Today, we’re moving from the bottom of the 1975 Leyland 18-22 series line-up, as represented by yesterday’s base model Morris 1800, to the very top, with the sumptuously-equipped Wolseley version, which also had a larger 2.2-litre in-line six. But it didn’t last long. After six months, Leyland’s return to badge engineering was reversed and the Wolseley marque was phased out. This car in the British Motor Museum is actually the last Wolseley ever made.
Welcome to a new chapter in the Morris Minor story. This is the Riley One Point Five, seen at a meet-up of the Cambs. & District Classic Car Club in 2024. Under the skin, the Riley was basically a Minor. The story has it that this car was originally intended to be a Minor replacement but in 1957, BMC decided to keep the still strong-selling Minor going and then launched the newer design with the posher Riley and Wolseley badges instead.
The young lad (David Borst-Smith, his dad EC Borst-Smith worked for #BMC / #Rover as a publicity manager and wrote many books about cars and trucks for Ladybird as a side hustle) from the "this engine is woke" meme (originally from a Ladybird children's book of the 1960s) is still alive, and now lives in USA!
The car is a #Wolseley 15/60 and the "woke" engine is a BMC (British Leyland) B-series from the days when #Britain still had a #car industry *and* strong trade unions, so perhaps the meme is true 😁
Today, from 1975, the last ever Wolseley, seen here at the British Motor Museum a couple of weeks ago. For a few months, the car that later became the Leyland Princess, was sold in separate Austin and Morris versions, with the top models being Wolseleys. Among the refinements were Hydragas suspension, a vinyl roof and a very smooth, although not especially quick, transversely mounted 2.2-litre straight six engine. (1/2)
Thomas Vogt
Miniphernalia.co.uk 🏳️🌈🇺🇦
CBC Manitoba
David Wilkins
David Grayless
Alex@rtnVFRmedia Suffolk UK