There are several different styles of fibreglass front which have been made over the years, which are frequently confused with the W&P Sebring GT front. This is a short photographic reference guide. |
Williams & Pritchard:
Sebring (Mk I)
as used on the original Sprinzel Sebring Sprites, it was "designed and developed with the co-operation of John Sprinzel" and launched at the 1961 Racing Car Show on both Sprinzel and W&P stands. Aluminium and GRP fronts manufactured by Williams & Pritchard into the early 70s, replicas now made by Archer's Garage from new moulds |
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Sebring GT
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The front which inspired this website, of W&P's own design, the Sebring GT front made from 1967 to 1973 by W&P with body coloured fibreglass, and from 1973 to the mid 80s by Fibresports in uncoloured form, all from the same moulds. |
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Speedwell Monza:
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Speedwell's Monza bonnet, designed by Frank Costin. Aluminium and fibreglass versions were manufactured by both Classic Motor Crafts and Williams & Pritchard for Speedwell, then subsequently in the late 60s by W&P in their own name. Fibreglass replicas now made by Archer's Garage from new moulds.
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Ashley:
Ashley Mk I
| distinguishable from the W&P Sebring GT by its large oval air intake, central bonnet spine, lack of central power bulge, and indicator plinths |
Ashley Mk II
seen here without grill on a Frogeye based Lenham Coupe at Goodwood 2008
image courtesy of Jørgen Lind © 2008 all rights reserved
Ashley GT
period picture of Ray English's car in full Ashley GT guise - wide gawping air intake, low raised vent across bonnet
advert courtesy of Gary Lazarus
the Lenham Superfast:
distinguishable by its "smiley" air intake, small offset power bulge, and brake vents
Peasmarsh:
an exceptionally rare front designed for the Mk I Sprite, however one recently came to light in June 2008
Alexander:
photo courtesy of Paul Brown / Gary Lazarus
Alexander Conversions were a hugely successful tuning company in the 1960's, focusing on A series engined cars and Minis in particular. They produced a limited quantity of these streamlined fibreglass fronts, and this is Wing Commander Mackenzie's racing Sprite, sister car to the famous RAM 35, when in the ownership of Paul Brown. Below are pictures of the Alexander works racing Sprite demonstrator which initially sported a steel bonnet with one "frogeye" welded up and the other removed but venting to the radiator. Note the lower image has the inbuilt lights in the wings. |
images courtesy of Russell Filby of the Turner Register, supplied with clearances
StarSprite:
 
images © 1961 George Atkinson all rights reserved, supplied with clearances by Gary Lazarus of MASC
The StarSprite bonnet was made by GA Glassfibrications Ltd and Dyna Plastics in Leeds in the early 60's, with its pretty curves, wide air intake and squared carb duct. Look out for a detailed article by Gary Lazarus of the Midget and Sprite Club in its MASCOT Magazine in 2009. |
A G Thorpe:
advert from CCC magazine, early 70's - images of his A G Thorpe front courtesy of Carl Bintcliffe
A quite shallow front designed in the seventies which rather curiously features an optional (and slightly ugly) inbuilt bull bar - on surviving examples this has frquently been removed. Note the standard power bulge to accommodate the carbs and indicator positioning left to the owners discretion. |
Kellison:
image from Lake of the Ozarks 2008 courtesy of Gryf Ketcherside - © 2008 all rights reserved
This was a replacement Sprite front manufactured by Kellison kit cars in Florida between 1959 and 1969. Their early J-1 model kit car was also available to drop onto a Sprite chassis. Jim Kellison's very exotic GRP bodywork has a cult following in the US and these Sprite fronts are just being put back into production from the original moulds. We hope to have more information soon. |
Unusual Non-Coupe Spridget Hardtops
W&P Sebring frogeye hardtop
images © 1963 Graham Pritchard - all rights reserved - not to be reproduced without express permission
Donald Healey "Warwick" hardtop
Dave Wigley's Mk II Sprite with Warwick hardtop - image © 2008 Tim Saunders - all rights reserved
The very rare Healey "Warwick" hardtop for the Mk II Sprite with sidescreens, with its distinctive rear quarterlights and arched rear window. Note the Donald Healey Motor Company, Warwick badge beneath the rear window. Designed by Les Ireland and produced in 1962, the four alloy works mk 2 Sprites raced at Sebring in 1962 (including by Stirling Moss and Steve McQueen) were equipped with alloy versions of this hardtop. |
Pride and Clark "Dan Dare" hardtop
Arthur Jessop's frogeye with "Dan Dare" hardtop - image © 2008 Tim Saunders - all rights reserved
Pride and Clark were a major London retailer of performance car parts in the sixties, and produced their own design of hardtop for the frogeye. Nick-named the "Dan Dare" because of its similarity to the helmet of the popular sixties sci-fi cartoon / graphic novel character, with a ridge that runs the full length of the roof and a chunky flare above the rear window. As it has a lip that fits under the windscreen, unlike the works hardtop, it requires no external front clips. New replicas are available from the Frogeye Spares Company in Droitwich, UK. |
Speedwell
from early 60's Speedwell sprite tuning brochure.
What does a Speedwell sprite hardtop actually look like? Send us a picture if you know for sure ...
Lenham hardtops
advert courtesy of Gary Lazarus
Peasmarsh
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the very rare Peasmarsh hardtop for the Mk I Sprite - one sold on uk ebay in summer 2008 |
image courtesy of Gary Lazarus
GAN1 Works Midget Mk I / Sprite Mk 2 hardtop
Shown here on Mark Boldry's pre-production Mk I Midget - note the special slanted sidescreens. Although an official BMC Works hardtop, because it is so rare it worth showing on this page. |
Classic Car Crafts - the Bermuda
the Bermuda hardtop is easily identifiable by its very curvaceous nature, rear butress pillars and curved roof panel windows
images courtesy of Dave O'Neill and Tom Coulthard
manufactured for CMC by W&P
see the Speedwell Streamliner page
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the Finlay Panaroma
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another little known spridget hardtop from the late sixties / early seventies, sold by Twyford Auto Conversions who were also Lenham and W&P main agents
images courtesy of Rob McGeown
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the Omnibob
with stylish wrap around rear window and tinted one piece moonroof - very seventies ...
advert from Car & Car Conversions magazine Jan 1973, many thanks to John Shepherdson
AMCO sidescreen hardtop
from the popular US accessories manufacturer AMCO - note the stylised speed ridge
image courtesy of Rick Bastedo
Coupe / Fastback Spridget Hardtops
W&P Sebring GT Hardtop
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The full length hardtop which inspired this website made by W&P from 1967 to 1973 with body coloured fibreglass, and from 1973 to the mid 80s by Fibresports in uncoloured form, all from the same moulds. |
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Ashley and Lenham also produced coupe bodywork for the spridget.
Ashley - Mk I Sprite Hardtops
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Ashley made three styles of coupe hardtop for side-screen cars: the original bulbous version with curved rear window for the Mk I Sprite; the leaner Mk II hardtop with opening rear windows for the Mk I Sprite (note cut-away for fuel filler), and the Mk III hardtop with opening rear windows and boot panel for the Mk II Sprite onwards (below fitted as one-off bespoke job by Ashley Laminates at their works to a Frogeye, to the Italian owner's order circa 1962 - the boot lid lifts to reveal the fuel filler cap). |
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Ashley - Mk II Sprite onwards
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Patrick Espinosa's and Laurent Derancourt's Ashley hardtops - the wind-up window version, and the side screen version
The Sebring GT hardtop is most confused with the Mk III "booted" Ashley hardtop. This is because they are the two types of removable coupe hardtop with boot lids that were available for spridgets. Ashley hardtops have all glass windows, including side opening windows and a large rear screen (which is not the inverted rear window from a Jaguar E-Type Coupe as popularly believed, the glass sizes being different). The rear window extends some distance over the car boot panel opening, and it only has a small "flap" of an opening boot panel. There was a separate rear parcel shelf which could be added and screwed onto the bodywork, but generally these have been lost. The rear is smooth and steamlined with no kamm. In the event that you see an Ashley with a kamm, it will have been modified and is not to original spec. There were two versions: for the sidescreen Mk II Sprite / Mk I Midget, and for the later wind-up window spridgets. The side windows in the hardtop for side-screen cars are shallower than in the version for wind-up windows, despite their initial appearance of being identical. The Sebring GT hardtop differs in that it has perspex windows which are fixed; the kamm boot lid which is substantially larger; a built in parcel shelf; and a slightly lower roof profile that along with the kamm improves rather than detracts from handling at speed.
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Lenham
Lenham did two styles of fixed coupe bodywork - the Fastback (without rear windows), and the Le Mans (with rear windows). They also made the GTO spider rear - note in the ad above that Twyford (Lenham exclusive agents in 1970) were also W&P distributors. |
Other Special Bodied Midgets and Sprites
These are outside of the scope of this website, but include WSM, Peel Coachworks, Jacobs Midgets and other special bodies. A substantial guide is available on Martin Ingall's excellent website at www.sebringsprite.com |
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