After Herbert Austin left Wolseley to launch the eponymous Austin Motor Company in 1905, the marque reverted to a conventional vertical engine configuration to specifications by J.D. Siddeley, moving away from Austin’s famous horizontal design. From the first blueprints of 1906 up to the outbreak of World War I, Wolseley’s engines became more powerful over time. The 16/20 HP model was launched in 1910 and built around a four-cylinder engine with a capacity of 3,079 cc and an output of 20.3 horsepower. Later examples of the 16/20 HP featured a bevel final drive with a four-speed gearbox, while a combined air and oil pump deployed pressurised air to supply petrol from the tank to the carburettor.

The example offered here, chassis 19014, is recorded to have been ordered on 15 October 1913 in C6 “Colonial” model specification and with a Torpedo Tourer body style. By 1914, the 16/20 HP was available in either 10’4” or 10’10” wheelbase configuration, with this car built to the latter measurements. According to a copy of the car’s accompanying Wolseley Motors Limited build sheet (available to view on file), the car left the Adderley Park factory finished in Dove Lined White.

The Wolseley was ordered via the agent W. Dawson of South Africa and was delivered on 28 May 1914. It is thought that the C6 spent its first five decades in the country. The earliest history of chassis 19014 is not recorded, but in 1967 the car was pictured in attendance of the Rand Daily Mail Rally, at which point it wore the road registration “TJ 4463”. The black-and-white photo shows the car in dark colours, suggesting its original colourway had been reconfigured by then. Later returning to the United Kingdom, the car is believed to have been registered in its domestic country in March 1969, gaining the registration number it now displays. The car then entered a long period of ownership, and was acquired by the respected Wolseley collector Terry Easton. The consigning owner acquired the Wolseley around eight years ago, and since then the car has been maintained by Smallbones, a specialist company for cars of this era, and kept in a heated garage.

Now finished in an attractive green hue with a dark red leather interior and tan hood, also featuring desirable extras such as occasional rear seats, an Auster screen with re-nickled surround, and an electric start, the condition of this resplendent Wolseley belies its 110 years, while the accompanying build sheet confirms that the car retains its matching-numbers chassis and engine. Built by a fascinating marque that was so dominant in the pre-war era, this C6 would make a fine entrant to the many events and rallies it is eligible for.