The Wolseley 4/50 and similar 6/80 were Wolseley Motors' first post-war automobiles. They were put into production in 1948 and were based on the Morris Oxford MO and the Morris Six MS respectively. The 4-cylinder 4/50 used a 1476 cc version of the 6/80 engine, while the 6/80 used a 2215 cc straight-6 single overhead cam.
The cars featured a round Morris rear end and upright Wolseley grille and were used extensively by the police at the time – the 6/80 particularly.
These models were built at Morris's Cowley factory alongside the Oxford. They were replaced in 1953 and 1954 by the Wolseley 4/44 and 6/90.
Wolseley 4/50
A 6/80 tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1951 had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0– in 21.4 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. The test car cost £767 including taxes. An Autocar magazine road test of an apparently similar car managed a top speed of only and slightly slower acceleration on a windy day a couple of years earlier. The testers noted that "in keeping with [the manufacturer's] policy which has much to commend it to a discerning motorist, the Wolseley is quite high geared", which made for relaxed cruising at (by the standards of the time) speed, but a more urgent driving style involved extensive use of the gearbox. Standard equipment included a heater, a rear window blind and "twin roof lamps in the rear compartment".