The Austin Healey Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company as an entry level sports car to suppliment the Austin Healey 100 series that Austin was already producing. The design of the Sprite, aside from the complete bonnet with its attached front wings, was a unitary bodied design, where the body was comprised of sheet metal and the stresses of the suspension and drivetrain were distributed through the body’s structure rather than relying on an underlying or integrated frame, like the larger Healey 100s. As the bonnet and front wings were separate it isn’t a true monocoque design. When originally designed, the Sprite was intended to have headlamps that hinged down flat into the bonnet when not in use, but to reduce costs they ended up fixed, giving it the characteristic appearance which disappeared on the succeeding generations of Sprites. In order to keep production costs down and minimize the expense of the new model, the car was designed to borrow heavily from other Austin products, primarily the Austin A35, which lent its front suspension, and most of the drivetrain to the Sprite. The steering, however, utilized the steering rack from a Morris Minor, giving the car precise, excellent steering. The rear axle, though the same as that on the Morris Minor and very similar to that on the A35, but utilizing different brakes, is located on quarter-eliptical springs, which provide springing but, along with a trailing arm, locate the axle under the car. Following the Mark 1 models, subsequent sprites were also badge engineered and sold as MG Midgets, but the MG Midget name was never applied to the first series. Unlike many of the Mk1 Sprites still on the road, this car is almost completely stock in is configuration. With multiple upgrades to the Sprite drivetrain in the succeeding series of cars, it is incredibly easy to swap the later engines, gearboxes, and brakes into the early cars, so few remain as they were originally designed. This example, aside from some details, is essentially a stock car. Originally painted in Leaf Green, which is a much paler shade, and fitted with a green interior, this car has been repainted in British Racing Green and the interior changed to black. Although purchased locally, this car spent almost all of its life in Arizona as was a very clean, original, rust free and accident free car. The original “smooth case” gear box had been freshly rebuilt and though the engine was tired, with a rattly timing chain and leaked oil, it started and ran fairly well. After I purchased it, I completely rebuilt the brakes, reupholstered the interior and after the thermostat stuck closed and it overheated, we finally completely rebuilt the engine, repainting the engine bay to match as well as detailing it to bring the underhood appearance in line with the rest of the car. Even with that, mechanically, the only change from stock is a slight upgrade to slightly larger HS2 carburettors, as fitted to the later 948cc engines, which also reduced the risk of fuel leaks which the original H1 carburettors were prone to suffering from.