Lot 132: Wolseley 25HP Drophead Coupe

In 1937, the employees of Wolseley Motors set out to build a special car for their chairman, Lord Nuffield, formerly William Morris. Amazingly, this was to be funded entirely by the 4,000-strong workforce: men subscribed 2 shillings each and 'women and boys' 1 shilling. The reason for their generosity was that Lord Nuffield, a great philanthropist, had personally endowed a fund of £2 million of Morris Motors shares from which his industrial workforce would be paid bonuses, and for good measure, it was ten years since Morris had saved the Wolseley Company when he bought it from the receiver. As Miles Thomas, Wolseley's managing director said: They worshipped the ground he walked on. The car they built was almost certainly intended as a one-off. It was a Drophead Coupe, using Wolseley's largest engine of 3.5 litres in a 'medium size' 14/16/18HP chassis (in effect, a prototype chassis for the Series III cars which would not appear until late 1938). This resulted in a car with a top speed of over 90mph. The imposing front had Lucas P100 headlamps, fog lamps and twin trumpet horns. The interior was luxuriously trimmed in pig-skin with inlaid wood veneers. This car (which still exists) was presented to Lord Nuffield on 23rd December 1937 and was so much admired that a decision was later taken to put it into limited production. Just 175 Wolseley 25HP Dropheads were built, from Spring 1938 until the outbreak of war. It is believed by the Wolseley Register that just 18 of these cars survive. Little known outside the circle of pre-war Wolseley enthusiasts, the 25HP DHC is a well-kept secret which stands comparison with the later Alvis Speed models or even the Derby Bentley. This particular car was bought new by Sir Mark Collet of Sulby, Isle of Man, on 10th May 1938 and later passed to his wife, Lady Violet Collet, in October 1944. She kept the car until December 1962 when it was acquired by Athol Garage of Douglas. It then had two further Manx owners in quick succession before finding its way to Ballymena, Northern Ireland, in around 1963 where it was promptly put into storage and remained virtually unused (and unregistered) until the present day. Still said to be in largely sound and original condition, it has been started and driven a short distance on several occasions during the last four decades and has a mileometer reading of 70,540 miles. The vendor states that: Some history is available to enable a new owner to seek an age-related registration number in the UK as the original Isle of Man numbers cannot be used outside the Island. Recommissioning should present no serious problems as the car is very original and complete with all instruments etc. present. Altogether an extremely rare and desirable motorcar, with an interesting history, that should amply reward the light restoration that is now required. We are indebted to Clive Button, Registrar and Historian of the Wolseley Register, for his help in compiling this description.