Lot 201: 1958 Wolseley 6/80 Partial Restoration Project

Following World War Two, and boosted by a Government order for a fleet of 18/85 models, production of Wolseley cars resumed in September 1945 with its Ten, Twelve and Fourteen models and the war-delayed Eight. All of these, however, were replaced three years later by the Four/Fifty and longer wheelbase Six/Eighty, effectively Wolseley versions of the Morris Oxford and Morris Six (all of which shared the same basic monocoque), reflecting the trend started in 1935 when Wolseley became an integral part of the Nuffield Organisation following its acquisition by William Morris in 1927; it would be in 1952 that Austin and Morris merged into the British Motor corporation and thereafter the Wolseley individuality was gradually phased out, making the Four/Fifty and Six/Eighty the last of the true Wolseley breed. Both models were noteworthy for reintroducing Wolseley's hallmark overhead camshaft engine, which had been used until 1936, in the Six/Eighty's case a six cylinder unit with a capacity of 2,215cc and an unusual feature of which was a camshaft that acted directly on hardened tappets threaded into the valve stems. Producing 74bhp at 4,600rpm via twin SU carburettors, it provided spirited acceleration of 0-50mph in 19 seconds, via a column gear-change rated as amongst the best of its type, and a respectable top speed of just over 80mph - no doubt a factor in the model becoming a favourite with British police forces as a high speed patrol car; indeed, the car's distinctive engine and exhaust notes could regularly be heard in BBC Radio plays and films during the late 1940s and throughout the '50s as the boys in blue collared their man. Roadholding, too, was good, courtesy of independent front suspension via longitudinal torsion bars and a live, leaf-sprung rear axle; this was further improved, first in January 1950 with the adoption of rear telescopic dampers and then in May 1950 with twin front telescopic dampers at each corner. Inside, the handsome Six/Eighty was a far classier and distinctive car than its Morris Six equivalent, being well trimmed with wood and leather and with a built-in heating and demisting system while, unusually, the individual front seats, which were replaced by a bench type seat in spring 1952, were height adjustable. Unsurprisingly, the Six/Eighty sold extremely well and after it was gradually replaced by the 6/90 in late 1954, over 25,000 had been produced. This 1951 example appears to have been well-maintained and was in the throes of having restoration work carried out when the owner sadly passed away. Finished in maroon with tan interior, the front and rear seats of which have been professionally re-trimmed in new leather, it comes with assorted invoices for chassis/body repair work and an engine rebuild during the late 1980s/early 1990s, its last MoT test certificate which expired in January 2005 and the original owner's instruction manual. With police-liveried Six/Eighty models a regular part of the Goodwood Revival theatre, UVW 438 would be a most welcome addition at this premier historic meeting.