Most of the exterior brightwork is chromium plated , but thenew Weathershie/ds sidescreens have a polished metal frame

W IT H its enviable position as the cheapes t Britishproduction sports two-seater, the Austin-HealeySprite would not have to be part icular ly outstanding

to enjoy a keen following. Very good it is, though-and itoffer s so many attr active features in its design, constructionand beha viour on the road, that it is easy to understand howit ha s become so popular in the short time since its intro­duc tion in June last year. Now, useful imp rovements havebeen made for the comfort of its occupants and for the car'sutility as an all-weat her vehicle in winter and summ er . Thus,it is available in detachable hardtop form, and the flimsysides creens are replaced (on th e hardtop ver sion ) by a nimproved de sign . Our Road Test of th e earlier Spriteappeared in The Autocar of 20 June 1958.

Cons tructed of resin-bonded glass fibre, with a largewrap-round rear window of Perspex, the hardtop is notheavy, and it was found possible to fit or remove it singl e­handed. Its fitt ings are ingenious, and even with out pr e­vious experience it was a simple matter, taking only twominutes, to remove it. At the fro nt it is secured to thewindscreen top rail by two "crocodile " clip s, released byraising their chrome handles, which lie flush wit h the hard­top in grooves. The back is secured by two bolts and wingnu ts, locating in slots beside th e seats. It was onl y for re­placement of the hardtop that assistance was appreciated,to ensure that th e rear secur ing bolts did not scra tch th epaintwork, or the shiny metal rail which surrounds thedriv ing com partment to the rear of the fac ia.

The hardtop may be added retrospectively to existingSprites without an y modifications to th e car, since its secur­ing bolts fit into the normal hood-stay slots. In this case thehardtop-as supplied by th e Donald Healey Motor Com­pany-costs £46 10s including slidin g sidescreens of slightlydifferent construction. This price shows a reduction incomparison with the listed price of £49 lIs 8d when thehardtop is ordered with the new car. The explanation givenby B.M.C. for this discrepancy is that full purchase tax isnot charged on an access ory ordered after delivery; sobuyers will benefit if they purchase the hardtop as an af ter­thought.

A first-clas s fit results with the hardtop in position, anddraughts are elimina ted almost completel y. There is noleakage in heavy ra in, but a considerable noise increase isnoticed at speed, in comparison with the open or the hood­up condition s. Exhaust boom and wind roar combine tomake the car decidedly noisy at more than 60 m.p.h. which,although forgivable on a sports car, will perhaps be un­welcome to the class of motorist who will specify the ha rd­top for protection against the elements.

Engine noise contributes to this above about 65 m.p.h.,but at lower speeds it is unobtrusive. The engine is ex­ceptionally willing to rev.; the driver wishing to obtain thebest from the car takes advantage of this, and finds that on a

fast run the rev . counter spends much of the tim e above 'the 4,000 r.p.rn. mark. Throughout the range, and parti­cularly at low speeds, it is noticeably smooth. However,it lacks torque until it is re vving fairly freely. Starting isimmediate, the choke being necessary only for a cold startand for the firs t minute or two of running to prevent hesita­tion and misfirin g. The warm-up is slow.

The overall consumption of just over 40 m.p.g. is ex­tr emely creditable, including, as it does, considerable use inLondon tr affic and cons istent hard driving. It is onl y inth e most unf avourab le conditions th at th e worst figure of 36m.p.g. is ach ieved ; most owners will rea dily obtain up to45 m.p.g.

Well-placed with in natural reach of the driver 's left hand ,the gear lever is rem arkably light and pr ecise to operate.

'T he synchromesh is no t easily beaten even in the fas testmovements of the lever . In these re spe cts th e gear boxearns praise, but th e choice of ratios is less satisfac tory.Second gear in particul ar is too low, and the maximumspeed difference between bottom and second gears is onl y12 m.p.h. Third gear could also be higher-for a car of thischa racter a re adily usa ble maximum of at least 60 m.p.h.should be available in this ratio.

In relation to the Sprite tested last year, the accelera­tion is compara ble, and shows a slight gain at the higher

Removal of the hardtop or the hood to the fully open condition takesonly two minutes . The hood and its supports stow neatl y out of sight

----' -·--~-=<~~7, ~ --~---~~~~~~-:----~-~

l~ . : "i "

656 THE AUTOCAR, 20 NOVEMBI!R 1959

With the hood up, the flexiblewrap-round rear windq.w allowsan unobstructed view when thecar is being manoeuvred. ThesideScreens have been removed

for this view

Austin-Healey

Sprite Hardtop .. ~

speeds. This suggests that the hardtop shape offers lesswind resistance than the hood-borne out by an increase of5 rn.p.h . in the best top gear maximum speed. If theSprite is considered more as an open two-seater than as anout-and-out sports car-which is perhaps a more pertinentdescription of it-the acceleration may be considered quiteadequate.

Clutch operation .is smooth, and the pedal pressure islight. Although there is little pedal travel, the take-up is notabrupt, and there is no clutch spin even under full-throttlestanding starts.

'O n first acquaintance with the Sprite the remarkably posi­tive .rack-and-pinion .steering comes 'almost as a surprise,particularly to anyone accustomed to the more "woolly"steering layouts which are fitted to many cars of less sport­ing character. If the driver clings too rigidly ' to the wheelhis own involuntary movement caused by the motion of thecar is sufficient to affect the directional stability. A sensi­tive and gentle hold on the wheel gives the best control,and the complete lack of free play is appreciated, As thecar is driven the steering is appreciated more and more; it

Quite an effort is required to raise the bonnet ant! front-wings "mit,but when it is up, self-locking stays hold it securely and accessibilityof all components is unusually good. It is only when working on theengine for some time that a higher locking position' for the bonnet,

or forward hingeing, would be appreciated

remains light and quite fr ee from road shocks even whenrough surfaces are taken fast . It is relatively high-geared,and on the open road almost imperceptible movements ofthe wheel are adequate to hold the car straight. Perhapsbecause of this precise steering, the slight tail wander ·which results from the quarter-elliptic rear ' springs isnoticed more ' than it would be otherwise. The slightchanges of direction which occur are easily corrected, how­ever, and the car is little affected by cross-winds: At lowspeeds the steering remains light, and the car's good lockmakes manoeuvring easy.

Average British road surfaces do not show up weaknessesin the suspension, but when the Sprite is driven at all faston' rough or unmade roads there is a great Y deal of firm,almost violent, vertical movement. It seems that the wheeltravel permitted by the suspension is too restricted for bad'surfaces, and the rear suspension in particular bottoms un­duly readily. A shortcoming ofthis kind is not a serious faulton such a car, however, and for normal road work a com­mendably level and well-damped ride is provided.

Among the best features of the Sprite is its extremely highstandard of cornering. In hard cornering on an unevensurface there is a -tendency for the back of the car to "hopout," giving a momentary oversteer situation. When thisoccurs the car 's movement as a whole is so small, and itsrecovery so quick, that the driver has no need to compen­sate with the steering. The balance of the Sprite on corner­ing is near perfect, and this is the sort of car on which thedrivermay easily get out of trouble after he has grossly mis­judged the speed at which a given corner may be taken. Inthese extremes the very slight tendency 10 oversteer helpsthe driver, and is in no way vicious or progressive. Thus,on dry roads the limit of adhesion leaves a considerablemargin of safety' at the highest speeds at which the car islikely to be driven, and in the wet one may still make violentmanoeuvres .without too much apprehension about surfaceconditions. Heavy application of the brakes on wet roadswill lock the wheels, and it is also possible in these condi­tions to provoke wheelspin in the lower gears, but libertiesmay still be taken with the Sprite without any feeling oflack of control.

Dependable br akes add to the overall safety factor, andthe hand brake, with readily access ible lever to the left ofthe transmission tunnel, will hold the car firmly on a 1 in 3gradient. Reference to the data panel shows that the maxi­mum deceleration figures are not as high as one mightexpect; they are influenced by the need to avoid wheel lock,which occurs fairly readily during hea vy brake applications,even on dry roads. In normal use, however, the brakes are ·well up to the job of stopping the car from its around 70m.p.h, cruising speeds, and prolonged spells of hard drivingdo not cause fade. .

Good all-round visibility, little reduced by the hardtop,is a feature of the Sprite. The windscreen wipers are self­'parking, and they clean a large area of the screen. Althoughthe driver feels-and is-very low on the road, so that the

•

T HE AUTOCAR, 20 NOVEMBER 1959 657

wheels of a bus or lorry tower above him, his view is un­obstructed. To the front, a little of the bonnet, and the topsof the head lamp bodies , are visible from the driving seat.Rearward visibility also is good, but the interior mirror ismounted so' near to facia level as to be of little use. Itscarcely satisfies the demands of the Construction and Useregulations, and during the later stages of the Road Test Ithad to be replaced by a suction-mounted mirror attachedto the windscreen.

For tall drivers some modification to the seat mountingwould probably be helpful, to lower their eye-level andprevent the car from seeming rather beetle-brewed. Thefore-and-aft seat adjustment is adequate for the longest legs,and there is space for the driver's left foot off the clutch,resting lightly on the dip-switch. There is also sufficientspace to the right of the driving seat for the driver to sitcomfort ably without finding that his elbow is nudgingagainst the door. _

An accessory fitted to the test car was-the fresh-air heater,which-has a powerful delivery and warms the car quicklyafter a night in the open. A facia control is pressedto admit air to the heating element. Distribution is con­trolled by hinged flaps on each side of the heater unit. Todemist the wind screen only, both flaps are closed. At .lowpeeds, when there is little ram effect, a fan may be brought

into action by turning the facia knob to the right; the fanmay be switched on only when the air control is pressedfully home. In warm weather the delivery of hot water tothe element can be switched off by a tap under the bonnet,o th at the heater may be used to admit unheated fresh air

when required.Reference was made earlier to the ingenious design of the

new hardtop, but the folding hood of the Sprite also hasbeen improved; cons iderable thought has gone into the newdesign, and this is one of the easiest sports car hoods tomanipulate. The hood detaches altogether from its stays,the main supports of which fit into slots at each side of theeats. The rear hood rail engages with two shaped chrome

hooks, and there are Lift-the-dot fastenings around thequarter s. At the windscreen the hood clips over the toprail, and is secured by two press-stud fasteners.

Hood tightness is ensured by spring loading in the verticalsupports of the framework, and to simplify the business oferectin g the hood the springs can be compressed and locked,and ' then released after .t has been secured. Little morethan a minute is needed to fit or remove the hood; and whenit is removed-its stays ford behind the seats, and the materialstOWS away in a wailet provided with toolkit,

Further improvement on the new Sprite is offered by theWeathe rshields sidescreens which, unfortunately, are stan­dard only with the hard top . On non -hardtop models thereis an extra charge of £3 15s plus £1 lIs 3d tax, and th e costi ~ higher still if they are not specified at delivery-someallowance being included in the pr ice for the saving on thestandard screens.

T hey have a rigid, bright metal frame which is surroundedby rubber strips to ensure a reasonable seal when the hard­top or the hood is in position. The windows are of Perspex,and the rear section is arranged 1:0 slide forw ard ; that onthe tes t car was extremely stiff on the passenger side. Thesidescrecns fasten to the door by two large screws which canbe "undone readily, using a coin as a screwdriver. Access tothe car from outside is gained by sliding forward one of thewindows and reaching in to the small handle protrudingforw ard from the latch. There is, of cour se, no way oflocking the Sp rite , and as there is no lockable boot or faciacompartmen t, the owner mu st take a chance with any pos­sessions left in the car.

Interior comfort owes mu ch to the well-designed seats,which provide good suppor t in the rigbt places and extendfair ly well under the thighs. In cornering, the dri ver andpassenger are firmly located laterall y. A touch of aus-terityis given by the simple inte rior fitting s and furnishings. Theuncluttered facia layout is s-omewhat plain. F loor mats areof moulded, ribbed rubber. The interior of the hardtop isnot covered, and has the appearance of unfinis-hedglass fibre.Full width, open door pockets are provided on each side, andgenerous accommodation for luggage is available to the rearof the seats. Stowage is difficult, however, and if small odd-

The interior layout and finish is plain but neat . The steering wheel tssmall enough not to obstruct forward visibili ty , and all controls come

conveniently to hand. Provision is made for addition of a radio

ments find their way to the back of the luggage space theowner must crawl in to locate them. The mo st worth-whileimprovement which could now be made to the Sprite wouldbe the provision of a separate luggage compartment withexterior lockable lid. A small grab handle is provided onthe left of the facia for the passeng er .

Steady readings are given by th e speedometer and theoptional extra rev counter-s-a unit which one might expectto be standard on such a car. There is .a thermometer andoil-pressure gauge, but no arnmeter-a reasonable omission.The gauge for the -six-gallon fuel tank is fairl y accurate.For a. small .car, th~ toolk.ir of the Sprite is unusually gener­ous-i-including a-Simple Jack, wheel -nut spanner, and a fewhand tools, The jack lifts either side of the car and itengages with an unobtrusive slot in the door sill ~hich isvert ically below the windscreen, and covered b": a rubberplug when not in use. There is no provision for a startin ghandle; there are no ashtrays on the car, and no reversinglamp is fitted. Such economies are re asonable with theS~rite, and ~orm part of , t.he general policy of keeping th epnce to a highly compeuuve munmurn. In view of this itwas a mild surpr ise to find under the bonnet an extra stay

The hardtop seats on .'ubb.er and fits snugly , leaving little space fordraOghts to enter the interior. The amber Winking indicator lamps at

the rear are protected only by the standard equipment overriders

near the radiator-in addition to the double rear self-lock­ing stays-for holding the bonnet in the open position. Thisdoe s riot provide any extra lift to th e open bonnet, and th ereis little use for it . Prospective buyers are reminded th at thefront bumper and over rider s are also listed as op tionalextra equipment. Without them, the side lamps in particularwould be very vulnerable.

658

Austin-Healey S,prite Hardtop . . .THE A UTOCAR, 20 NOVEMBER 1959

In its new improved form the Austin-Healey Sprite iseven better value than before, and continued popularity maybe expected for it. T he combination of first -class roadhold ­ing and steering, and good brakes, in a car of not startlingall-out performance, makes the Sprite potentially extremelysafe. Although more adequa te protection against theelements is now available on the stan dard car, the option ofthe hardtop will no dou bt appeal to many-in particular tothose who must park their car in the open through thewinter months.

A USTI N.HEALEY S P R I T E HARDTOP ------DATA-~----

£1 13 4£4 0 0

R adio .,H eaterHardtopR ev. counter ..Tonneau coverFront bumperan d overrider s

PRICE (basic), with hood, sidescreens,rear overriders, spare wheel and tyre, £445.

British purchase tax, £186 105 lOd.Total (in Great Bri tain), £631 105 10d.Extras: Basic U.K. Tax

£sd '.£sd£ 18 0 0 £ 7 10 0£13 176 £5 15 8£35 0 0 £14 11 8

£ 3 0 0 £ 1 5 0£ 4 0 0 £1 13 4

ENGINE: Capacity, 948 c.c, (57.82 cu in).Number of cylinders, 4.Bore and stroke, 62.9 x 76.2mm (2.478 x 3.0in).Valve gear, o.h.v., pushrods.Compression ra tio, 8.3 to 1.Rh.p . (net) 42.5 at 5,500 r. p .m. (B.h.p . per

ton laden 52.1 ).T orque, 52lbft ·a t 3,200 r.p .m,M.p.h. per 1.,000 r .p.m. in top gear , 15.4. .

WEIGHT: (with 5 gals fuel ), 13.31ewt(l,491lb).Weight di strib ution (p er cen t): F, 54; R, 46.L aden as tested, 16.31 cwt (1,8271b) .Lb per c.c. (laden) , 1.92.

BRAKES: T ype, Lockh eed, two -leading shoe(front), leading and trailing (rear) .

Method of op eration, hydraulic. .Drum dimensions: F, 7in diameter; 11in wide.

R , 7in diameter; 11in wide.Lining- area: F,' 30.61 sq in; R, 30 .6 sq in

(75.2 sq in pe r ton laden ).

TYRES: 5.2(}-13in D unlop four-ply tubeless .Pressures (lb s4Wn): F, 18; R, 20 (normal).

TM"'K CAPACITY: 6 Imp. gallons .Oil su mp, 6 pints.Cooling sys tem, 10 pints.

DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase, 6ft 8in.Track: F, 3ft 9.75in; R, 3ft 8.75in.Length (overa ll), 11ft 5.25in.Width, 4ft 5in.H eight , 4ft 1.75in.G round cleara nce, 5in.Frontal area, 13.3 sq ft (approxim ately).

ELECTRICAL SYST E M : 12-volt; 3 8ampere-hour battery.

H ead lamps, double dip; 42-36 watt bulbs.

SUSPENSION: F ront, inde penden t, coil. sp rings and wishbones. Rear, quarter

elliptic leaf sp rings 'Il';th radi us arms.

7067

6057

5048

4038

STEERING: T uruing circle:Between ker bs, L, 31ft 0.5in; R, 30ft Ii n .

Between walls, L , 32ft 4.0in; R, 31ft 4.5in · ~~~~~tjf~i~~BT urns of steering wheel from lock to lock,2.3 .

TEST CONDITIONS: Weather: Dry, sti ll.~~!rF~~~=~=~=~=¥==*-!!:.====i~~Air temp erature, 53 deg . F.Model described in Th e A UlOcar of

1958.

FUEL CONSUMPTION (at stead y speeds):

D irect top30 m.p.h. 58.8 rn.p .g .

40 " 55.9 "50 " 51.3 "60 44.9

70 " 38.4 "Ov erall fuel consumpti on for 1,452 mil es,

40.3 m.p .g, (7.02 litres per 100 km .).

Approximate normal ran ge 38-46 m .p. g. r--;;==,-----------;:==~---t' l(7.4- 6.1 lit res per 100 krn .).

Fuel: Premium grade.

Tapley meter):Equivalent

gradient1 in 9.91 in 7.01 in 4.5

6.0 sec.10.2 "14.9 "23.7 "33.4 "

S cale till EO Ift , Driv ing seat i.. central position, Cushions uncompressed.

EFFORT (byPull

(lb per to n)225315490

11.811.915.119.2

SPEEDOMETER CORRECTION: M .P.H.

Car spe edometer 10 20 30T rue speed 10 19 28

TRACTIVE

TopThirdSecond . .

MAXIMUM SPE EDS ON GEARS:Ge ar M .p.h. K.p.h.Top . . (m ea n) 84.1 135.2

(best) 86.0 138.458.0 93.335.0 56.323.0 37.0

F rom rest throu gh gear s t o:30 m .p.h, , .4(l "so "60 "70 "

Standing quarter mile 22.3 sec.

ACCELERATION TIMES (mean) :Speed range , G ear Ratios and T ime in Sec.M.p.h. 4.22 5.96 10.02 15.31

to 1 to 1 to 1 to 18.7 5.18.38.7

10-3020-4030-5040-6050-70

----------'---PERFORt;1ANc;::E----------­

BRAKES (at 30 m .p .h, in neutral):Pedal load R etardation Equi v, stop ping

in lb . di stance in ft .25 0.21g 14450 0.37g 8275 O.77g 39

3rd2nd

. Ts t