Jim Jarron's Motoring Pages

The Wolseley 1500 appeared in 1957 alongside the mechanically similar (but faster) Riley 1.5.  Itwas powered by the BMC 1489 cc B series engine which developed 50 bhp.  The 1500 was capable of a top speed of 76 mph.

Developed from project DO1058, a projected replacement for the Morris Minor, it used the Minor’s floor pan and suspension layout.  In the end, only Wolseley and Riley versions were released in the UK, although in Australia it was released as both as the Austin Lancer and Morris Major.  The 1500 had the traditional Wolseley grille and badge and was tastefully trimmed in leather and wood, in keeping with Wolseley tradition.  The Autocar commented that "we have resignedly been accustomed for so long to undergeared British cars, that we were amazed to learn that a 3.7:1 axle was fitted, giving a top gear engine speed equivalent to that of many cars in overdrive top, with the resultant 'seven league boots high speed cruising and low rate of engine wear".

A 1200cc version of the Wolseley 1500 was also available for a time in Ireland.

For its day it had a high power-to-weight ratio and factory publicity material described it as “a compact car with high performance” that was “beautifully styled” “realistically priced” and “brilliantly engineered”.

The 1500 was discontinued in 1965 with the introduction of the 1100.