For Sale – 1964 WOLSELEY 1500 – SAME OWNER 26 YE ...

JUST hearing the word Wolseley immediately transports me back to the 1950s and early 60s when, probably armed with the latest I-Spy Book of Cars, I would spend the days loitering in the local streets and creeping onto people's driveways in a determined effort to look around their vehicle while inspecting every last detail down to the intricacies of the dashboard. Bloody sad child. Thankfully I discovered football soon afterwards and, interest-wise, that relegated cars to the second division. Still, the interest remained of course and hence I do what I do today. So when I think of Wolseleys I think of Police cars, doctors, solicitors and probably anyone who could afford something above a mere Morris, Austin or Vauxhall. At least that was how the class system displayed itself within the wonderful world of motor cars more than half a century ago. To own a Wolseley was to make a social statement. Your car came with leather and wood interior as standard and the Wolseley emblem on the impressive chrome radiator grille lit up in conjunction with your side and headlights. BMC - remember them? - also revelled in badge engineering. Meaning that, for instance, you could buy an Austin Cambridge or a Morris Oxford but when it came to choosing the Wolseley variant of the Farina range, you got more because you paid more. Snobbish yes. But it appealed back in era when washing the car and checking the levels every Sunday morning was de rigueur. Well it was if you expected your roast beef (cooked to shoe leather status a la 1960s) and Yorkshire puddings on the table at 12 o'clock prompt. Doubtless that was when I would leap from behind a wall and trespass if only to make a note of the differences between Wolseley and Morris dashboards. I repeat. Sad child. So, winding the clock forward from those days 60 years ago when we still had paper boys, jam butties, AA officers astride motorbikes and eager young boys armed with I-Spy books, we come to this particular Wolseley. The 1500. Launched in 1957, the 1500 was meant to be an up-market replacement for the faithful, if somewhat less glamorous Morris Minor. Built on the same floor pan, it came with a much bigger engine, a far more attractive design and all the usual top of the range goodies. Yet, looking back, maybe it flopped. By 1965, it and its sister car the sportier Riley 1.5 were dropped from the BMC range. The seemingly much loved Moggie was to run for another six years! So much for a replacement model then eh? All the same, the Wolseley 1500 was - and still is - a cracking little family car with oodles of smiles to the gallon. Here we have a 1964 model in Yukon Grey with red leather interior. She has been with the same owner for 26 years and he only decided to part company as he was no longer giving her the use she deserves. She's a smashing little example in super order throughout and comes with a fresh MoT - even though she will never need testing again beyond May of this year. Straight and smart examples such as this are hard to find these days. Just take a look about and you will see what I mean. The subject of an older restoration by the chap from whom I purchased it, this delightful old girl was treated to a pair of brand new hand crafted steel front wings at the time, new leather throughout and countless other goodies. She has a huge history including a magazine article regarding the resto and written by the owner. Stacks of MoTs trace the mileage. She travelled around 10,000 in those 26 years with the same family and in the past 20 years has covered a mere 5,000 miles! Great panels, lovely paintwork and a truly pampered example. Her underside looks straight and strong and the floor pans viewed from beneath the carpets are excellent. She drives beautifully, displaying correct oil pressure. This Wolseley really is a true delight. All my classic cars are treated as the equivalent of motoring antiques. This one, for example, is 54-years-old. They cannot be compared to the wife's six-month-old Chelsea tractor and they are bound to come with imperfections, quirks and bits and pieces that will need attention even if it is some time in the future. They do however come with oodles of charm, appeal and are there to be loved like a family pet. If you are new to the classic car scene, then please bear all this in mind. Most examples have clearly had work over the decades and I cannot predict how much or how little they will need in the future. That, I am afraid, is the nature of the beast in the world of classic cars. Motoring antiques is what they are. I love my Georgian dining table, but I can see all the scars and signs of previous woodworm. Had I wanted a brand new table, I would have gone to Oak Furniture Land. Well perhaps. Demand is outstripping supply these days and they don't make the old girls any more. So, make some allowances and drive away with a smile on your face!