1967 Wolseley Hornet Mk II

The pre-war Wolseley Hornet was a much admired sports car which served well as a competitor for the MGs and Rileys of the day. By 1967 the basic Austin/Morris Mini was taking the motoring world by storm, but it was felt necessary to produce a slightly larger version, incorporating much of the Mini design but with a longer tail with enlarged boot and a better equipped interior, but retaining the Wolseley grille with illuminated badge.

Originally with a standard 848cc transverse mounted engine, the Mk II Hornet, which appeared in 1963, had hydrolastic suspension and a 998cc engine, giving a top speed of 77mph and better fuel consumption.

This lovely example has resided in Dorset for its entire life. First purchased by a gentleman in Buckland Newton, ownership then passed to the current custodian and her late husband in 1982 and it has remained in the couple’s care for the last forty one years. The Wolseley has been enjoyed locally at classic car shows and rallies and is a super example, having been clearly cherished throughout its life with maintenance documented in the file since the late nineties. More recently, a restoration was carried out in 2016 which included the replacement of the floor pans and sills; in 2017, the distributor cap, spark plugs, ignition lead, rotor arms etc were renewed, and in 2019, work for almost £900 included an oil change and the fitting of a new water pump, fan belt, spark plugs, head gasket and wheel cylinder, together with a replacement cylinder head.

Today, the Hornet is very smart and presentable having been the subject of an older restoration. The interior has recent new carpets and the original leather upholstery is in good order with some wear to the front seat, to be expected.

The motor car is supplied with a history display board, a factory workshop manual and a history file containing the original driver’s handbook, correspondence, lots of invoices dating from 1998, Wolseley Register information, an almost complete run of MOT test certificates from 1988 to 2022, and the V5C registration certificate.

SOLD