Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

My first car was my late father's 1969 Wolseley 18/85 Mark 2 although the Roman Numerals 11 appeared on the bootlid. He was disappointed at the time that it did not have leather upholstery unlike it's "mark one" predecessor. The registration was JFF 900H and it had only covered 16000 miles when I acquired it in October 1976.

My father's intention was to buy new "wedge" shaped Wolseley - the 18/22(?)
but ill health blunted his enthusiasm.

I can only ever remember two at that time and since. One was contemporary, a dark blue example and the one I saw in a forlorn condition in Oswestry in 1986. I have had an "eye" for one for years but was not able to secure one.

THe Wolseley version was only produced for 6 months and I just wonder are any known to this forum or elsewhere.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[RUSTON]

I remember when the 18/85 first appeared, I was working for a BMC dealer at the time, and our cleaner bought one brand new. He took delivery on the friday, came into work with it on saturday....... and spotted a new delivery of the model which had leather seating. He promptly traded his "old one" in for the later model, and lost around £150 in doing so!! Not seen one around for a long while though.

Pete.
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Measure twice...cut once!

[Ellis]

The one I owned was in Blue Royale and was the first of the "Mark 2" versions that was introduced in August 1969.
I didn't know until your post above that leather upholstery was an optional extra on the "mark one" version which came out in 1967 IIRC.
When I first had mine it was still on it's original Dunlop SP68 radial tyres upon which the roadholding was, er, interesting in the wet.
A pair of new Vredenstein radials on the front soon cured that!. I have the receipt somewhere - £32.

The 18/85 I had was always happiest on 5 star petrol and I recall the Autocar test in September 1969 revealing that it was the first single carburrettor BL car to achieve the magic 100mph.

The last one I saw was two years ago, a later Wolseley 6 of the same shape which was owned by a visitor to but not an exhibitor at the annual Betws y Coed classic car show.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rick]

Hasn't Keef got an 18/85? Must be on here somewhere if so...?

R
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Rick - Admin
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[Keef]

[Keef]

[Ellis]

Thank you Keef.

I would imagine that there are more Wolseley 18/85, 18/85 Mark 2 and Sixes left in existence than the Wolseley 18/22. But there again, there cannot be many Austin and Morris versions of the "wedge" left either.
The same low survival rate probably applies to the Ambassador as well.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Richard H]

I wondered how long it would be before you spotted this thread Keef!

There's a tidy Ambassador near me, owned by an old couple. A105 NVX. I agree, they are extremely rare now though.

[Keef]

[Ellis]

Interesting figures and that possibly means that there are 50% again on top of those numbers untaxed.

Auto Express claimed in 2006 that there were 742 Morris Marinas still in existence which when you consider that 807000 were sold in Britain the attrition rate is sobering.
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rick]

There used to be an 18/85 acting as a garden ornament around the back of Manchester Airport some years ago. However a second runway went in and wiped out the houses in that area, along with the very interesting WW2 hangars, so I doubt that particular example of orange Wolseley-ness survived

RJ
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Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
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[Minty]

My other hobby is World War 2 Re-enacting...

Yesterday, there was a collectors fair at Malvern in Worcestershire...and in the car park there was a lovely 1970 Wolseley 18-85 in Navy Blue - not concours, but very nice never-the-less!

Regards - Guy.
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'38 Lanchester LA14-2 'Roadrider' DeLuxe and lover of all things 'WW2 - Jeep'!!!

[RotaryBri]

When I started at B & B Trailers in January 1970 I was given a new Wolseley 18-85S, Damask Red BAC 422J and I found it to be a delightful car. The MGB engine giving that little bit more performance than the standard 18-85. Three years later I changed it for a Wolseley Six, Dark Blue MWD 765L. I thought that it was not as good as the 18-85S as it did not seem to have the 'long legs' for continental driving as the S did.

Three years later I ordered a Wolseley 2200 but when the dealer rang me to tell me that it had been delivered he said that it was now badged as a Princess 2200. I did not like that car as much as the 18-85S. I only did 600 miles when the front CV shaft joints wore out and the car had to go back and the engine was lowered by approximately 1.5 inches so as to keep the CV joint angles within their normal amount of movement. Another case of the public being the development engineers for BMC!
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Keep Torqueing,

RotaryBri

1976 NSU Ro80

[Keef]