Oxford Diecast 76AHF001

Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite Cherry Red

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation

Manufacturer description

The 1:76 scale Austin-Healey Frogeye Sprite is a great addition to Oxford’s nostalgic series of ‘50s and ‘60s iconic British sports cars.  Aptly named due to its fixed upward looking headlights, the Frogeye Sprite was introduced in May 1958, just two days after the Monte Carlo Grand Prix.  Designed by Donald Healey as a low-cost compact sports car and classed as a 2-door roadster, production took place in the Abingdon MG factory.

Our Oxford model is based on the Mark I version of the Sprite, which sported a 43 bhp, 948cc OHV (overhead valve) engine, in turn featuring elements of the BMC family’s Austin A35 and Morris 1000 models. The rack and pinion steering was also copied from the Morris 1000 and the front suspension came from the A35.  The front suspension was a coil spring and wishbone configuration with the arm of the Armstrong lever shock absorber serving as the top suspension link. The rear axle was located and sprung by quarter-elliptic leaf springs with the same lever-arm shock absorbers and top links. Performance-wise, the Frogeye Sprite had a top speed of just over 82 mph with fuel consumption around 43 mpg.

Externally, there were no door handles. There was no boot lid either, with the boot space and spare wheel accessed by tipping the interior seats forward. The wheels were only 13” and in tune with the day, the car was fitted with Dunlop tyres.  You could buy a Frogeye Sprite for £669 and just under 49,000 of the Mk I were manufactured before the Mark II emerged in 1961. The sports car was a popular entrant – and winner – on the race track too. It seems even today, Frogeye Sprite owners take to the track with their much-loved vehicle.

In a rich cherry red with white roof and black chassis, the bumpers, wheels and other external trim features are finished in silver while the distinctive radiator grille is silver wiped with black. The interior is red, echoing the body colour and our model is registered 525 LDH. A final flourish sees the Sprite ‘signature’ across the boot and the Austin Healey Sprite badge in the centre of the bonnet. 

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Austin‑Healey Frogeye Sprite Cherry Red, 1:76 scale, part number 76AHF001. The model represents the British Railways Late Crest period.

The die‑cast vehicle reproduces the Mark I Frogeye Sprite in a vivid cherry red finish with a white roof, black chassis and silver‑coloured bumpers, wheels and external trim. The radiator grille is silver wiped with black and the interior is red, matching the body colour. It carries the registration “525 LDH” and features the Austin‑Healey Sprite badge on the bonnet and the “Sprite” signature on the boot.

The real car was launched on 5 May 1958, two days after the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, as a low‑cost, two‑door roadster designed by Donald Healey and built at the Abingdon MG factory. It was fitted with a 948 cc OHV engine delivering 43 bhp, a rack‑and‑pinion steering system from the Morris 1000 and front suspension from the Austin A35. Top speed was just over 82 mph and fuel consumption about 43 mpg. Approximately 49 000 Mk I cars were produced before the Mark II appeared in 1961.