Austin Healey "Bugeye" Sprite

[cruz]

Thanks again guys and yes John, it is 1/24 scale.

[charlie8575]

Gorgeous little car. Probably one of the cutest things ever to go on four wheels.

Charlie Larkin

[Paul H]

Gorgeous little car. Probably one of the cutest things ever to go on four wheels.

And despite the low performance in standard form, one of the most fun to drive, as the controls. especially the steering, are so sharp. Really wish my '61 Mk2* was still on the road rather than sitting in a barn where it has been for the last 7 1/2 years.....

*Later outer panels, but same centre section & running gear, so still has the clip-on sidescreens & 1/4 elliptic rear suspension

[mr moto]

That's a great job! It has a very convincingly real appearance. The paint looks perfectly smooth and glossy but not overly shiny and show car looking. It looks a real Sprite that you might have seen on the street back in their day.

[Bernard Kron]

In 1961 Michael Costin and David Phipps published their superb book, Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design, a relatively short but exhaustive summary of the state of the art at the time, complete with exploded views, cutaways and schematics of chassis and suspension systems. Michael Costin (brother of famed aerodynamicist Frank Costin and designer of the slippery bodywork on, among others, the Vanwall, the Lotus Eleven and the Lister Jaguar) was Colin Chapman's main collaborator at Lotus. At the time Chapman and Costin were working furiously on the first all-monocoque Formula One car, the Lotus 25. They would gain infamy over the winter of '61-'62 when they sold their tube framed Lotus 24 to several privateer F1 teams while proceeding with their top-secret project, finally revealing the 25 in early '62 immediately prior to the start of the Grand Prix season. When writing their chapter on monocoque chassis design, Costin & Phipps couldn't discuss the upcoming Lotus 25. Taking Jaguar to task for producing a hybrid design in the form of the D-Type, with its unit body rear section and space frame forward of the firewall, they used the Mk. 1 (Bugeye) Sprite, a true monocoque, as their example, publishing an exploded view of the chassis structure. The monocoque structure is the secret to the Sprite's legendary quick handling, flat cornering and ultra-low weight, despite its humble Morris Minor (motor and suspension) roots.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Bernard Kron

[Paul H]

The monocoque structure is the secret to the Sprite's legendary quick handling, flat cornering and ultra-low weight, despite its humble Morris Minor (motor and suspension) roots.

That's actually a big Healey chassis & body substructure, which is extemely complex compared to the Sprite unit. Btw, the Frogeye's mechanicals were based mainly on the Austin A35 (only the steering came from the Morris Minor) but with a new rear suspension design supporting the A35 derived rear axle. Whilst the Minor also used the same basic engine as the A35 & early Sprites, it was an Austin designed unit.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Paul H

[Bernard Kron]

That's actually a big Healey chassis & body substructure, which is extemely complex compared to the Sprite unit. Btw, the Frogeye's mechanicals were based mainly on the Austin A35 (only the steering came from the Morris Minor) but with a new rear suspension design supporting the A35 derived rear axle. Whilst the Minor also used the same basic engine as the A35 & early Sprites, it was an Austin designed unit.

Yegads! Could I be more wrong!!!! It is, after all, an Austin Healey, not a Morris Healey. I tried to be lazy and cadge an image from the net. I should have noted the lack of foot boxes and the open rear deck rather than the integral piece on the Sprite. Both of these parts are critical elements of the Sprite structure. I've always noticed how near-monocoque the complex structure of the big Healeys can be, despite their separate chassis. Here's a scan from the book. I have also corrected the original post. The confusion regarding the Morris Minor is in part due to the Sprite's use of the Minor's rack and pinion steering, another element of the Sprite's sharp handling.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Bernard Kron

[meaneyme]

Terrific job as usual Cruz, the interior and outside color create a phenomenal contrast on this model. I am sure the guy will absolutely love it.

[cotto]

Dude, this is awesome, very tedious kit too.

[paulo valentini]

Cruz

Beautiful classic, their jobs are impeccable, congratulations.

Paulo Valentini

[Dominik]

Looks really good Marcos. The colors of the rim give it a little bit of a used touch - like it!

[crazyrichard]

whow thats soo clean and realistic

the green paint is spot on for that car / perioud

love it

[moparfarmer]

Marcos, saw it on my facebook model club but seeing it in larger pictures sure make it look, well, AWSOME...I like shiney too. Very nice...

[Luis Ayala]

Hi Marcos !!!

Beautiful build my friend, as always !!!

The paint looks miles deep and the details are amazing.

Thanks for sharing!!!

[Dr. Cranky]

You did a great job with it, the color and the details. I like it.