The Wolseley Super-Six is a Hunk of the 1930s British Motor Industry
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- čas přidán 7. 01. 2023
- Back in the 1920s and 1930s, to drive a Wolseley was to drive one of the most respectable cars in Britain. Never flashy, they were the preserve of the middle-class professional, the doctors, lawyers, and police officers of inter-war Britain. And this 16 hp Series II Super-Six was the zenith of the big Wolseley.
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I'm 61 now and remember some cars from the 30's still being on the road in the 1960's. My dad had a 1948 Morris 10 which is the first car I remember followed by a Standard 10 (with a semi auto gearbox ) a Triumph Mayflower, Austin Somerset, 55 minx a 61 minx a triumph herald, 66 Mk3 Zepher 4, Then a mixture of 70's and 80's Fords ,Vauxhalls and BL products (including a black MG metro when he retired in 1990) then a Yaris and finally a 2006 Renault Modus. He gave up driving at 86 in 2012 and never had an accident in 67 years of driving despite being a lorry driver in the 50's and a bus driver in the 60's. Right up until he stopped driving (his choice he said his eyesight was not good enough) he had amazing spatial awareness. Died a few years after that but had a good innings! Love your content and research. Its amazing what the old can learn from the young. Keep it up!
That's lovely to hear about your father. It sounds as though he had impeccable taste!
Thank you for that Marcus, it's very kind of you to say :)
Sounds like my father, his favourite was his V8 pilot, we managed to get one that was a hurse for his funeral.
It's 2024 and there are still 1930s cars one the road.
I was so pleased that the scene ( 4 : 35 ) with dog walking I into and out of shot wasn’t refilmed .
My old man had two Wolseys in his time , a 1500 and later a 16/60 .
That was the third take!
The first one, I messed up my line, and the second, the little fella jumped up at me!
Of course, he always has to be left in, but I didn't notice him there until I got to editing. I just knew he was about somewhere!
Wolseley
What a lovely looking car, it must have been stunning in the 1930s and even today the shear elegance, styling, thought and quality that went into producing this car clearly shines through. There are not many old cars that look so good from every angle and carry off such class and presence but this old Wolseley does it effortlessly.
It brings back Memories !
My brother used to own a Wolseley 14, a 6 cylinder, which never seemed to run on more than 2 cylinders at a time !
It's headlights, Huge as they were, were dipped by means of a solenoid within the main headlamp bowl, actually rotating the inner headlight, on a horizontal pivot.
By the way, my modern car has rear suicide doors !
It's a 1960 Rover P4 100 !
Take care,
Stay safe,
Stu.
@@453421abcdefg12345 No freewheel on my car, freewheel ended in late 50's. Mine was built in the last quarter of '59 and registered on 1st Jan 1960. I was given 2 90's, a '54 and a '56, and also a 60, an ex Mayoral car !
I bought my car in '75 rebuilt it in 2000, and now it needs some more TLC !
There was a P4 parked off road round here for years, maybe as long as I have lived here, 33 years, I'm not sure. No rear window. It disappeared about two years ago.
I love your passion and enthusiasm when you do a car review. One of the best motoring CZcamsrs out there.
Thanks Nicholas, that’s very kind of you to say 🙂
I hope the appreciation of this era of car will be resurrected amongst the next generation of classic car enthusiasts. Thanks for your great presentation 👍
Thanks mate. I do hope so. Though there's zero cultural connection and very little living memory now, they're lovely old things, and are from an era where motoring was a pastime, rather than a necessity.
In the US most of the Depression era survivors have been turned into hot rods.
Very stylish long flowing lines. Beautiful car. Looks like one is sitting in a deep armchair in the warm library of one of the Gentlemen’s Clubs in Pall Mall, on a blustery Winter’s day. And as usual the presentation is to your superb standard Ed. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks mate, very kind of you, as always :)
Well said 👌
My uncle had one of these cars in the 1950s - I remember the 'jackall' hydraulic system which was accessed under the front passenger floor well. You rolled back the carpet to reveal a wooden lid which when removed, exposed a hydraulic pump, similar to the ones now available in low cost bottle jacks - and a wooden rod, which when inserted in the hydraulic pump, could be pumped backwards and forwards to extend the jacks at each corner of the car. I recall uncle working on something under the car, which was suspended on these jacks, when my younger cousin went into the car and turned the valve which released the hydraulic pressure ! Thankfully uncle was able to extract himself from under the car before he was crushed !!!
A few years ago, at a car auction at Brooklands Museum, I was outbid on a gorgeous Wolesley Super-Six. I've regretted it ever since.
What a grand old motor. Straight Six Splendour. I foresee one of these in your future! And, I do, of course (🤦♂️) have to drag in the Irish connection, as Frederick was born in Dunlaoighre (or Kingstown as it was then). His father was from Mount Wolseley in Co. Carlow. It's a hotel and golf club now, with a lot of Wolseley memorabilia in the foyer - including a pre-war Wolseley 10 and a '60s Wolseley 1500. Thanks Ed - another excellent review.
Cheers mate!
That’s interesting to know - I expected some heritage from the British Isles at least, but the Irish element intrigues me to some digging.
I have to say though - pre-war stuff just isn’t quite my vibe. I like my 60s-onwards stuff too much 😅
Superb filming and commentaries.
Outstanding stuff
Love the work you're doing in producing your vlogs.
Wishing you a prosperous 2023.
Keep safe warm dry and virus free.
Thank you David, very kind of you to say :)
Happy new year.
A very imposing but stylish car. A familiar sight when I was a kid, in the late 40's /early 50's. My aunt hired one for her wedding in 1949, Black of course, as most were.
Wolseley clearly had a big impact in the 1930's, because throughout the 1950's and 60's they retained their cachet as an upmarket car even though they increasingly became badge engineered BMC cars. What clinched it was not so much the engineering (which was often identical), but the interior appointment, a wood veneer dash being essential (no Austin or Morris got this), wooden door cappings, thick pile carpet, leather seats, armrests, much fuller instrumention and sound insulation.
A Wolseley 1300 is a car I'd very much like to own someday. Not only are they tremendously well engineered, as a standard 1100/1300, but the styling is beautiful, and the trimmings are to die for. So totally the opposite of any modern small car.
@@TwinCam You speak to me very personally - I grew up with exactly this car (midnight blue) which was my mother's: I learnt to drive on it and learnt to love it: HFP 885 J. We changed the big steering wheel for a Motolita 13" (I think) wheel, which met with my mother's (surprised) approval. The car was otherwise perfect and never ever let us down, dispersing out of true personal experience all the jeremiads of the then markedly antibritish British motoring press.
@@a1c3c3u what does that imply?
@@a1c3c3u Thanks for that. It was nine years old with zero rust (because garaged from new and washed regularly by me), moderate mileage, a full service book and very good condition. The date is correct (when we replaced it), but both scrapping and export seem so unlikely, oh well.
Even my Wolseley Hornet, which is essentially the cheapest attempt at an upmarket interior for any Wolseley, still has leather seats and a wood veneer dash. I believe it may have had better sound insulation below the pile carpet too.
Plus winding windows, hidden door hinges, and fresh air vents before the regular Mini got them.
Brilliant, brilliant potted history and review Ed. Totally enjoyable and I loved the little dog too.
Thanks John :)
A very professional production. I look forward to more in a similar vein.
Thanks John :)
Hey Ed, Hello from South Carolina. You are the best car reviewer in Britain. Your extensive research for these videos makes them so interesting. And you are adorable. I can understand every word you speak; sometimes Brits have issues with English. People in South Carolina frequently have problems communicating with non-natives too. You have a wonderful voice and perfect diction. You got it going!
What a lovely thing that exudes class. Excellent video too with the documentary clips with Wolseley's time line and I liked very much the "period drama" intro style.
Thanks as always mate :)
Your knowledge is excellent and you tell a story in a way that makes you an excellent teacher. I think you could teach any topic.
Your enthusiasm always makes me smile for the entire video. I am a Psychiatrist and I so want to show your video and say "stop whining and be like this fellow!". I love the dog too, always looking for him. He is confident and very happy too. Thank You Sir !!
Thanks David, that's tremendously kind of you to say :)
All of the lines on this car work together to make a very handsome vehicle.
Very few pre-WW2 US cars survived and we never had bombings etc. Here they were just used up during the War with little maintenance done. It has to be really a lucky car to had survived WW2 in the UK or Mainland Europe. Loved this one!!!! You look right at home in the back of this one!
Driving the car into shot at the beginning was a great touch! Lovely car.
Enjoyed that. You have great knowledge of not only the cars but social history of the era.
Thanks mate, that's very kind of you to say :)
Loved the four legged cameo…
I was waiting for it to pee up the wheels!
Notice the muddy stains on my jeans? Wonder who did that?
The dog stole the show for me 😉👍
A marvellous video. 🙂
Thanks as always Phillip :)
Superb car. I'm really getting more interested in this era of car now. I never really considered them very interesting in the past. You are certainly helping this new found fascination Ed. Thanks.
Thanks as always mate :)
To be honest, this had never been quite my vibe or something I had any knowledge about, but there's a lot to love about this era of motoring.
Thank you for a great and thorough review. Love cars from this period.
Thanks mate :)
Thank you for your excellent video. Between about 1976 and 1979 I owned a Wolseley 18/85 dating from 1946. Your video brought back many memories. I stripped out all those wooden internal panels and sanded and varnished each - they had a beautiful veneer that came up a treat. The 18/85's had some slight differences from the 16hp that you showed. The spare was not in the door of the boot, but under the boot. And I think the gauges were located in front of the driver rather than in the centre of the dash. And as you say, they were a bit more 'stodgey' than the beautiful Series II. But they still had a lot of class.
Some of the other features included a roller blind on the back window operated remotely from the driver's position. Also, when built, it had built in hydraulic jacks for each wheel operated from inside the passenger seat floor. My car had these removed by the time I purchased it. Apparently, as they got old, the jacks would have a tendency of dropping down onto the road. It was a beautiful car to drive, remarkably light steering, no doubt partly due to the large steering wheel and cross ply tyres.
The 18/85 had twin downdraft SU carby's and could do a genuine 85 mph.
Thanks again for your most informative presentation.
Thanks mate :)
Enjoyed every moment! Thank you!
Thanks mate :)
Super as always Ed. As a former 680 owner which served as a taxi at times for my father, as well as an exciting rally car on local event, made more so due to brake fade making life hairy at times with our lakes topography! My weekly treat of Ed is always eagerly awaiting and never fail to mechanically, historically and percetly researched and presented!
Thanks Robert, tremendously kind of you to say :)
Another excellent review. High quality content and presentation. Thanks.
Cheers Diagonal Div :)
The proportions are just perfect! Awesome design
Most interesting , good historically, delivered with just the right amount of enthusiasm and erudition. Slightly nerdy but a pleasure to watch. I love more power to your elbow
Nerdy is the way forward 😉
Thanks mate!
What can I say other than Brilliant once again young man
I love cars and motorcycles of the 1930s. Superbly presented. Thank you.
Thanks mate :)
Brilliant review as expected Ed,and the interesting comparison with the contemporary Austin range of a style I own , the 18 York , and Austin subsequently updating their entire range for the 1937 season to a much similar ' lower ' style to the Nuffield cars.Love the Art-Deco dashboard and external detailing, you are certainly doing your bit to help revive interest in these pre-war cars that can give so much pleasure and are affordable .An identical car to this was used in the Harry Enfield ' spoof Public Information Film - ' Women - Know Your Limits ' !.
Thanks Roger :)
It's a privilege to be invited to film these lovely old things. They've never overly been my vibe, but there's a lot to appreciate. They're a dying breed, and with memory fading, their values are falling :(
This is a car that immediately makes me want to drive to some big seaside hotel in Devon.
The little Jack Russell dog didn’t look at all interested in that Beautiful car😂👀🤣
Man would I love to own that car. Beautiful.
Beautiful car. Excellent explanation.
Thanks Anthony 🙂
Sense eventually prevailed! Brilliant! And, looking very dapper!
Great stuff! Love your enthusiasm and knowledge! Thanks!
Thank you :)
Great research and well presented. These were even old when I started driving. Keep up the good work.
Thanks as always Russell :)
I enjoy the styling and engineering of automobiles of this era. You present them very well.
Great review as ever
My father had a Wolseley 6/80 . He absolutely adored the car! Must admit it served the family well!
As far as I can tell the Wolseley sheep shearing side of the business still exists in some form as part of Ferguson
It does indeed. The business diversified a few times I believe, so there are a few businesses out there now called Wolseley.
My father joined Wolsey Co. In 1935 in product development/sales. He took the latest cars around the retail showrooms to demonstrate them to the vendors. He always spoke highly of the Hornet range especially the sports version but he waxed lyrical about the top of the range 16 and 25s. In the late 40s my grandfather’s firm used a Series 3 16 as a Chauffeur driven courtesy car. My father always wanted a Wolsey of his own and he finally got his wish in 1964 when he got a 6-110 auto in rose taup and sandy beige. I drove it and loved it’s silky smooth acceleration but after my Mini Minor it went round corners like a barge!
What a beautiful car.classy and elegant.😊
My dad’s first car was a pre-war Rover 14, this was in the 60’s, a wonderful thing with a wind up windscreen and a proper freewheel(looked like a gatevalve) sunshine roof,airscoops, the whole thing, we loved it, had it for years. Followed by an A75 estate.
I love the rich style and clean accents. Great sense of class and elegance in every angle.
What a great pre-war car to expand the channels content with. Never drove one but this review is the next best thing....
Thanks as always Mike :)
Great motoring story 👌🏻😎 I never owned a Wolseley , but my brother had a beautiful black with red leather interior 6/110 I believe it was an ex police car in the late 60’s , I loved that car
Thanks Martin :)
Superb..fabulous car,too video from a top presenter . Thanks
Thanks Scott, very kind of you to say :)
Great job 👍
Thanks Allan 🙂
What a fantastic review of old english motor vehicles your vids are excellent bring back so many memories of good old British engineering shame all these old marks got absorbed by British Leyland what a beautiful car, being from australia would you be able to look into the history of australian cars you might be surprised cars like the gtho falcons Holden Monaro's and their racing history from using cortinas minis's and the life of the bmc marina and leyland p76 which where failures in oz
Thanks Ray :)
I'd love to have a good dive into the Australian motor industry. There were some fabulously interesting things going on all the way through to the '90s. For some reason, I'm massively drawn to a VL Commodore with a Nissan RB30 in it!
@@TwinCam I live in NZ North Island. There are an astonishing number of old cars still in use here. Survival rate is good since use of salt on the roads is very limited.
Salt is the bane of our lives!
It's interesting how Wolseley came full circle from its early days with Austin, then fell under the Morris umbrella, and finally ended up back with Austin when Morris merged to form BMC.
Very good and interesting video. Things I didn't know about Wolseley. Always felt they were very looking cars, even liked the Hornet. Keep up the good work, will certainly subscribe
Thanks Scott, hope you enjoy my content 🙂
I'm 69 now and 54 years ago I used to belong to a slot car racing club that met on Monday evenings. A fellow member aged about ten years older than me had two Morris 8s which I think were also pre WW2, a tourer and a saloon. They were his daily drivers in the appropriate seasons. I would ride in one or the other every Monday as he gave me and two others a lift to/from the club meets. It was on one of those evenings we learned of the death of Jim Clark on the retrofitted car radio.
Distant memories but I hope they are accurate. Triggered by your excellent video.
Thanks Philip, what a driver he was.
A very rare car. I believe the in line 6 cyl. engine had twin S.U. carburetors. Top speed was around 80 mph which was no slug back then. Real wood was used in the interior , no inferior plastic & the standard of workmanship was outstanding.
A wonderfully elegant car.
Great history and review, love the dog cameo at ~04:25 too :)
Thanks Robin :)
Stunning car great that some have survived .
Your reviews are delightful.. No appalling muzak!
I lived in the UK Midlands in the early 60s and remember a 6/80 run by a village haulage guy - it was an impressive car - suffered from fragile valve gear I believe.
As a schoolboy I worked at a local car wreckers. I shudder to think of the classic cars I cut up for scrap - they were worth nothing then.
Thanks Nik :)
I think that car has been on some TV drama.
A very nice and informative video, I haven't had much to do with old Wolseleys, especially their roots. Growing up in the sixties I certainly remember all the badge engineering of Austin, Morris but less so Wolseley. I have a 1937 Daimler, bought as a bodged up wedding car. It was in frankly a dreadful and dangerous condition and necessitated a total tear down and restoration. Whilst toiling away fixing previously neglected or bodged components, my mind turned to how these old cars survived. I think a video looking into and discussing how and why some did and others didn't would be a fascinating project.
Thanks Rob 🙂
I’m planning on having a sit-down and chat sort of video with the owner of this car, talking through its journey from 1936 to 2023.
Great video, reminds me of the feel of my Jaguar Mk7
Thanks mate :)
My grandfather used to drive the same car all his life just like the one Fred Flintstone drove. A true Scotsman.
I remember 1960s wolseley's but this one here is a breathtaker
Very beautiful car. I'd love to see it in person
Another top video Ed. Cars of this era were works of art (deco) designed and built for the well to do as you mention. As the (and I really hate to use the term so apologies up front) lower classes started to have the chance to for car ownership it all changed. The 'regular' car industry needed more cars to sell to a wider audience and to get the country mobile once again post WW2 so everything had to be built to a cost hence the death knell of a lot of volume super luxury car manufacturers. Interestingly car companies make more profit on the higher class models these days but given the smaller volumes I guess it's horses for courses. As always very well presented Ed.
Thanks as always Anthony :)
The way the war totally revolutionised all European economies can never be overstated, but I think there is the possibility of a Twin-Cam video on it, because modern motoring was arguably built by the social affects of the war, plus, in Britain at least, Clement Attlee's government.
240 pence to the pound, not 250. No one struggled with it because mental arithmetic was taught in schools. Today people struggle to add 2 and 2 in their head because they use calculators in school. I love it when you review these old cars, especially when they are are ones that I owned or got to drive, or wanted to own but never got. This Wolseley is a bit before my time but I think I rode in one once as a child when a friend's visiting relatives took us to the seaside. The owner was a repertory theatre actor. He and his wife had 4 kids but we all fitted in this car with room to spare.
Yes, it says that on the screen. Not a clue where I came up with 250 from in the moment 🤣
And no they don’t. Mental arithmetic is of course taught, but using a scientific calculator correctly to solve formulae is taught alongside, because it has to be. But I remember only ten years ago being told ‘you’re not going to have a calculator with you everywhere!’ And this was despite the fact all us kids knew damn well we would! In fact, most of us already did 😅
Honestly, it’s an utter privilege to be invited to see and explore these cars. They’re proper living history.
Yes, you are very lucky to be in a position to test drive all these cars. I became a self taught mechanic out of necessity. With a young family and a mortgage to pay, it was the only way I could afford to run a car. I would buy old bangers for next to nothing and bring them back to road worthiness.
I 'm of a certain age and my dad liked his cars and driving bought a second hand dark green 4/44 model and a new Wolseley 4/44 just before the 15/50 model came out I will never forget the gorgeous smell of those leather seats and wood trim that lasted for over a year and the comfy ride
They do have an unmatched interior ambience!
I owned a 1937 Wolseley 14/56. The leaf springs and leverarm dampers.were astonishing in that going over rumble strips I could not feel them. Yet in my 206 shook. It was black and two tone blue it still exists was low milage and original paint at the time BS prefix. I was in my mid 20s 2005 odd at the time. Plus it had the Jack all system.
I sold it to fund my purchase of a gas powered kiln for my stain glass work.
Great presentation. I love the 6-light design. To me, it is far preferable to the "enlarged Morris Minor" look of the successor cars.
That they have a chassis gives hope to these surviving longer.
I guess most pre-war vehicles were driven into the ground during the war, and were utterly exhausted by the end of it.
Keep up the good work
Thanks Tim :)
At some point this year, there will be a video on how this car has lived its life and survived now 87 years of motoring!
What a stunning beauty, a true piece of British Motoring History here, it's a shame that BMC didn't think so though!
Good work Ed for an excellent review, and thanks for bringing out the Wolseley Australian sheep shearing connection. The car has a lovely patina, much better than over-restored, better than they left the factory jobs. BTW is this car model, Inspector Foyle 's car that Sam drove??
Thanks mate :)
Unfortunately not, that will have been a Series III Wolseley of some kind, I believe smaller than a Super-Six too?
Love the dog
I have always wanted a Wolseley and will eventually have one. I really fancy a 1500.
There will most probably be a 1500 video coming at some point this year, or early next!
@Twin-Cam top man. I love the Riley 1.5 litre too
I'd love to have seen you driving it, but maybe that wasn't possible. Great explanation as always.
Thanks mate. Unfortunately insurance is an issue.
Try do something on the old London / Glasgow 1950’s taxi, the one with the front passenger door removed, thanks, great show
I’m nearly 70 now and remember many, many cars of this look. My grandparents had a very old Rover (1930 vintage?) and we used a 1940’s Ford. Obviously, the 50’s saw fundamental body gap design changes.
I’d love a car of this vintage but my priority is reliability - so I have to buy safe. Nothing these days touches the 1930 and 1940 cars for sheer English comfort.
Lovely car, my grandfather owned one.
Another well researched, well presented video Ed. Thanks very much
If you ever have the time, and you run out of cars to feature.....;),
You might consider extending the social history / human interest angle of motoring by telling your audience how car companies of the 70s and 80s etc conducted market research, focus groups. i.e. what forces caused the manufacturers to produce the cars they did.
Thanks mate :)
Love it….. an oddments tray….nah mate, it’s an ashtray. 😜🤣. Beautiful car and beautifully presented. My first car, 1975, was a Wolseley 24/80 (Aussie 6 cylinder).
Definitely not an ashtray, considering it’s made of wood!
@@TwinCam ah, if it is wood then it would have had a metal insert ashtray in it. That is certainly where the driver’s/passenger’s ashtray was located on lots of cars of that period.
Lovely looking car. I wish they could put them back into production
I was born at the bginning of the fifties and well remember these and the more popular 18/80's, they always seemed to be black! Thirties cars seem to be more and more fascinating as time goes on, perhaps because they endured through the war years and into the fifties. Please consider doing a Riley vlog, my favourites are the saloons of the same era but especially the Kestrel 1500cc which one of my neighbours when I was young spent hours restoring. The slightly rakish, more sporting models, with Wilson preselectors really appeal.The first car my mother had was a Lanchester LA10 which was quite a rare car, this had rear blinds and a sunroof, suicide doors at the front and a preselector gearbox, quite advanced for the time but not very sporty! Enjoy your history lessons, keep up the good work.
I think black suits a Wolseley of this age. Imposing, classy, and a little sombre.
Thanks for the kind words, and there is a Riley from the 1940s that I will be recording in the spring, so stay tuned!
I'd definitely like to see a video on how and why some old cars survive. (And not just 1930s cars)
as cars have become safer drivers have become far less so as shown on yOu tube Dash cam many small cars appear unstable because they are so light they appear to turn over very easily. decades ago, I had a 4/44 Wolseley it not very fast 75 mph top speed but was able to cruise at 70 but was extremely stable on bends it felt rock solid. because of the mass.
There was a car like this about 1968-ish when my Dad rented a garage and it was just stood outside not locked. Leather seats, a huge steering wheel, two big headlights like this and a big engine as that was free to open as well, 6 or 8 cylinders, I can't remember.
Looking now it wasn't one of these as I remember two handles on the bonnet to open it and vertical louvres.
I have often wondered what happened to it and why it was standing there.
I had a 2.5 Super Six in the early 60s. I sold it to one of our drivers. I'd knocked out a bigend, and broke a rear spring on Epsom Downs. Eddie knew aboiut the faults and fixed them. He had fathered a large family and didn't go far at 10mpg. He didn't need to, anyway.
Wow…just wow
What a fabulous review of a gorgeous old motor car. Well done, Ed. Wish we could have heard the engine, even if at idle.
When it comes to the old currency, don't forget the Guinea (one pound and one shilling) as well as the Half Penny (carried over as 200 to the New Pound) and Farthing (One Quarter Penny). The relative sizes of the old Penny and the farthing gave rise to the name given to early bicycles.
Thanks as always Michael.
@@TwinCam it was mainly the transition to the Common Market (known today as the EU) that caused decimalisation of our currency. It made sense but it caused tremendous inflation, with a Conservative government dead set on joining Europe. Funny how time changes.
I’d very strongly argue that decimalisation did not cause any level of inflation. Pre-decimal coins were still in use, and decimal coins had been in circulation for a number of years already. A few people who didn’t understand I’m sure were ripped off, but a pound was still worth exactly a pound. No change was made to the baseline of Sterling. I’d suggest the massive levels of industrial strife, a stagnant economy, the collapse of power generation, and the subsequent three-day working week drove inflation.
@@TwinCam I disagree. We experienced hyper inflation and the main (but not only) cause was decimalisation. Most coins were changed with many being withdrawn. I hesitate to say this but I was there and I wasn’t stupid nor were my family or friends. You have brought a bias in which I am personally unhappy with. I value the inclusion of history in the videos but it feels that you are bringing your own judgements which many people who do not know will accept as gospel.
Indeed I wasn’t, but I do work based on the facts.
There were no coins taken out of circulation. The 5p and 10p coins, for example, were introduced in 1968, three years before decimalisation, and were the same size, weight, and style as the existing 1s and 2s coins.
Other than those, all other coins were changed as were necessary, many had already fallen out of use and ceased to be ‘legal tender’. The only all-new coin was the 50p, replacing the 10s note in 1970.
Only the 1/2p, 1p, and 2p were introduced on the day.
Inflation didn’t begin to really spike until 1973, then went wild in 1974, three years after decimalisation was enforced, and six years after it began, but 1974 does neatly coincide with industrial action and the three-day week.
Of course, some shops did use decimalisation as a way to increase their prices under the nose of their customers, but the Bank of England studied the impact, and found that actually, price differences overall were in the customers’ favour.
Also, the old shilling was still in use (though in small numbers) through to the early 1990s.
Decimalisation wasn’t some shock to the system overnight. It was performed over many years. There is no indication in inflation, spending figures, or otherwise, that decimalisation had any negative effects. That perception has only ever been found in anecdotal evidence, not factual evidence.
Also, I must add that entry to the EEC did not force decimalisation. Britain attempted to join in 1963 and 1967, and was rejected, before being accepted in 1973. Decimalisation was announced in 1966 and achieved in 1971. The two have no affect on the other, though there’s little doubt decimalisation was promoted as part of Britain’s move closer to European economies, though most of the existing British Empire had already decimalised itself.
However, the introduction of the metric system was a necessary part of EC standardisation, becoming government policy in 1965.
I recently restored a drophead version of one , a 1936 wolslely 25
Ah fantastic. I bet it's a stunner!
Thanks so much for quality videos. Will the next generations value old cars? Most young people I know have no desire or interest in cars other than its image and the never needs fixing factor.
Paul Staffs.
I don’t think there’s any question about that. There are thousands of young people who adore cars. Car shows and social media are awash with them.
I truly do not understand where this belief that young people aren’t interested comes from. Being into cars has never been more fashionable.
The biggest issue currently facing younger people who want cool old cars is them being priced out of the market. Nobody under 25 is going to be able to afford a built Mini, a Capri, or a Mk1 Golf. They all have Lupos, Metros, E36 BMWs, things like that, because they’re affordable.
However, there are a lot of owners clubs concerned about a lack of young people being interested in their particular corner of the classic car world, and that’s a real problem. But usually, they’re clubs that operate as cliques, who require membership, are averse to giving advice or a helping hand to anyone outside, they withhold parts, and generally appear unapproachable to someone who doesn’t match the demographic.
However, there are lots of very friendly clubs, whose biggest barriers for entry from young people are either a general lack of interest in a model or the budget I mentioned earlier. I overheard a conversation of Triumph TR6 owners 3 years ago where they were pondering why 18 year olds won’t buy TR6s, while failing to realise that 18 year olds can’t go and splash £16000 on a 50 year old sports car. They’ll instead spend £3000 on an MX-5.
My brother has a 1935 Rover P1. Wonderful old car...nay synchromesh so requires a patient hand on the gear stick. I remember an old mechanic saying best to shift into neutral, then roll a cigarette before changing into the next gear.
Using both hands to shift a Massey
Nice video. Well done!
Side note, £1 had 20s of 12d each so 240d per £1 (not 250 as you stated in the video).
Perhaps also interesting is that.various “up-market” products and professional service were priced in Guineas.
A Guinea was equal to 21 Shillings (£1 and 1s)
All the best! Éamonn
Indeed, racehorses are still traded in guineas.
My Dad's first car was woolsley.
Interesting how certain features never lasted. The netting storage on the rear headlining would be useful today (we use it on yachts). Surprised Issigonis never used such storage on the Mini. I suppose its a headroom issue ... Keep up the series, always good viewing
I'd expect headroom to be the issue, as I suppose would rear visibility!
Thanks mate :)
Do you drive a golf buggy from your residence to your yacht a short throw
Issigonis was a tall man so netting on the headlining probably would not have worked. He did however fit the rear windows of the mini with an opening device similar to the Super Six. I would love to see a head to head with the equivalent Citroen Traction Avant.
@@michaelfranklinwhibley2935 No. It's too far to cross my estate in a golf buggy. A member of my staff usually drives me there. If we don't have too much luggage we use the helicopter.
My father bought one back in the 1970s. It was black, and the body was in good condition. The interior was a bit rough. It drove well, we had a few trips around town in the old girl. People would be looking at us.