CHAT WITH A 1500 OWNER

Graham Ryder tells us about his cherished 1963 example

1 How did you end up with a 1500?

‘My father was always a Rootes man but after owning a Morris Minor for a while, I ended up with a Wolseley 1500 for a few years, which I eventually sold to buy a vintage car. I remembered the 1500 fondly though, so decided to buy this 1963 example back in 2005. I’d known the previous owner of the car and he’d taken good care of it. The carpets were tatty but it was otherwise serviceable. I drove it for five years before it came off the road for a nearside sill replacement.’

2 Was that all it needed?

‘Definitely not! There’s always more! For instance, I removed the front wings to replace the sill and quickly realised there was rather more to be done! It wasn’t too bad though, so I got stuck in. I did everything myself, apart from the paint. I’ve been in engineering all my life so the mechanical side of things didn’t worry me too much either. I’m not a bodywork man and while it’s not perfect in my view, I am quite pleased with it.’

3 What’s it like to own a 1500?

‘Many of the underpinnings of the car are shared with the Morris Minor, but there are numerous extra challenges. For instance the rear wings are welded on, not bolted on like a Minor. The main issue when you’re comparing the two is that they made 1.6 million Minors as opposed to 100,000 Wolseley 1500s, so parts are not as easy to come by. However, the Wolseley Register is a worldwide organisation that started in 1964 and although originally focused on pre-war cars, these days, it’s a great source of advice for any Wolseley model.’

4 Wolseley or Riley?

‘I’m a member of both Wolseley and Riley clubs as I love all of the models. We meet each year and travel to various places where we meet owners from all over the world. There's a shared emphasis to ensure these cars are here and ready for the next generation.’