Wolseley Motors
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1901 |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Fate | Merged |
| Successor | British Motor Corporation |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, England, UK |
Key people | Thomas and Albert Vickers Herbert Austin J D Siddeley A J McCormack W R Morris |
| Product type | Automotive marque |
|---|---|
| Owner | SAIC Motor |
| Discontinued | 1975 |
| Previous owners | Vickers, Sons and Maxim (1901–1927) W R Morris (1927–1935) Morris Motors Limited (1935–1952) BMC (1952–1968) British Leyland (1968–1986) Rover Group (1986–1988) BAe (1988–1994) BMW (1994–2000) MG Rover (2000–2005) NAC (2005–2007) |
Wolseley Motors Limited was a British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in early 1901 by the Vickers Armaments in conjunction with Herbert Austin. It initially made a full range, topped by large luxury cars, and dominated the market in the Edwardian era. The Vickers brothers died in 1914 and 1919, respectively, and, without their guidance, Wolseley expanded rapidly after the war, manufacturing 12,000 cars in 1921, and remained the biggest motor manufacturer in Britain.
In 1927, it was acquired by William Morris from Vickers Limited as a personal investment. Over-expansion led to receivership. He moved it into his Morris Motors empire just before World War II. After that, Wolseley products were "badge-engineered" Morris cars. Wolseley went with its sister businesses into BMC, BMH, and British Leyland, where its name lapsed in 1975.