01
Origins
The 4/50 of 1948 was half of Wolseley's first all-new post-war range, sharing its modern monocoque body with the larger 6/80 and, at one remove, with the Morris Oxford — Nuffield rationalisation in action, dressed with the marque's traditional upright grille and illuminated badge. Its four-cylinder engine used a single overhead camshaft, unusual refinement for a middle-class saloon of the day, though the car was more dignified than brisk. Inside, leather and timber preserved the sense that a Wolseley was a cut above the Morris it was built beside. It sold steadily rather than spectacularly until 1953, overshadowed by the six-cylinder 6/80 that the police adopted so visibly. The 4/50's role was transitional: proof that Wolseley could survive inside a merged giant by selling trim, tradition and that glowing radiator badge.
Wolseley 6-80 side · The original uploader was Redsimon at English Wikipedia. · CC BY 2.5
