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Wolseley Motors

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Wolseley Motors Limited
Company typePrivate (after 1927)
IndustryAutomotive
FoundedMarch 1901; 125 years ago (1901-03)
FounderVickers Sons and Maxim, Herbert Austin
Defunct1975 (1975)
FateBrand discontinued
SuccessorMorris Motors (after 1927)
Headquarters
Birmingham
,
United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom, Italy (under license)
Key people
Herbert Austin, John Siddeley, Lionel de Rothschild, Ernest Hopwood
ProductsAutomobiles, machine tools, marine engines, aero engines, buses, specialized vehicles
OwnerVickers Limited (until 1927), William Morris (from 1927), later BMC, BMH, British Leyland
ParentVickers Limited (until 1927), Morris Motors group (after receivership)

Wolseley Motors Limited was a UK-based automobile manufacturer established in early 1901 by Vickers Armaments in collaboration with Herbert Austin. The company produced a comprehensive lineup of vehicles, including upscale luxury automobiles, and held a dominant position in the market throughout the Edwardian era. Following the deaths of the Vickers brothers in 1914 and 1919, Wolseley experienced rapid growth after World War I, reaching production of 12,000 cars by 1921 and maintaining its status as Britain's largest car manufacturer.

In 1927, William Morris purchased Wolseley from Vickers Limited as a private investment. However, excessive expansion resulted in receivership, after which Morris incorporated Wolseley into his Morris Motors group before the outbreak of World War II. From then on, Wolseley models were predominantly Morris vehicles with different badges. The brand subsequently became part of BMC, BMH, and British Leyland before being discontinued in 1975.

The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company Limited

Hiram Maxim, known for inventing the machine gun and affiliated with Vickers Sons & Maxim, consulted Herbert Austin at The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company Limited during the late 1890s regarding early flying machine concepts. When the sheep shearing firm decided against entering the automobile industry, Vickers and Maxim acquired Austin’s automotive project.[1]

In March 1901, The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company of Adderley Park Birmingham was formed with £40,000 capital by Vickers, Sons and Maxim to produce motor vehicles and machine tools. Herbert Austin was appointed managing director. The Wolseley brand and cars originated from Austin’s experimental work at the sheep shearing company. After completing his five-year contract, Austin went on to establish The Austin Motor Company Limited.

Austin's Wolseley cars

In an effort to diversify beyond the seasonal demand for sheep-shearing machinery, Austin developed an automobile inspired by a Léon Bollée design around 1895–96. His 1896 tricycle incorporated a two-cylinder engine mounted on an aluminum frame powering a single rear wheel.[2] After another British entity secured rights to Bollée’s design, Austin created his own version and obtained investment from WSSMC.

In 1897, Austin introduced the Wolseley Autocar No. 1, a three-wheeled vehicle featuring independent rear suspension and a mid-engine configuration; however, it failed commercially. Later models included the four-wheeled Wolseley "Voiturette" in 1899 and a 1901 version equipped with a steering wheel instead of a tiller.[3] Production commenced in 1901 after WSSMC’s board lost enthusiasm for the project.

Directors Thomas and Albert Vickers recognized potential in Austin's designs and took control of the business. By the conclusion of Austin’s contract in 1906, more than 1,500 vehicles had been produced, positioning Wolseley as Britain’s leading motor manufacturer and cementing Austin’s reputation.

By May 1901, two variants were available: a 5 hp and a 10 hp model, offered with either Tonneau or Phaeton bodies and fitted with pneumatic or solid tyres. The 10 hp variant could be equipped with a sprag device to prevent rollback. Austin highlighted that his horizontal engines provided better lubrication and operated at lower speeds compared to rival designs.[1]

Vickers’ involvement enabled enhancements in design quality, accelerated manufacturing processes, and use of specialized steels.

The Wolseley lineup from 1901 through 1905.

The engines were flat horizontal types with individually cast cylinders arranged singly or paired. The crankshaft was positioned transversely across the vehicle to facilitate straightforward belt or chain drive to the rear axle:

  • 5 hp (rated at 6 hp RAC tax from 1904)
  • 7½ hp (8 hp from 1904)
  • 10 hp (12 hp from 1904)
  • Introduced in 1904: 16 hp
  • Introduced in 1904: 20 hp (24 hp)[4]

In 1904, Queen Alexandra acquired a 5.2-litre 24 hp landaulette equipped with coil ignition, a four-speed transmission, and chain drive.[5]

John Siddeley

John Siddeley (1st Baron Kenilworth) established the Siddeley Autocar Company in 1902, focusing on manufacturing automobiles modeled on Peugeot designs. By 1905, the firm offered around twelve different models, some of which were produced at Vickers' factory in Crayford.

In the same year, Wolseley—then the leading automaker in the UK—acquired the goodwill and patents from Siddeley's enterprise and appointed him as London sales manager for Herbert Austin's The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company Limited, which was owned by Vickers, Sons and Maxim. After Austin resigned due to conflicts over engine design approaches, Siddeley took over management and controversially added his own name to the Wolseley badge without official approval.

Siddeley replaced Austin’s horizontal engine designs with traditional vertical engines and brought Lionel de Rothschild onto the company board. This strategic change rejuvenated Wolseley's lineup, which was unveiled at the November 1905 Olympia Motor Show featuring new 15, 18, and 32 horsepower vertical-engine models, enhancing the brand’s contemporary appeal.

Although sales remained robust under Siddeley’s direction, financial difficulties persisted due to scattered operations. To reduce expenses, the board decided to shut down the Crayford facility—thereby ending commercial vehicle and taxi production—and centralized activities back in Birmingham. The London headquarters was also closed. Following internal disagreements, Siddeley resigned in early 1909, with Rothschild leaving shortly afterwards.

Subsequently, Siddeley joined forces with H P P Deasy to manage the Deasy Motor Company based in Coventry. Ernest Hopwood was appointed as Wolseley's managing director in August 1909.

Wolseley Italy or Wolsit

Wolsit Officine Legnanesi Automobili was founded in 1907 by the Macchi Brothers together with the Bank of Legnano to produce Wolseley automobiles under license at Legnano near Milan. A comparable venture named Fial had failed in 1908. Wolsit halted car manufacturing by 1909 but continued producing luxury bicycles, including the Ciclomotore Wolsit designed by Emilio Bozzi, from 1910 until 1914. Wolsit vehicles also participated in motor competitions during 1907.

The Wolseley lineup for 1909 consisted of:

  • 12/16 hp
  • 16/20 hp
  • 20/24 hp
  • 24/30 hp
  • 30/34 hp
  • 40 hp
  • 40/50 hp
  • 60 hp

From 1911 onwards, cars were branded solely as Wolseley.

Under Chetwynd's guidance, profitability improved and Wolseley's manufacturing facilities expanded considerably. The Adderley Park plant underwent major enlargement in 1912 with further extensions completed by 1914. However, due to limited space at Adderley Park, production and marketing of the new Stellite model were handled by another Vickers subsidiary, Electric and Ordnance Accessories Company Limited.

Machine tools, buses, rail engines etc

Wolseley's activities were broad-ranging within the Vickers group as general engineers. They manufactured double-decker buses for Birmingham Corporation alongside specialized equipment such as electric lighting units and motorboat engines rated between 12 and 250 horsepower featuring up to twelve cylinders and built-in gearboxes. The company also produced fire engines and specialized vehicles designated for War Office use.

Reflecting its engineering heritage, Wolseley constructed machine tools including turret lathes and horizontal borers primarily intended for internal requirements or other Vickers subsidiaries. They supplied large petrol engines for petrol-electric railcars deployed by the North-Eastern Railway Company in 1904 and even larger units for the Delaware and Hudson railroad. In 1905, they offered petrol-powered narrow-gauge railway locomotives.

A notable innovation was the Brennan mono-rail truck demonstrated at the Japan–British Exhibition in 1910. This vehicle utilized a 20 hp Wolseley engine to maintain gyroscopic balance and an 80 hp Wolseley engine to provide petrol-electric propulsion for the heavy 22-ton truck.

Marine and Aero Engines

Wolseley's initial engine supply focused on launches produced by Teddington Launch Works, later extending to smaller river vessels and light coastal boats. The demand soon increased for engines suitable for larger craft, such as yachts, racing launches, and ferry boats capable of carrying fifty or more passengers, manufactured by S E Saunders Limited on the Isle of Wight at Cowes. Specialized engines were also crafted for lifeboats. In 1906, Wolseley developed sixteen-cylinder horizontal engines tailored for British submarines, emphasizing low-speed performance. Advanced, lightweight V8 engines with high efficiency were created for hydroplanes, alongside straight-eight configurations powered by petrol or paraffin. The airship Mayfly was among the craft fitted with Wolseley powerplants.

In 1909, Belgian aviator Ferdinand de Baeder (1865–1944) secured several aviation awards flying a Wolseley-powered Voisin biplane. By 1910, Wolseley’s aero-engine range included water-cooled models such as:

  • A 30 hp four-cylinder engine with a bore and stroke of 3¾ x 5½ inches, displacing 5.85 litres
  • A 60 hp V8-cylinder engine sharing the same bore and stroke dimensions, with an 11.7-litre displacement
  • Subsequently followed by a 120 hp variant

Wolseley also designed and supplied tracked Caterpillar tractors that supported Robert Falcon Scott's second expedition to Antarctica, as well as the Deutsche Antarktische Expedition.

In 1914, Russian inventor Count Pyotr Shilovsky commissioned Wolseley to manufacture a two-wheeled vehicle stabilized gyroscopically. This innovative machine combined elements of motorcycles and cars and could maintain balance even when stationary through gyroscopic means. Although demonstration runs took place, the outbreak of World War I halted further development. Rediscovered in 1938 at Wolseley’s Ward End plant, this unique vehicle was preserved in the Wolseley Museum collection.

Commercial Vehicles

Starting in 1912, Wolseley expanded into the commercial vehicle sector by supplying lorries and trucks. By 1914, their portfolio comprised six different models ranging from 12 cwt delivery vans to five-ton lorries powered by 40 hp engines.

Wolseley Motors Limited 1914

By 1913, Wolseley had become the largest car manufacturer in Britain, producing around 3,000 vehicles annually. The company was officially renamed Wolseley Motors Limited in 1914 and broadened its manufacturing footprint to include facilities in Montreal and Toronto. After World War I, this expansion evolved into British and American Motors. At the start of 1914, chairman Sir Vincent Caillard emphasized that the firm's factory space exceeded seventeen acres.

First World War

At the onset of World War I, Wolseley stood as Britain’s leading car producer. Initially focused on manufacturing staff cars and ambulances, the company soon transitioned to producing vital wartime materials. Reports from Sir Vincent Caillard after the war highlighted outputs including approximately:

  • 3,600 motorcars and lorries plus spare parts
  • 4,900 aero engines along with spares
  • 760 aircraft accompanied by 600 sets of spare wings and tail assemblies
  • 6,000 airscrews
  • Director firing gear installed on numerous Royal Navy ships
  • 1,200 naval gun mountings and optical sights
  • Transmission components for rigid airships
  • Over 2.6 million shells for 18-pounder artillery
  • Around 300,000 Stokes mortar bombs

The aero engines produced featured Renault V8 and V12 units; Maybach six-cylinder water-cooled designs adapted from Zeppelin technology; the nine-cylinder Dragonfly radial; the fourteen-cylinder Boucier radial; and the Hispano-designed V8 "Viper." By 1918, weekly production rates reached sixty units. Additionally, Wolseley supplied engines for British Admiralty airships.

The Scottish Horse Mounted Brigade developed a Wolseley-based mobile operating car equipped for frontline surgical procedures during campaigns such as Gallipoli and the Southern Palestine Offensive.

In 1918, Wolseley entered a joint venture with Ishikawajima Ship Building in Tokyo. The first Japanese-built Wolseley automobile was completed in 1922. This collaboration later evolved into Isuzu Motor Company in 1949 following World War II.

Postwar growth and decline

Thomas Vickers passed away in 1915, followed by Albert Vickers in 1919. Throughout World War I, Wolseley significantly increased its production capabilities. After the war, the Vickers board aimed to manufacture automobiles on a large scale with affordable pricing to meet strong market demand. To support this goal, they secured loans, acquired full ownership of the Ward End facility, and expanded Wolseley's manufacturing operations. Additionally, Vickers streamlined its automotive businesses by transferring the Electric and Ordnance Accessories Company Limited, the Motor-Car (Stellite Car) Ordnance Department, and the Timken Bearing Department under Wolseley's control. The planned vehicle lineup included:

1. A 10 hp four-cylinder two/three-seater touring car derived from the Stellite design
2. A 15 hp four-cylinder four-seater touring vehicle
3. A 20 hp six-cylinder chassis intended for various coachbuilders

These models were unveiled at the Olympia Motor Show in November 1919.

The 10 hp and 15 hp engines incorporated overhead camshafts inspired by the wartime Hispano aero engine design. However, the market found the 15 hp model too advanced, leading to a rapid development of a "14 hp" variant using the same power unit.

In 1919, Wolseley acquired the Ward End munitions factory and invested over £250,000 in Wolseley House—a new showroom and office space near Piccadilly in London, close to the Ritz Hotel—an amount exceeding twice their government contract profits for that year. After government contracts concluded and a special tax on "excess wartime profits" was introduced, production was further hampered by a moulders' strike lasting from December 1919 to April 1920. The trade downturn peaked in July 1920, resulting in numerous order cancellations. Wolseley reported a loss of £83,000 in 1920, with financial deficits worsening over subsequent years. In October 1922, competitor W R Morris sharply reduced car prices, intensifying competition. By 1924, annual losses had escalated to £364,000.

Ernest Hopwood, who had been Managing Director since August 1909 following Siddeley's exit, resigned due to health issues late in 1919. His co-Managing Director A J McCormack stepped down in November 1923 and was succeeded by a management committee. By October 1926, Wolseley declared insolvency with debts approaching £2 million; Sir Gilbert Garnsey and T W Horton were appointed joint receivers and managers. This collapse was regarded as one of the most dramatic failures in early automotive industry history.

W R Morris

When Wolseley went up for auction in February 1927, William Morris—later known as Viscount Nuffield—acquired it for £730,000 from his personal funds. This acquisition likely prevented General Motors from taking control of the company. Other contenders included General Motors itself and Austin Motor Company; Herbert Austin, Wolseley's founder, reportedly lamented not purchasing it. Morris had prior connections with Wolseley through owning an early taxicab model and having his Morris Garages act as official Wolseley dealers in Oxford.

Morris had ambitions to build a six-cylinder vehicle and admired Wolseley's 2-litre six-cylinder 16–45 model. He established Wolseley Motors (1927) Limited—later dropping the year from its name—and centralized manufacturing at the expansive Ward End Works in Birmingham. Unneeded sections of the Adderley Park plant were sold off while Morris Commercial Cars relocated there from Soho.

Under Vickers' ownership in 1919, Wolseley had pursued mass production of lower-priced cars—a direction Morris reversed to maintain its prestige status. He retained the six-cylinder 16–45 Silent Six model and introduced a four-cylinder 12–32 alongside an eight-cylinder 21–60 variant. In September 1928, a six-cylinder version of the 21–60 was launched for export as the Wolseley Messenger; production continued until 1935. The Messenger was notable for its sturdy construction featuring a deep-section chassis spanning across the body width and an all-steel body—the first British prototype with an entire side panel pressed as one piece.

Postwar Wolseley engines used single overhead camshafts driven by vertical shafts connected to the crankshaft. The eight-cylinder 21–60 positioned this shaft centrally with both crankshaft and camshaft split at their midpoints. The smallest engine—a compact 847cc unit designed for Morris's Minor at Ward End—utilized the camshaft drive shaft as a dynamo spindle but proved expensive and prone to oil leakage; it was redesigned into a conventional side-valve engine by Morris Engines in 1932 exclusively for Morris vehicles. Meanwhile, Wolseley expanded its original four-cylinder SOHC design into six cylinders; this six-cylinder overhead camshaft engine debuted in September 1930 powering the Wolseley Hornet and several MG models. This compact SOHC six-cylinder engine evolved into three displacements with camshaft drives transitioning from dynamo spindles to an automatically tensioned single roller chain.

Morris Motors Limited

On 1 July 1935, Morris transferred ownership of Wolseley to Morris Motors Limited. Subsequently, all Wolseley vehicles were essentially Morris models with different badges. Wolseley became part of the Morris Organisation alongside Morris and MG, and later Riley/Autovia, an entity that was eventually known as the Nuffield Organization.

Postwar

Following the end of World War II, Wolseley production shifted from Adderley Park to Cowley in Oxford, consolidating operations with Morris. The initial postwar Wolseley models—the 4/50 and 6/80—were equipped with overhead camshaft Wolseley engines but were based on the Morris Oxford MO and Morris Six MS platforms, distinguished by the characteristic Wolseley grille. The top-tier 6/80 model offered enhanced engine performance and styling, producing more horsepower than its Morris equivalent. It earned a reputation for excellent balance and handling, leading British police forces to use it as squad cars well into the late 1960s.

BMC

After Austin and Morris merged to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC), Wolseley vehicles began sharing chassis and bodywork with MG and Riley models. Examples include the Wolseley 4/44 (later renamed 15/50) and 6/90, which were closely related to the MG Magnette ZA/ZB and Riley Pathfinder/Two-point-Six respectively.

The Wolseley 1500 was introduced in 1957, derived from the planned successor to the Morris Minor and sharing its body with the Riley One-Point-Five. The following year saw the arrival of the Wolseley 15/60, featuring BMC's new mid-sized saloon design by Pinin Farina—a style soon adopted by five different marques.

Produced between 1961 and 1969, the Wolseley Hornet was a booted version of the Austin/Morris Mini, sharing its design with the Riley Elf. The Wolseley 1500 was succeeded by the Wolseley 1100 (BMC ADO16) in 1965, followed by the introduction of the Wolseley 1300 in 1967. That same year also marked the debut of the Wolseley 18/85, a variant of the Austin 1800.

British Leyland

With the formation of British Leyland in 1969 through the merger of BMC and Leyland Motors, the Riley brand was discontinued. Wolseley persisted in a diminished capacity with models like the Wolseley Six (1972), a six-cylinder version of the Austin 2200. Production ceased three years later when a wedge-shaped saloon bearing only the "Wolseley" badge was briefly marketed before being renamed as the Leyland Princess. This transition marked the conclusion of the Wolseley brand after a history spanning 74 years.

By 2012, ownership of the Wolseley name had passed to SAIC Motor via its subsidiary Nanjing Automobile following the dissolution of MG Rover Group.

1920s and 1930s Wolseley models

  • Four-cylinder engines
    • 1919–1923 Wolseley Seven
    • 1919–1924 Wolseley Ten
    • 1919–1924 Wolseley Fifteen
    • 1922–1924 Wolseley Fourteen
    • 1924–1928 Wolseley 11/22
    • 1924–1927 Wolseley 16/35
    • 1929–1930 Wolseley 12/32
    • 1934–1935 Wolseley Nine
    • 1935–1936 Wolseley Wasp
    • 1936–1937 Wolseley 10/40
    • 1936–1939 Wolseley 12/48
    • 1939-1939 Wolseley Ten
  • Six-cylinder engines
    • 1919–1924 Wolseley Twenty
    • 1922–1924 Wolseley 24/30
    • 1924–1927 Wolseley 24/55
    • 1930–1936 Wolseley Hornet six OHC
    • 1927–1931 Wolseley 16/45
    • 1927–1935 Wolseley 21/60 Six
    • 1931–1932 Wolseley Viper (car)
    • 1928–1930 Wolseley 12/32
    • 1933–1935 Wolseley County
    • 1933–1935 Wolseley Sixteen
    • 1935–1936 Wolseley Fourteen
    • 1935-1935 Wolseley Eighteen
    • 1936–1938 Wolseley 14/56
    • 1937–1938 Wolseley 18/80
    • 1935–1937 Wolseley Super Six (16HP, 21HP, 25HP)
    • 1938–1941 Wolseley 14/60
    • 1938–1941 Wolseley 16/65
    • 1938–1941 Wolseley 18/85 (including military production in 1944)
    • 1937–1940 Wolseley (16HP, 21HP, 25HP)
  • Eight-cylinder engines
    • 1928–1931 Wolseley 21/60 Straight Eight Overhead Cam (2700cc, limited production)
    • 1929–1930 Wolseley 32/80 Straight Eight Overhead Cam (4020cc, chassis only)

Catalogue of post-World War II Wolseley models

Wolseley employed a dual-number system for its model designations. Prior to 1948, the initial digit denoted the engine's taxable horsepower based on the RAC rating. For instance, the 14/60 indicated a 14 hp (RAC) rating while delivering an actual output of 60 hp (45 kW). Subsequently, the first number shifted to represent the number of cylinders, and from 1956 onward, for four-cylinder engines, it reflected engine displacement. A prominent example is the 15/60, equipped with a 1.5-litre engine producing 60 hp. This naming convention was ultimately phased out.

  • Four-cylinder models
  • Six-cylinder models
  • Other models with uncertain production dates:

Aircraft engines

Although Wolseley designed multiple aircraft engines, it did not secure significant contracts. Important models included:

Circa 1931, Wolseley Aero Engines Ltd. was founded to specialize in aero engine development. After Wolseley Motors Limited was absorbed by Morris Motors Limited in 1935, Lord Nuffield retained this division as an independent company, which was renamed by 1942 to Nuffield Mechanizations Limited. The firm embarked on developing an advanced radial engine project with approximately 250 hp output but discontinued it in 1936 due to contractual disputes that led Nuffield to focus on direct negotiations with the War Office and Admiralty rather than the Air Ministry.

See also

References

  • Lambert, Z.E. and Wyatt, R.J., (1968). Lord Austin – The Man. Altrincham: Sidgwick and Jackson.
  • Bird, Anthony, (date uncertain but likely 1966) The Horizontal Engined Wolseleys, 1900–1905. London: Profile Publications Ltd.

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 St John C Nixon. Wolseley, a saga of the Motor Industry, G T Foulis & Co, London, 1949
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Bill Smith, Armstrong Siddeley Motors Dorchester, Veloce, 2006; p.55; ISBN 9781904788362
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