1913 Wolseley M6 24/30hp Torpedo Phaeton

Although long since departed, Wolseley was one of Britain's foremost car makers throughout the Edwardian period and into the 1920s, even though it was originally founded by Irish-born Frederick York Wolseley in Sydney, Australia in 1887 to manufacture sheep-shearing equipment. Two years later a subsidiary was set up in Birmingham, England where works manager, Herbert Austin, would be responsible for the first Wolseley motor car, a three-wheeler built on Léon Bollée lines, in 1896.

Early Wolseleys featured horizontal engines, but it was with the arrival of vertical-engined multi-cylinder cars in the Edwardian era that Wolseley earned its reputation for finely engineered, smooth and powerful transport. By this time, Herbert Austin had left to pursue his own career and his place was taken by John D Siddeley whose own company, taken over by Wolseley in 1904, had been making vertical-engined cars based on the French Peugeot. Siddeley forged ahead with an ever-expanding range of vertical-engined models which, for the next few years, were marketed under the 'Wolseley-Siddeley' name, reverting to plain 'Wolseley' after Siddeley's departure in 1911. By now the company was among the leading British car makers, active also in such diverse fields as commercial vehicles, marine and aero-engines, and other engineering activities. Wolseleys had Royal patronage – HM Queen Alexandra had several of the marque, and they were exported in large numbers to Australia, Canada, India and New Zealand. Wolseleys were also built under licence by the Wolsit company in Italy. Operations at Crayford ceased in 1908, but the Adderley Park factory was extended several times and was one of the largest car factories in Europe.

The car offered here (20331) is an example of Wolseley's 4,961cc, six-cylinder, side-valve engined 24/30hp, an up-market model produced between 1911 and 1915. It is one of a number of barn find, early Wolseleys unearthed in Canada in the early 1960s by Charles G. Neville and the whole story is recounted in Neville's book, Wolseleys in Canada 1900-1920. Chapter 15 of the book deals with the discovery of 20331, its rescue from the barn, research into its early history and the next 30 years. The car's first owner was a Dr Oscar Pelham Edgar, Head of the French Department, Victoria College, University of Toronto and it was sold some 15 years later to the Bowyers family of Erskine Avenue, also in Toronto, and this fascinating story is well-documented by Charles Neville.

He was to own the car until 2008, when it was believed to have been purchased by Richard Eastmead (ex-President of the Veteran Car Club of GB - VCC) who, we understand, partially restored the Wolseley (chassis, axles, engine, gearbox and steering box etc.). The restoration was finished by the car's previous owner with much of the ash frame being restored/replaced, a new steel body formed and finished in Midnight Blue, the interior superbly trimmed in button-back Navy Blue leather and all finished with a new hood and tonneau cover. 

When purchased by our vendor around a year ago, the carburettor needing setting up as the car was not running cleanly, however along with a number of other small jobs this has been attended to and it now runs particularly well. It's fitted with a transmission brake which is foot-operated, aided by a hand-operated brake lever and, we understand, the car now stops as well as it goes. Our vendor has enjoyed this venerable Wolseley on local events and trips to the pub, but a change of plans means that it's now available.

BF 9725 is a fine Edwardian touring car, ideal for Veteran Car Club and VSCC Light Car and Edwardian events, and very sensibly-guided considering the quality and versatility on offer.