wolseley 680 driving way
The old timer is still ticking with a slight reset.
"It's hard to explain, but in everything you do with him, he's really good," says Mortimer. "It's a beautiful car to keep on the road."
The Wolseley fan was first introduced to the classic when a good friend bought the car in the late 1980s. From that day on, he knew that this was what he should have.
“When I got home after driving, I told him, ‘I need the first option,’” he says. “And after 20 years, he told me that he was going to sell the car. So now it belongs to me and my son.”
And although that was 20 years later, Mortimer's son Brett had a similar reaction when he first buckled in the driver's seat.
“The first time my son got behind the wheel was in Queensland in 2005,” he says. "He looked at me an hour after driving and said, 'God, this is not like driving, this is not like anything I've ever driven before.'
Although his friend didn't want to sell the car, Mortimer says he doesn't see himself in finding the time or money to restore it. But it seems that he could be sure that he would end up in a good house.
Since it had not been used for eight years, it needed some work.
“We didn't do a full restoration, just a facelift,” says Mortimer. “We repainted it, restored the seats, made it more user friendly, put turn signals on it; things to keep you on the road.”
A classic that still has the flip indicator on the B-pillar.
Since buying the car three years ago, the Mortimers have taken it on long trips to Queensland, Canberra and Gloucester.
“Driving is a pleasure,” says Mortimer. "It's fantastic on the long haul, you get it on the highway and it's a limousine ride."
But it's not as pleasant on city roads, with heavy steering, weight and drum brakes making it a little out of place in busy traffic.
“With 5 1/2 tons to block, you keep spinning the wheel, it’s a bit heavy for him,” he says.
And not only how he behaves on the road impressed these two motorists.
“The style, the look, especially the front end,” says Mortimer. "It has a very square front end, a side-opening hood and a big Wolseley grille."
The 680 owners have done well, though Mortimer says he'll likely use his second Wolseley, 15/60, for city trips and this one for long-haul cruising.
Mortimer says this car's engine is unusual in that it was the basis for aircraft designs used during World War I.
“Wolseley made aircraft engines,” says Mortimer. "They took the design of this aircraft engine and modified it to fit a car engine."
And law enforcement agencies also liked this handsome man.
“This type of car was used by the police in London and some major cities in England in the 1950s as a police car,” he says.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the 680 and the Wolseley Club of New South Wales will have a big display at The Kings School in Parramatta on August 17th.
The Wolseley 680 was produced between 1948 and 1954. They shared a longer wheelbase with the Morris Six as well as a common engine.
“The Morris Six was basically the same car but a cheaper version,” says Mortimer.
“They used to say that Wolseley is a car for professional men, and Morris is for workers.”
In particular, the grille and high-beam headlights made it more stylish, and the interior also stood out with first-class styling thanks to woodgrain trim, leather seats, and even a heater.
In total, 25,000 copies were built during the life of the model. About 5000 were sent to Australia, some in a completely disassembled state.
Mortimer knows of 12 models that participated in the national rally last year and says at least six more are not roadworthy.
When Mortimer bought his first Wolseley, a 15/60, his wife didn't even acknowledge that it was theirs, instead forcing him to park it outside the house. But, he says with a laugh, she has changed her tune over the years.
Photo
1951 Woolley 680
Price is new: pound stg. 975 (about $2000)
Cost now: around $10,000
Verdict: An upscale version of the Morris Six, Wolseley feels right at home on a cruise.
