Wolseley 4/50 (1948 – 1953) Review

Wolseley 4/50 (1948 – 1953) At A Glance

3/5

+Good to drive, and far nicer engine than the equivalent Morris Oxford MO

-Weird mix of styles

Everyone cites the British Motor Corporation as the principal sinners - and pioneers - when it comes to badge engineering. But Morris had been practicing this since before the war, spinning both MGs and Wolseleys from more humble Morris products.

But it was following WW2 that Nuffield Organisation (Morris' parent company) began to introduce greater levels of rationalisation - and Wolseley was one of the marques that ending up moving far closer to Morris than it had been in previous years. The 1948 4/50 of 1948, was to all intents and purposes a Morris Oxford MO wearing traditional Wolseley identity tags.

The more stately and upright Wolseley grille was grafted on the front of Issigonis' curvaceous design, with interior fitments upgraded to full wodd and leather specification to suit middle-class sensibilities. The Wolseley also replaced the Morris sidevalve engine and had its own far more advanced 51bhp 1476cc overhead-cam four-cylinder of 51bhp instead.

Short-lived, but an important member of the Wolseley family.