Wolseley – Driven To Write

On the home stretch.

Renault 8 (1962-1973) / Renault 10 (1965-1971)

Largely based on the Dauphine, which would continue to be offered for five years after its introduction, the Renault 8 was styled⁽¹⁾ in the typically ‘boxy’ idiom of other rear-engined cars from the sixties such as the Simca 1000 and NSU Prinz. The 8 would prove to be very popular due to its comfortable ride and spacious interior at an attractive price. The later sporty Gordini versions also enjoyed a strong following and were succesful in various competitions, their powerplants used by Matra and Alpine.

The 8 was powered by the new Cléon-Fonte engine and the little Renault had disc brakes on all four wheels⁽²⁾ which was not common at the time, especially on a small and economical vehicle. The 8 was built, or sometimes assembled from CKD kits, in many countries in addition to France, including Spain, Romania (Dacia), Bulgaria (Bulgarrenault), Morocco, Canada, Venezuela and Australia. It would Continue reading “Long Story (Part Three)”

In what seems to be a verbatim transcript of a period article, renowned motoring correspondent, Archie Vicar, provides a summary of his motoring week in late 1958.

_{Note: The article appeared in the Liverpool Evening Express, a newspaper based in Liverpool, England, November 2nd, 1958. Due to the lack of accompanying photographs, stock images have been used. Paper damage of the source means the transcript is incomplete.}

The Fifteen-Sixty motor car is manufactured by the great English marque, Wolseley. In recent weeks it has been my task to assess this fine motor car’s merits in the course of extended driving duties. To that particular end I have driven the Fifteen-Sixty to my appointments around England, reported here. Regular readers may be cognizant of the fact that the Fifteen-Sixty is a recent addition to the Wolseley range and it stands at a shade over 59 inches high. To effect the forward propulsion of the car, Wolseley Continue reading “Motoring Week: A week of motoring by Archie Vicar”