If you've ever watched an old British film from the fifties that featured a police car in some way, chances are that the elegant lines of the Wolseley 6/90 are familiar to you. Although not quick by today's standards, the six cylinder, 2.6 litre engine wafted the big Wolseley along briskly enough to make it a popular choice for thief takers up and down the country - and also provided a comfortable and typically English interior of wood and leather to make the experience just that little bit more dignified. With the clanging bell on the front and the absence (at this time) of the flashing blue light mounted on top of the roof, the big Wolseley marks a discreet contrast to the lurid flashiness of the modern police car and seems to epitomise a time when the police were more concerned about doing a job effectively rather than being seen to do the job.
Of course, the 6/90 wasn't just popular with police forces. The graceful styling, spacious interior and effortless performance made the car a popular choice for the aspirational middle classes who wanted something a little more distinctive from the average Austin/Morris fare, but couldn't quite stretch to the likes of Jaguar.
By the way, I know it's not Sunday but I rarely find the time to post at the weekend now and I really want to keep this series going (even though I can't get the bloody posts to format properly with photographs!)
5 comments:
My favourite was the 15/50. A friend and I restored one to it's original beauty about 25 years ago - two-tome grey. Many a Saturday afternoon was spent cleaning bits and pieces, polishing chrome, and painting the engine block green. Ahh happy days.
This post was a toss up between the 15/50 and the 6/90. I decided to go with the 6/90 because of its association with the police and better performance, but in terms of looks I prefer the 15/50 as well.
An absolute classic Mr Stan, thank you.
cant wait till saturday going to view a 6/90 that has been owned for over 40 years.Need it to tow my classic 1952 caravan .
teddy said I have one of these beautiful cars only one previous owner love showing her to the populous when she's dressed as a police car,going to Pickering looking to see about taking her next year
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