01
Origins
The 15/60 of December 1958 has a small place in history: it introduced the Pininfarina-styled body that BMC would sell, with different grilles and trim, as an Austin, a Morris, an MG, a Riley and this Wolseley — the most complete exercise in badge engineering Britain had seen. Farina's crisp three-box design with restrained tailfins modernised the corporation overnight, and Wolseley's version led the launch, dressed with the traditional grille, its glowing badge, and a wood-and-leather cabin over the ordinary B-series 1.5-litre mechanicals. It was a comfortable, unhurried car for buyers who wanted respectability with their practicality. Renamed 16/60 with a larger engine in 1961, it ran all the way to 1971, long after fashion had moved on — proof of how well judged the original package was.
Wolseley 16-60 front · The original uploader was Redsimon at English Wikipedia. · CC BY 2.5
