Wolseley Hornet (1930)
Encyclopedia
The Wolseley Hornet was a lightweight saloon car produced by the Wolseley Motor Company
from 1930 to 1936. The manufacturer had been acquired by Morris
in 1927 and the Wolseley Hornet of 1930 was in effect a 2-door Morris Minor
saloon fitted with a small six cylinder engine in place of the four cylinder unit that was normal for this size of car.
It had a small six cylinder (1271cc) engine with a single overhead cam, and hydraulic brakes. The engine was modified in 1932 to make it shorter and it was moved forwards on the chassis. For 1935 the engine grew to 1378 cc. The car could initially be ordered from Wolseley as an enclosed saloon with steel or fabric body or open two seater. From 1931 it was available without the saloon body, and was used as the basis for a number of sporting specials. In 1932 the factory added two and four seat coupés to the range. For its final year of production the range was rationalised to a standard saloon and coupé.
A three speed gearbox was fitted to the earliest cars but this was upgraded to a four speed in 1932 and fitted with synchromesh from 1933. A freewheel mechanism could be ordered in 1934.
The engine was also used in the MG F-type
and MG L-type
Magnas, and MG K-type
and MG N-type
Magnettes.
Two sporting versions were made called Hornet Specials. The 1932-34 version of which 2307 were made had twin carburettors and higher compression and was supplied as a chassis to various specialist coachbuilders including Swallow
and Cunard
. For 1935 it had a 1604 cc engine but only 148 were made.
At launch the car came with a UK retail price of £175 and could be seen as a competitively priced small saloon with unusually brisk performance; but during the 1930s it gained in overall weight and lost the well judged weight distribution that gave the early Hornets much of their market-place appeal.
Wolseley Motor Company
The Wolseley Motor Company was a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1901. After 1935 it was incorporated into larger companies but the Wolseley name remained as an upmarket marque until 1975.-History:...
from 1930 to 1936. The manufacturer had been acquired by Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
in 1927 and the Wolseley Hornet of 1930 was in effect a 2-door Morris Minor
Morris Minor (1928)
This article refers to the motor car manufactured by the Morris Motor Company and its successors from 1928–1933. For the Morris Minor manufactured by the Morris Motor Company from 1948–1971, see Morris Minor....
saloon fitted with a small six cylinder engine in place of the four cylinder unit that was normal for this size of car.
It had a small six cylinder (1271cc) engine with a single overhead cam, and hydraulic brakes. The engine was modified in 1932 to make it shorter and it was moved forwards on the chassis. For 1935 the engine grew to 1378 cc. The car could initially be ordered from Wolseley as an enclosed saloon with steel or fabric body or open two seater. From 1931 it was available without the saloon body, and was used as the basis for a number of sporting specials. In 1932 the factory added two and four seat coupés to the range. For its final year of production the range was rationalised to a standard saloon and coupé.
A three speed gearbox was fitted to the earliest cars but this was upgraded to a four speed in 1932 and fitted with synchromesh from 1933. A freewheel mechanism could be ordered in 1934.
The engine was also used in the MG F-type
MG F-Type
The MG F-type Magna was a six cylinder engined car produced by the MG Car company from October 1931 to 1932. It was also known as the 12/70.Looking for a car to fill the gap between the M-Type Midget and the 18/80, MG turned to another of the engines that had become available from William Morris's...
and MG L-type
MG L-Type
The MG L-type was produced by the MG Car company in 1933 and 1934.This 2 door sports car used a smaller version of the 6 cylinder overhead camshaft, crossflow engine which now had a capacity of 1086 cc with a bore of 57 mm and stroke of 71 mm and produced at 5500 rpm. It was...
Magnas, and MG K-type
MG K-Type
The MG K-type Magnette was produced by the MG Car company from October 1932 to 1934.Launched at the 1932 London Motor Show, the K-Type replaced the F-Type Magna but having at first a slightly smaller capacity engine it took the name Magnette...
and MG N-type
MG N-Type
The MG N-type Magnette was produced by the MG Car company from October 1934 to 1936. The car was developed from the K-Type and L-Type but had a new chassis that broke away in design from the simple ladder type used on the earlier cars of the 1930s being wider at the rear than the front and with the...
Magnettes.
Two sporting versions were made called Hornet Specials. The 1932-34 version of which 2307 were made had twin carburettors and higher compression and was supplied as a chassis to various specialist coachbuilders including Swallow
Swallow Sidecar Company
The Swallow Sidecar Company was founded on 4 September 1922 by two friends, William Walmsley and William Lyons . Both families lived in the same street in Blackpool, England. Walmsley had previously been making sidecars and bolting them onto reconditioned motorcycles...
and Cunard
Cunard (coachbuilder)
The Cunard Motor & Carriage company was a British vehicle coachbuilder. It was founded in London in 1911 and continued in various forms up to the 1960s....
. For 1935 it had a 1604 cc engine but only 148 were made.
At launch the car came with a UK retail price of £175 and could be seen as a competitively priced small saloon with unusually brisk performance; but during the 1930s it gained in overall weight and lost the well judged weight distribution that gave the early Hornets much of their market-place appeal.