Austin-Healey Frogeye SuperSprite

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In 1958 BMC launched a new, small sportscar based on well-proven Austin A35 mechanical parts. Produced at the MG factory in Abingdon, the Austin-Healey Sprite introduced a whole new concept in sportscar ownership that would later be copied by Triumph and MG themselves.

Powered by a twin-carb 948cc A Series engine driving the rear wheels via a four-speed gearbox, it was capable of over 80mph. The body was a simple design with no external boot access and with minimal decoration. The one-piece bonnet was originally designed to include pop-up headlamps, however the mechanisms proved too complex so the lamps were mounted in a fixed pod. This unusual styling feature only added to the car’s cute appeal and it was quickly dubbed the ‘Frogeye’.

Its neat handling and pin-sharp steering meant that the car was more than capable of handling a lot more than the standard 42.5bhp. The Donald Healey Motor Company offered an aftermarket supercharger kit through the dealer network which boosted power to 68bhp, a whopping 62% uplift. Performance was transformed, top speed increasing to 96mph and the 0-60mph dash taking just 10.8 seconds – a whole 10 seconds faster than the standard offering.

The kit consisted of a Shorrock CB75 eccentric-rotor-type supercharger mounted on a replacement inlet manifold and breathing through a 1 ½" SU carburettor. The blower-drive was through twin V-belts driven from a replacement crankshaft pulley and maximum boost was set at 7psi. The supercharger could be supplied on its own, although the kits were usually sold along with a Girling front disc brake upgrade, wire wheels and an anti-roll bar. In this specification the cars were known as ‘SuperSprites’.

This example was first registered in October 1958 and has been with its current owner since 2011. A large number of bills on file show that the car was extensively restored in the early 1980s, the car coming with many correct 'Healey Works' parts including a Shorrock supercharger and carburettor, oil cooler, Girling front disc brakes, wire wheels and a ‘Supercharged’ bonnet badge. It appears that the supercharger has never been fitted to this car, the engine having been rebuilt in 1989 and then run only with a pair of SU carburettors and a sports exhaust manifold.

Post rebuild, the car covered fewer than 600 miles before the previous owner relocated to South Africa, the Sprite being put it into storage from 1992 until 2011. During its 2011 recommissioning, it was discovered that the engine had been badly set-up with the wrong carburettor jets and running very rich. As a consequence the engine now uses a fair amount of oil, despite its low miles, the vendor intending to sort this out at the same time as fitting the supercharger. Sadly the job has always migrated to the bottom of the work list so the car has been used as is.

Supplied with an original buff logbook, lubrication chart, a large file of invoices relating to its 1980s restoration, a handbook, parts book and workshop manual, the history file also includes Shorrock supercharger fitting instructions and a number of articles on the Donald Healey conversion. The vendor has also managed to acquire a rare Shorrock supercharger boost gauge and the car comes with a good hood and tonneau (with bag), sidescreens (with bag) and tool roll.

This appealing little Frogeye offers enormous potential as a fast road/race car and looks exceptional value when one considers that CB75 Shorrock supercharger kits are selling for more than £2,000 on their own.