MkII Sprite and the MkI Midget. All told, almost 50,000 Bugeye's, including those
assembled from CKD kits were built. The Italian Sprites were also built on the Bugeye
chassis but with a different body. In addition to the 50,000 or so Bugeyes about 75,000
square body Sprites and 225,000 MG Midgets were produced between 1958 and 1979. With about
350,00 cars produced you can understand why most parts are available for these cars, both
new and used. Under the skin all Sprites are basically the same and most parts are
interchangeable. This also applies to the MG Midget through 1974. In 1975 the Midget
switched to the Triumph 1500 engine and transmission but other than that they are still
the same basic car.
More information on these cars can be found in this list of publications. These publications are listed in no particular order of importance. Most of the book titles were provided by Frank Clarici of the Spridget list. I think Frank actually owns all of the books listed.
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Bugeye Sprite Prototype
Photo and Information Provided by Jonathan Whitehouse-Bird Via Mike Maclean.
Note: 1) Sill Line and External
Door and Bonnet Hinges
2) Popup Headlamps (in the up position),
3) Badge on the Grill Top
4) Bonnet Badge
5) Unusual Side Screens
6) High Side Screen Hardtop
7) and Short Windscreen Pillars.
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Bugiii's Spec's
1959 Austin Healey Sprite.
1275 cc "A" Series Engine Bored 40 Over.
Hepolite Flat Top Pistons.
Aluminum Head & Roller Rockers From Pierce Manifolds.
Mild Road Cam.
Weber 40 DCOE Sidedraft With Canon Manifold.
Aldon Centrifugal Advance Distributor.
MSD-6AL Ignition Triggered By Pertronix Ignitor.
MSD-8680 Cockpit Timing Control (15 Degrees).
3.9-1 Differential.
Datsun 210 5-Speed Using Rivergate Bell Housing Adapter
Plate And Modified 1275 Flywheel, 210 Clutch
Plate, 210 Pressure Plate, And 210 Release bearing.
Frontline Front Tube Shock & Upper "A" Arm Conversion.
Mazda Pickup Alternator Conversion.
Programmable VDO Electronic Speedometer
VDO Tachometer.
13 x 5" Minitor Mag Wheels.
175 x 60 x 13 Falken Tires.
Fiberglass Bonnet With Forward Tilt Hinge.
RCI Low Back Fiberglass Seats.
Seat Covers By: Andy And Me, Seaside CA.
Paint By: Mike At Pestana’s, Seaside CA.
Carpets By: Rick’s Auto Upholstery, Sand City CA.
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Poster from BusterCluster 2006
To order your
own copy in poster format, click on the following link
http://www.zazzle.com/pd/find/pt-228
Then search on "BusterCluster 2006"
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List Of Great And Some Not So Great Car Movies
Internet Spridget List Information
And List of Options
Internet Spridget List Member Information
And List of cars
Pictures And a History of The Bugeye
That I've Owned Since 1966.
Pictures And a Tale of Building a Bugeye
Using a Tub And Some Parts Catalogs.
Worlds Fastest Bugeye
Pebble Beach Sports Car
Club
Future Bugeye Owner
Bugeye Dreams - A little Bugeye
humor
Love At First Site - Story And Pictures
About My First Bugeye And The Original Bugiii's
Project Bugeye - The Trials And
Tribulations of
Building a Bugeye From Scratch.
BUGIIIS Tech Pages
Spridget Wing Window's For Sale
Glen Byrns Turbo Bugeye
Sandi's Porsche Page
Suzuki Swift 1.3 DOHC
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The Spridget Web Ring
