back to:                Standard-bodied Sebring Sprites

One of a number of Sprites modified to Sebring specification during 1960, by the Donald Healey Motor Company, WYT 381 was bought by Barry Shawzin, who later brought it to John Sprinzel for further development and rally preparation. Barry was a successful character actor who sadly died of throat cancer in 1968. Sprinzel tells me that he later suggested to Shawzin that he convert the car to a full coupe but that Barry preferred to have the option of an open car. He failed to finish in his first big rally with the car, the RAC in 1960, but went on to campaign it for a full season in 1961. Brian Culcheth navigated for him on the Lyons-Charbonnieres Rally in which they came 5th in class, the car by this time with a Pride & Clarke hardtop and Sebring style fibreglass bonnet. It was initially a light colour, perhaps white, but was later re-sprayed in metallic blue. With John Makin, who has recently produced an article for the RAC magazine "the motoring enthusiast", Barry and WYT came 4th in class in the Tulip Rally, but, more significantly, they were 2nd in class in the Mille Miglia, by now run as a rally rather than a road-race. John describes the car as a delightfully elegant small GT car.  (Copies of John Makin's article can be supplied-  email me ). They were 33rd overall and completed the special stage from Dimoro to Carlo Magno (16 kms) in 12m 27.8secs, a speed of 77.03 m.p.h. They were the only British car and crew in the rally. Barry continued to rally the car in 1962 after which it disappeared from the scene until Neville Jones rescued it from a breakers yard in the 70's, paying just £100 for it. He is still hoping to restore it to its original condition.