Wolseley 6/90
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| Wolseley 6/90 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | BMC |
| Production | 1954-1959 11852 made |
| Predecessor | Wolseley 6/80 |
| Successor | Wolseley 6/99 |
| Class | FF Mid-size car |
| Body style | 4-door saloon |
| Engine | 2.6 L C-Series I6 |
| Related | Riley Two-Point-Six |
The Wolseley 6/90 was a car from the British Wolseley Motor Company, produced from 1954-59, which replaced the 6/80 as the company's flagship model.
Though Wolseley was then well under the control of Lord Nuffield and BMC, and would soon be heavily involved in their badge engineering, the 6/90 seemed a true Wolseley. It was based on the work previously done for the Riley Pathfinder though it did without the Mark I Pathfinder's sophisticated rear suspension. The 6/90 used the BMC C-Series straight-6, an engine that produced 95 hp (71 kW). It rocked Wolseley traditionalists with a grey striped formica instrument panel and central large chrome "cheese-cutter" speaker grille.
It is also somewhat notorious for leading to the sacking of its designer Gerald Palmer (by BMC's Leonard Lord) in favour of Alec Issigonis.
[edit] Series II
Series II 6/90s, introduced for 1957, included leaf springs on the live axle in the rear, a more conventional walnut dash and a floor-mounted gear lever — unusually on the right-hand side, on right-hand-drive cars. In production for only 8 months, the Series II gave way to the Series III in 1958 after only 1024 had been made.
[edit] Series III
The Series III included larger power brakes and a larger rear window. This design was also available, rebadged, as Riley's Pathfinder replacement, the ill-fated Two-Point-Six. 5052 were made.
6/90 production ended in 1959 with the introduction of the Pininfarina-designed 6/99.
