Wolseley Racing
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Wolseley Racing consisted of a number of motor car racing efforts between 1903 and 1969 supported by Wolseley Motor Company which resulted in many victories and helped promote the brand and prowess of the company [1]. In addition to the company sponsored racing there were also individuals who entered Wolseley cars or cars with Wolseley motors into races. The history of Wolseley Racing can be split into 3 periods. Pre-WW1, Between the wars and Post-WW2.
Pre-World War I
With Napier & Son the Wolseley cars were Britain's only entries in early races such as 1903 Paris–Madrid race,1904 Circuit des Ardennes and 1905 Gordon Bennett Cup where Charles Rolls was a driver. The 1903 race saw not only a Wolseley car driven by Herbert Austin himself (later to own the company) but another of the Wolseleys was involved in a high-speed accident (one of a number during the race) that ultimately caused this form of city to city road-racing to be banned. [2] In 1907 Wolseley Italiana entered 3 x cars under the Wolsit name in the Coppa Florio with just one of them finishing.[3]
Between the wars
A specific racing department was created by Arthur John McCormack in 1920 which resulted in the Wolseley Viper 1 (using a Wolseley Viper engine from an aircraft) [4], Wolseley Moth [5] and Wolseley Hornet (1930) [6]all gaining success in races at Brooklands. Noteable drivers of these cars include Woolf Barnato [7], Kaye Don , Kay Petre, James Robertson Justice and Alastair Miller. It was Miller who set the 1922 British Double-Twelve Record in a Wolseley Moth. [8]
Post-World War II
The Wolseley Hornet (Mini) achieved great results during the 1960's driven by Alec Poole and others until the Wolseley brand was retired in 1969.
References
- ^ "THE STORY OF THE WOLSELEY VIPER".
- ^ "The Paris-Madrid Motor Car Race". The Spectator 30th May 1903.
- ^ "Targa-Florio.net" (PDF).
- ^ "THE STORY OF THE WOLSELEY VIPER".
- ^ "The Wolseley". Shire.
- ^ "The Book of Sports Cars - (Great Britain)".
- ^ "Woolf Barnato". Austin Harris.
- ^ "Racing Wolseleys". Motor Sport Magazine, March 1968.