The Midget and Sprite Club will be displaying two historically interesting cars on their stand at the 2026 Practical Classics Restoration show.  We are pleased to have two original Sebring Sprites – which may or may not have competed against each other in period.

The Sebring Sprite is a modified version of the Austin Healey Mk I Sprite.  It was recognized by the FIA as a separate model, and homologated on 17^th September 1960, thanks to upgrades like Girling disc brakes and improvements to the engine and chassis.  Under FIA Rules, “special bodies” were permitted, so some sprites were fiteed with Aluminium or fibreglass coupe/fastback bodies, notably by John Sprinzel (via Williams and Pritchard).

The two Sebrings on our stand were each rallied extensively in the early sixties.  Whilst there is no hard evidence that they competed against each other in a specific event it would appear likely.

SRC 480 was bought new from Ray Gibbon Cars of Birmingham as a standard Frogeye by Mr. Brian Harper, who despatched it to London for a Sebring conversion by John Sprinzel. The new car was sprayed in Rootes Pippin Red and converted to wire wheels, with Mintex M20 brake pads and Nash Metropolitan half-shafts. The 948cc engine was bored out to 997cc and fully balanced, with lightweight racing pistons, twin 1½in SUs and a “wild cam,” so that it could reputedly rev to 6000rpm. As a “road class” car, it did not use alloy panels.  Brian Harper then rallied her extensively and successfully in 1961/62 attaining an outright win on the London Motor Club's National Rally in September 1962.  This car was bought as a restoration project in 2025 by Sven Eckhardt who is planning to restore it to original Rally Specs alongside Sebring Sprite 4444DA, which he also owns, that competed against SRC480 in period. 

2214UE is understood to be the first Sprite to be entered into an international event as a 'Sebring Sprite’. Driven by John Sprinzel and John Patten to a class win and third overall on the 1960 Liege-Rome-Liege Rally. John Sprinzel then came second in class with his sister navigating in the the 1960 Deutschland Rally. John Patten achieved a fourth in class in the 1960 RAC Rally of GB  

Rebodied by Peel Coachworks in late 1961 to full Aluminium 'Sprinzel Sebring Sprite Coupé’ configuration, it was displayed on the Sprinzel stand at The Racing Car Show 1962

The last outing for the car was the SUNBAC race meeting at Silverstone on 9th September 1978 when the car had an off exiting Maggots caused by a broken rear wheel hub.  The car was then dry stored and partly restored up until March 2025 and is now undergoing a full nut and bolt, body off restoration. It will be brought back to as close as possible to the 1962 Nurburgring specification while also being up to date with safety and performance standards of today.  Then once completed race at historic events including Silverstone and Castle Combe where it raced numerous times in period.