Dads Wolseley 16/60
Discussion
Ah luverly stuff and thank you.
Back to my roots: Dad's Wolseley 16/60
Sometimes life can be pretty amazing. Picture my street any early morning in the mid 70s: a four storey building in red brick surrounded by green grass field and a parkingspace filled with the odd greenish, yellowish, brownish and white vehicles: Citroen Ami in matte red, P5 Rover 3500 in yuk olive (I want one), brownish Simca 1100, off white Beetle 1300, lime green 2CV, silver Hondamatic Civic, and another vote for brownish: a Datsun Cherry. And then all of a sudden a hidden treasure in our street: a BRG Wolseley 16/60. And it was my dads first car.
Imagine me being proud and telling mates about this exotic limo shining so bright in the early morning sun. But no . . . they laughed and thought it old hat compared to the period Opels and Fords. Ah no! That creamy Merc 200 or that babyblue fastback Kadett did it for them. The local library carbook stock learned the Facel Vega HK500 had a front a bit similar to our Wolly. The London police raced villains in look-a-like Austin Cambridges but ours had the leather 'n fake walnut inside. C'mon this had to be a good car!
In 1974 dad bought the 16/60 pictured here from a college professor and friend who had to move to the States and could not bring his collection of cars: Mini Cooper, Jag Mk2 and the Wolseley. I remember a legendary fast trip in the Mk2 carying five at well over 120 mph on 70's highways. Those were the days.
Memory lane
So dad parked the car in our street but had no lisence still. It took him well over a year, not only because he had a bike accident which took hime some time to recover from. One particular summers day he felt the itch to illegally drive his car just to try. With a good few months of stand still the Wolseley decided to overheat and dad had to be towed home. Oh bugger. How happy was he when he got the papers and took us out for a spin in style. I felt like a king in the lovely leather backseat and I reckon dad must have felt like an emperor.
The car had huge retractable arm rests, carpet all over, a wooden dash with amazing dials and switches. The radio had a huge speaker and quality sound. There was just that breeze of quality all over on this car. But there was more: one totally amazing feature, which I’ve never seen on any other car either before or since, was the illuminated badge on the front grille that glowed in the dark. Talk about a 'touch of class', it was guaranteed to raise a comment wherever you went!
I was instantly fond about this Farina creation. The 16/60 had the flair that almost all cars in our street lacked. They were noisy and smelly. And these cars were not as rare as you saw dozens every day. How my mates thought better of a Taunus or Diplomat was beyond me. How much the family felt for the car explained the many outings we had and we enjoyed it for two summers holidays. But for one bad day . . . dad parked and bumped into a concrete pole. A bad noise and an awfull sight remained and had the car declared a total loss as the insurance would not cover for the repairs. Dad had to sell our trusted Wolseley for peanuts money and with a pain in his heart he did so.
Amazing
Back in 2005 I found my dad's first car back. Tracing the plates led to a guy living in the outback of Holland: windy Zeeland. The now owner found the car hidding in a previous owners garage. The original dark green paint was poor and he had it redone in a stylish two-tone that suits the car rather well. The frontseats were worn and he had them replaced by a set of Jaguar XJ6 S1 seats. I brought my dad along for the reunion and we instantly recognized the features we adored so much. A spin along the Zeeland countryside did not dissapoint. The car has a lively character and enough grunt - ah well - coming from the famous longstroked 1.6 BMC lump: 61 horse! 0-60 mph 21 sec! 30 mpg!
The Wolseley had a few look-a-likes: Austin A60 Cambridge, MG Magnette Mark IV, Morris Oxford VI and the Riley 4/72. The 16/60 was the most luxurious. Quite a bit of these cars were built during the 1961 to 1971 production so parts are not a problem. Of course tinworm is. Check buyersguide <here>.
Good to see our Wolseley got a good home. The current owner will never sell it . . .
Back to my roots: Dad's Wolseley 16/60
Sometimes life can be pretty amazing. Picture my street any early morning in the mid 70s: a four storey building in red brick surrounded by green grass field and a parkingspace filled with the odd greenish, yellowish, brownish and white vehicles: Citroen Ami in matte red, P5 Rover 3500 in yuk olive (I want one), brownish Simca 1100, off white Beetle 1300, lime green 2CV, silver Hondamatic Civic, and another vote for brownish: a Datsun Cherry. And then all of a sudden a hidden treasure in our street: a BRG Wolseley 16/60. And it was my dads first car.
Imagine me being proud and telling mates about this exotic limo shining so bright in the early morning sun. But no . . . they laughed and thought it old hat compared to the period Opels and Fords. Ah no! That creamy Merc 200 or that babyblue fastback Kadett did it for them. The local library carbook stock learned the Facel Vega HK500 had a front a bit similar to our Wolly. The London police raced villains in look-a-like Austin Cambridges but ours had the leather 'n fake walnut inside. C'mon this had to be a good car!
In 1974 dad bought the 16/60 pictured here from a college professor and friend who had to move to the States and could not bring his collection of cars: Mini Cooper, Jag Mk2 and the Wolseley. I remember a legendary fast trip in the Mk2 carying five at well over 120 mph on 70's highways. Those were the days.
Memory lane
So dad parked the car in our street but had no lisence still. It took him well over a year, not only because he had a bike accident which took hime some time to recover from. One particular summers day he felt the itch to illegally drive his car just to try. With a good few months of stand still the Wolseley decided to overheat and dad had to be towed home. Oh bugger. How happy was he when he got the papers and took us out for a spin in style. I felt like a king in the lovely leather backseat and I reckon dad must have felt like an emperor.
The car had huge retractable arm rests, carpet all over, a wooden dash with amazing dials and switches. The radio had a huge speaker and quality sound. There was just that breeze of quality all over on this car. But there was more: one totally amazing feature, which I’ve never seen on any other car either before or since, was the illuminated badge on the front grille that glowed in the dark. Talk about a 'touch of class', it was guaranteed to raise a comment wherever you went!
I was instantly fond about this Farina creation. The 16/60 had the flair that almost all cars in our street lacked. They were noisy and smelly. And these cars were not as rare as you saw dozens every day. How my mates thought better of a Taunus or Diplomat was beyond me. How much the family felt for the car explained the many outings we had and we enjoyed it for two summers holidays. But for one bad day . . . dad parked and bumped into a concrete pole. A bad noise and an awfull sight remained and had the car declared a total loss as the insurance would not cover for the repairs. Dad had to sell our trusted Wolseley for peanuts money and with a pain in his heart he did so.
Amazing
Back in 2005 I found my dad's first car back. Tracing the plates led to a guy living in the outback of Holland: windy Zeeland. The now owner found the car hidding in a previous owners garage. The original dark green paint was poor and he had it redone in a stylish two-tone that suits the car rather well. The frontseats were worn and he had them replaced by a set of Jaguar XJ6 S1 seats. I brought my dad along for the reunion and we instantly recognized the features we adored so much. A spin along the Zeeland countryside did not dissapoint. The car has a lively character and enough grunt - ah well - coming from the famous longstroked 1.6 BMC lump: 61 horse! 0-60 mph 21 sec! 30 mpg!
The Wolseley had a few look-a-likes: Austin A60 Cambridge, MG Magnette Mark IV, Morris Oxford VI and the Riley 4/72. The 16/60 was the most luxurious. Quite a bit of these cars were built during the 1961 to 1971 production so parts are not a problem. Of course tinworm is. Check buyersguide <here>.
Good to see our Wolseley got a good home. The current owner will never sell it . . .
Funny you should mention Dads' first cars today. I took the XK for a blast on Saturday and just as I was heading south out of Bracknell what should I see coming in the other direction? A Humber Hawk.
A Humber wasn't really my father's first car, he'd had other cars back before having kids but the Humber was the first one I remembered, the first he owned in my life time. He bought in back in 1966, around about the time my little brother was born. It was a huge great thing, black with a red interior, bench seats which meant that before the days of compulsory seat belts it could sit an almost infinite number of kids. The car dated from 1958 (good year for cars) and had previously been used as a works car by one of the directors. I remember when he first got it it had a massive great padlock and chain in the boot from where it had occasionally been used to transport cash.
We must of had it quite a number of years, can't remember when it was eventually sold. The linkages for the column mounted gear change had broken again and it need other work doing. A lovely car and it was good to see one on the road again.
A Humber wasn't really my father's first car, he'd had other cars back before having kids but the Humber was the first one I remembered, the first he owned in my life time. He bought in back in 1966, around about the time my little brother was born. It was a huge great thing, black with a red interior, bench seats which meant that before the days of compulsory seat belts it could sit an almost infinite number of kids. The car dated from 1958 (good year for cars) and had previously been used as a works car by one of the directors. I remember when he first got it it had a massive great padlock and chain in the boot from where it had occasionally been used to transport cash.
We must of had it quite a number of years, can't remember when it was eventually sold. The linkages for the column mounted gear change had broken again and it need other work doing. A lovely car and it was good to see one on the road again.
a8hex said:
Funny you should mention Dads' first cars today. I took the XK for a blast on Saturday and just as I was heading south out of Bracknell what should I see coming in the other direction? A Humber Hawk.
A Humber wasn't really my father's first car, he'd had other cars back before having kids but the Humber was the first one I remembered, the first he owned in my life time. He bought in back in 1966, around about the time my little brother was born. It was a huge great thing, black with a red interior, bench seats which meant that before the days of compulsory seat belts it could sit an almost infinite number of kids. The car dated from 1958 (good year for cars) and had previously been used as a works car by one of the directors. I remember when he first got it it had a massive great padlock and chain in the boot from where it had occasionally been used to transport cash.
We must of had it quite a number of years, can't remember when it was eventually sold. The linkages for the column mounted gear change had broken again and it need other work doing. A lovely car and it was good to see one on the road again.
A Humber wasn't really my father's first car, he'd had other cars back before having kids but the Humber was the first one I remembered, the first he owned in my life time. He bought in back in 1966, around about the time my little brother was born. It was a huge great thing, black with a red interior, bench seats which meant that before the days of compulsory seat belts it could sit an almost infinite number of kids. The car dated from 1958 (good year for cars) and had previously been used as a works car by one of the directors. I remember when he first got it it had a massive great padlock and chain in the boot from where it had occasionally been used to transport cash.
We must of had it quite a number of years, can't remember when it was eventually sold. The linkages for the column mounted gear change had broken again and it need other work doing. A lovely car and it was good to see one on the road again.
By strange coincidence the Humber Hawk is also the earliest memory I have of one of my fathers cars. He also aquired it in 1966 and it was black with a red interior.
I seem to remember it had foldout walnut picnic tables in the rear(unlike the above photo) which was a great place to stick my toy steering wheel.
Oh WOW!
That's it, that's what I remember. I don't recall ours having picnic tables. But that is the spitting image of my Dad's Humber.
Weird features? The fuel filler was behind one of the rear reflectors. Petrol pump attendants never knew where to find it and would just stare bemusedly at the back of the car till you went out an unscrewed the cap.
The one I saw on Saturday was a two tone brown colour scheme, didn't see the inside, wrong side of a dual carriage way.
That's it, that's what I remember. I don't recall ours having picnic tables. But that is the spitting image of my Dad's Humber.
Weird features? The fuel filler was behind one of the rear reflectors. Petrol pump attendants never knew where to find it and would just stare bemusedly at the back of the car till you went out an unscrewed the cap.
The one I saw on Saturday was a two tone brown colour scheme, didn't see the inside, wrong side of a dual carriage way.
Edited by a8hex on Monday 1st November 19:14
a8hex said:
Oh WOW!
That's it, that's what I remember. I don't recall ours having picnic tables. But that is the spitting image of my Dad's Humber.
Weird features? The fuel filler was behind one of the rear reflectors. Petrol pump attendants never knew where to find it and would just stare bemusedly at the back of the car till you went out an unscrewed the cap.
The one I saw on Saturday was a two tone brown colour scheme, didn't see the inside, wrong side of a dual carriage way.
It would appear that the rear picnic tables were an opptional extra on the Hawk, complete with ash trays and cigarette lighter so the kids could have a quick fag in the back.That's it, that's what I remember. I don't recall ours having picnic tables. But that is the spitting image of my Dad's Humber.
Weird features? The fuel filler was behind one of the rear reflectors. Petrol pump attendants never knew where to find it and would just stare bemusedly at the back of the car till you went out an unscrewed the cap.
The one I saw on Saturday was a two tone brown colour scheme, didn't see the inside, wrong side of a dual carriage way.
Edited by a8hex on Monday 1st November 19:14
Yes probably, no one cared much about safety back then. The great thing about the Hawk as a family hack was how many of us would fit in. I'm one of four (scary thought) and we all fitted in the back easily, friends along too? sure they fitted in somewhere as well.
Mind you it was a strong as anything. Someone managed to crash a Beetle into the side of it once. The VW ended being almost flat from one front corner to the opposite A pillar, the front door it hit had a scratch and 9" long and about 1/4" deep at one end, wasn't quite a case of it will T-Cut out, but almost.
Thats brought back some memories, my dad had the MG Magnette version of this (KOJ80E), bought it grey over cream but the tin worm soon broke through so it was cut out by a family friend and new metal let in before being sprayed a BMC dark blue, it was PXed about 3years later for a Minor Woody (DVP543C)
RetroWheels said:
Zandvoort HARC 2010:
...
Mark Dols races one.
Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff