Austin Healey Sprite

The Austin Healey Sprite Mark III AN8 started rolling off the production line in March of 1964 and continued until October of 1966. This is the version of the most loved Austin Healey that saw the greatest number of changes to enhance the driver's experience.

From the stand point of authenticity, the chassis numbers that were produced during the production of the Mark III were from 38829 to 64734. Mazda Releases Upgraded Bongo Series . This is one of the great things about the Austin Healey line of cars, not only were the engines stamped but also the chassis'.

The improvements that a driver would immediately notice would be the curved front windshield, along with the new roll up windows. The windows in the doors now made it a requirement to have exterior door handles on the car. This has led us to the first version of the sprite that now can be locked up when left unattended.

Another creature comfort of this year was new hinged side vents for better airflow in the floor area of the car. The dashboard was also redesigned for improved visual access and the fold away convertible top was now easier to use than ever. The new and improved rear suspension helped the car handle better and gave for a smoother side. This was due to the fact that new elliptical rear leaf springs were added to the car.

As for performance, the engine was improved over previous versions and over what was available to the MG line of cars. The crankshaft had larger main bearing in the Austin Healey. These were a full 2 inches while the MG brand only had 1.87 inch bearings. This, along with a better cam shaft, brought the horse power up to 59 bhp. The car could now attain a top speed of 91.8 mph.

The color options for the 1965 model had some new choices. There was Dove Gray, Healey Blue, Colorado Red, Florida Green, Tartan Red, Fiesta Yellow, Old English White and Riviera Blue.

The price was on the increase and the years rolled by. The Sprite in 1964 sold for $1,875 while the 1965 version was at $1,925.

Like with all cars, there were accessories that could be purchased for the Austin Healey Mark III Sprite from the factory. These included a winged rear view mirror, a luggage grid, rubber mats, a badge bar for the front grill, a switch panel for the dash, a driving lamp, fog lamps, locking petrol cap, wheel discs and even a fire extinguisher.

There is so little difference in appearance from the Austin Healey Mark III Sprite and the MG Midget Mark II that it would take to really know the cars to spot the different models. The easiest way of telling is that the wire wheels were standard on the MG while it was just an option on the Austin Healey.

Even with all the changes, this Austin Healey Sprite was able to maintain one feature throughout its production run. fire starter kit. This was the 80" wheel base that never grew in length.