The Sprite was designed by the Donald Healey Motor Company, with production undertaken at the MG factory at Abingdon. It was announced to the press in Monte Carlo on 20 May 1958, two days after that year’s Monaco Grand Prix, and first went on sale for £669. The car’s designers had intended the headlights could be retracted, but cost-cutting led to them being fixed in an upright position, giving the car its distinctive “frogeye” or “bugeye” appearance. The body was styled by Gerry Coker, with subsequent alterations by Les Ireland.
Barry Bilbie, Healey’s chassis designer, adapted an idea from the Jaguar D-type to resolve the problem of providing a rigid structure to an open-topped sports car, routing rear suspension forces through the bodyshell’s floor pan. The Sprite’s chassis was the first volume-production sports car to use unitary construction, where the sheet metal body panels took many of the structural stresses. The original metal gauge of the rear structure was reduced during prototype build, but reinstated after distortion and deformation occurred during testing at MIRA.
The original Sprite was powered by a 948 cc Austin A-Series engine, tuned with twin 11⁄8 inch SU carburettors, producing 43 bhp. It used rack and pinion steering derived from the Morris Minor 1000 and front suspension from the Austin A35. In 1958, The Motor magazine tested a Sprite and recorded a top speed of 82.9 mph and acceleration from 0–60 mph in 20.5 seconds, with fuel consumption of 43 miles per imperial gallon. The BMC Competitions Department entered Sprites in major international races and rallies, achieving their first major success when John Sprinzel and Willy Cave won their class on the 1958 Alpine Rally.
The Mark II Sprite, introduced in 1961, used the same 948 cc engine but with larger carburettors, increasing power to 46.5 bhp and featuring a close-ratio gearbox. The bodywork was completely revamped, with the headlights moving to a more conventional position in the wings. An MG version was also introduced in May 1961, reviving the Midget name. The Midget proved more popular with the public and eventually supplanted the Sprite within the BMC range. In October 1962, both Sprites and Midgets were given a 1098 cc engine, increasing power to 56 bhp, and front disc brakes were introduced.
The Sprite Mark III, announced in March 1964, featured a stronger engine block and increased crankshaft main bearings. It also had a new windscreen with hinged quarterlights and wind-up side windows, and exterior door handles were added for the first time. The rear suspension was modified to semi-elliptic leaf springs, providing a more comfortable ride. 59 bhp was produced by the engine.
The Mark IV Sprite, presented in October 1966, received a 1275 cc engine, although enthusiasts were disappointed by its lower state of tune. It also featured a permanently affixed, folding top of improved design, and separate brake and clutch master cylinders. From 1968, US market versions had smog pumps and other modifications to comply with federal emission control requirements. In 1970, a facelift updated the car’s appearance and minimised the difference between the Sprite and Midget versions to reduce production costs. The final 1,022 Sprites built were simply Austin Sprites, following a cost-cutting move by Donald Stokes to stop paying royalties to the Donald Healey Motor Company.
The Sprite (and its MG Midget sibling) were successful club level race cars, and continue to be raced today. Works cars achieved a 12th-place finish at Le Mans in 1965. Innocenti also produced their own version of the Sprite, with Italian styling by Tom Tjaarda, from 1961 to 1968. The Innocenti Spider and Coupé featured reworked floorpans and wind-up windows, and were competitively priced in the Italian market. The Lenham Motor Company also produced GT Coupé conversions based on the Sprite.