Why Chop Wolseley?

Sir,

It is not very often I write to magazines about articles etc., but feel compelled to by your column in the October edition of Motor Sport, about the loss of the “Wolseley” motor car.

Many readers will feel this tragic blow as being yet another step to cut individuality and freedom of choice.

I have been expecting this decision to drop the name after the demise of the “Riley” marque, some seven years ago. Although the Wolseley car has been a “Badge Engineering” version of various Morris cars for many years, it still retains a certain post-vintage charm of its own.

My family have owned several Wolseleys over the years, all giving excellent service and reliability. At present I own a 1966 16/60, which has Completed over 95,000 relatively trouble-free miles, which along with leather upholstery and wooden dashboard to my mind makes an ideal vehicle.

It seems today people prefer the lightweight, plastic, metallic paint finish vehicles that hail from the land of the “Rising Sun”. Everybody to his own choice but perhaps that is what has killed the traditional British Motor car.

I raise my hat to Colonel F.Y. Wolseley, the engineering genius of Lord Austin and later Lord Nuffield in providing so much pleasure and enjoyment for bringing about “The only Car in the world with its name up in lights”. May they keep on shining for many years ahead, in this dark and gloomy day of stereotyped, cheap, badly finished boxes on wheels.

I would be interested to hear from other owners of the Marque and their feelings and sentiments of this discontinuation. Also if there are any clubs or registers concerning the Wolseley motor car.

Keep up the good work, Motor Sport, and let’s hope you are not swallowed by any kind of bureaucratic regime of any description.

Bath PHILIP C. CAUDLE