Williams & Pritchard Coupés
A Brief History of John Sprinzel's Sebring Sprite with Williams & Pritchard aluminium Coupé bodywork
The Sprinzel Sebring Sprite Coupé first saw the light of day at the London Racing Car Show, held in the Royal Horticultural Society's halls in Chelsea, in January 1961. John Sprinzel had been associated with Sprites since they went into production in 1958, having raced and rallied Austin A35s during the 1957 season. He had been involved in the creation of another special bodied Sprite, the Speedwell GT, but after a difference of opinion with fellow directors as to that firm's future dire
ction, he sold his shares to Graham Hill, and departed. Healey Sprites had been successful in two of the long distance races at Sebring, in Florida, and in the pursuit of improved aero-dynamics the flowing body-shape and curved windscreen were crafted, at Sprinzel's instigation, by London coachbuilders, Williams & Pritchard. Being built for racing, the coupé top, rear shroud and wings on all the cars were of aluminium though only one had an alloy bonnet, all the others being in fibreglass. Some cars had doors with aluminium panelling and fibreglass inner frames.
It is thought that probably 6 cars were built to this specification, see below:
