1959 Austin-Healey Sebring Sprite
In 1958,the United States launched its first successful satellite, Explorer 1, into orbit; the F-104 Starfighter set a new in-flight speed world record at Mach 1.4; and England's Austin-Healey sports car company launched its tiny Bugeye Sprite. While the last may not seem a monumental achievement, for the sports car world, it certainly was. Austin-Healey was then known for its larger, high-powered sports cars, the "Big Healeys," as they'd be referred to in relation to the little Sprite. The automaker was founded six years earlier as a joint venture between the British Motor Company (BMC) and the Donald Healey Motor Company. Healey was an enterprising Brit who had done a bit of racing himself, and went on to produce boutique sports cars in limited volumes. By the time Austin-Healey was formed, his cars had achieved numerous racing successes, including a class win at the 1949 Mille Miglia with the 2.4-liter Healey Silverstone sedan, and he'd even collaborated with American automaker Nash on the Pininfarina-bodied Nash-Healey sports car.Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/12q3_1959_austin_healey_sebring_sprite/viewall.html#ixzz2QTYSImmn
