Various
Wolseley cars were produced at Longbridge
Wolseley Hornet
Wolseley 1100
Wolseley 1500
Wolseley 18/85
Short History on the Company
When
Herbert Austin returned from Australia in 1893 and became manager
of the Wolseley Sheep-Shearing Machine Company. It was in 1895 that
because of the increased production needed the company moved to
larger premises at Aston in Birmingham and was called Sydney Works.
This increase in car production was only because of the man at the
helm Herbert Austin. Meanwhile the engineering company Vickers was
looking into how it could enter the growing car market, so in 1901
it took over the Wolseley Sheep-Shearing Company and renamed the
company the Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Co Ltd, and made its base
at a site in Adderley Park Birmingham.
When Herbert Austin left the Company in 1905 to start up on his
own, Wolseley which was part of the Vickers Group had to soon find
a new General Manager. They then purchased the Coventry-based
Siddeley Motor Company, and made John Davenport Siddeley the
General Manager, a post he held for five years until resigning.
Through out this period the cars were known as
Wolseley-Siddeleys.
The company grow steadily through the coming years and in 1914 it
decided to change its name to the Wolseley Motor Company. Very much
like Austin it branched out into may other areas of manufacture.
This led to a rapid expansion of the premisses at Adderley Park
Birmingham in the order of six fold. So at these premisses
commercial vehicles along with engines for other firms who were
making locomotives, boats and aeroplanes. with the out-break of
World War I, car production came to a halt for the manufacture of
armoured vehicles, munitions and aircraft components.
For the next six years although things were expanding it was just a
matter of time before the receiver would be called in. William
Morris who was producing the Morris Cars was also selling Wolseley
cars through his dealership in the Oxford area. With various car
manufactures showing interest, not surprising Herbert Austin along
with General Motors. An auction was held in October 1926 and
William Morris bid of £730,000 won the day.
The restructured by Morris Cars soon got under way, and a new
company was formed called Wolseley Motors 1927 Ltd. It was decided
to make Wolsleley cars at the Ward End plant. This then allowed the
Adderley Park Works to make the range of Morris Commercials.
We now move to 1948 when production of the cars were transferred to
Cowley where Wolseley cars were just badge-engineered versions of
Morris. The Ward End factory was then turn over to making Nuffield
tractors.