Austin Healey Sprinzel Sebring Sprite (ex BMC works rally car), registration number WJB 707 Historical background to the Austin Healey Sebring Sprite: The Austin Healey Sprite was launched in 1958. For marketing reasons, it was decided shortly after the presentation of the new vehicle that a team of Austin Healey Sprites should take part in the prestigious "Sebring 12h" endurance race. Austin Healey wanted to raise awareness of the brand in the USA and at the same time promote the Austin Healey Sprite. At the beginning of 1959, Austin Healey prepared three cars and a replacement vehicle for participation in the Sebring 12h. The race preparation did not take place at the normal production plant in Abingdon, but at the Donald Healey Motor Co, Cape Works, Warwick. Geoff Healey (Donald Healey's son) was in charge of the project. The Sprites had the standard sheet steel bodywork, but were more powerful and fitted with a newly developed disc brake, wire wheels and hardtop. The race went perfectly for Austin Healey. The three Sprites finished first, second and third in their class. This success gave rise to the name "Austin Healey Sebring Sprite". Between 1959 and 1964, Donald Healey Motor Co, Cape Works, Warwick, built a few additional factory prototypes and racing cars. In addition, customer vehicles were converted to "Sebring Sprite specification". There was not enough space at Cape Works. So in 1959 Healey also founded the Healey Speed Equipment Division in Grosvenor Street, London. Donald Healey was able to recruit none other than John Sprinzel as managing director. John Sprinzel was the founder and co-owner of the successful company Speedwell Performance Conversions Ltd. Speedwell produced tuning and racing parts for the Mini and for the Austin Healey Sprite. Speedwell also built a few, but very successful vehicles, the Speedwell GT. We also have one of the extremely rare, original Speedwell GTs on offer. Donald Healey succeeded in luring John Sprinzel from Speedwell to Austin Healey by making him an offer to set up the Healey Speed Equipment Division and also promising him racing commitments as an Austin Healey works driver at Sebring and Le Mans. Sprinzel left Speedwell and sold his shares to the future Formula 1 world champion Graham Hill. WJB 707 was built in 1960 by the BMC Competitions Department as an Austin Healey works rally car and was used for the first time in the Corsica Rally. The works Austin Healey with starting number 95 was driven by Pat Moss (sister of Stirling Moss) and Ann Wisdom. Unfortunately, Moss / Wisdom retired prematurely due to a gearbox failure and the establishment of the new Healey Speed Equipment Division was very costly. The new division did not contribute to the company's success. Without further ado, Donald Healey sold the Healey Speed Equipment Division in Grosvenor Street, London, to John Sprinzel in December 1960. The Healey Speed Equipment Division thus became John Sprinzel Ltd. John Sprinzel presented the Austin Healey Sprinzel Sebring Sprite at the London Racing Car Show in January 1961. The Sprinzel Sebring Sprite was technically largely based on the Austin Healey Sebring Sprite, but had an extremely light and aerodynamically optimised Williams & Pritchard aluminium body. A total of six Austin Healey Sprinzel Sebring Sprites were built by Williams & Pritchard.

The six Austin Healey Sprinzel Sebring Sprites built were for Ian Walker (WJB 707), Cyril Simson (S 221), Andrew Hedges (410 EAO), John Sprinzel (PMO 200) and for the BMC works driver David Seigle-Morris (D 20). The first owner of 5 WW is not known. The Sprinzel Sebring Sprites were used worldwide and in almost all top-class racing events and were driven by racing legends such as Stirling Moss. Four of the six Austin Healey Sprinzel Sebring Sprites built still exist. The whereabouts of D 20 and 5 WW are not known. Ian Walker used WJB 707 very successfully in the 1961 season. racing history WJB 707: Nov 1960 Tour de Corse: Moss / Wisdom, dnf (gearbox) 25. 03. 1961 Snetterton Int. Lombank Trophy: Ian Walker, 2nd in class 03. 04. 1961 Goodwood Easter Meeting; Fordwater Trophy: Ian Walker, dnf 15. 04. 1961 Oulton Park International: Ian Walker, 1st in class and lap record 22. 05. 1961 Crystal Palace Whit Monday: Ian Walker, 1st in class and lap record 03. 06. 1961 BRSCC Brands Hatch Int ernational: Ian Walker, 1st in class, 6th overall, and lap record 08. 07. 1961 Silverstone BRDC British Empire Trophy: Ian Walker, 1st in class and class lap record 15. 07. 1961 Aintree RAC Int. British GP meeting: Vic Preston, 2nd in class 07. 08. 1961 Brands Hatch BRSCC Int. Bank Holiday Meeting: Ian Walker, 2nd in class 12. 08. 1961 Silverstone 750MC 6 hr Relay Race: Ian Walker, Team Sebring win 31. 08. 1961 Brands Hatch BRSCC Bank Holiday Guards Meeting: Ian Walker, 1st in class 02. 07.. 1966 Goodwood 71st Members Meeting: A R Hurrell, A K McHardy, 16th In 1962, Ian Walker sold his Austin Healey Sprinzel Sebring Sprite back to John Sprinzel and from then on exclusively took care of his well-known Lotus racing team Ian Walker Racing. WJB 707 then had three more owners. The last owner bought WJB 707 in 1966, 54 years ago! WJB 707 was completely / professionally restored almost 10 years ago. The aim of the restoration was to bring the vehicle back to the condition of the successful 1961 season as accurately as possible and to retain as much of the original substance as possible (WJB 707 is the only one of the four vehicles still in existence to have the original aluminium bodywork from 1961). The vehicle was therefore deliberately not modified for modern racing (no roll cage, etc.). There is an extensive history file on the vehicle. WJB 707 is described in numerous Austin Healey books.
The original log book (old vehicle registration document) from the 1960s is available. A Heritage Certificate is also available. Due to its rarity and historical value, WJB 707 is particularly suitable for participation in the absolute top events such as the Goodwood Revival, Goodwood Members Meeting and Le Mans Classic. The Austin Healey Sprinzel Sebring Sprite currently has English vehicle documents. On request, we will be happy to hand over the vehicle with German vehicle documents / H registration plates. A unique opportunity!