The Wolseley Nine was a small family car introduced by Wolseley in 1934. It used a 1,018 cc overhead-camshaft four-cylinder engine in a four-door saloon body on a 2,286 mm wheelbase, and it was replaced in 1936 by the Wolseley Wasp.
Wolseley Nine at a glance
| Maker | Wolseley Motors |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1934 |
| Class | small family car |
| Engine | 1,018 cc four-cylinder, overhead camshaft, water-cooled |
| Wheelbase | 2,286 mm |
| Body | four-door saloon |
| Length | 3,645 mm |
| Width | 1,397 mm |
| Kerb weight | 876 kg with wire wheels |
| Top speed | 95 km/h |
| Replaced by | Wolseley Wasp, 1936 |
There is no English Wikipedia page for the Nine, so the article relies on the German page, itself based on Culshaw and Horrobin’s Complete Catalogue of British Cars. Based on one source.
History of the Wolseley Nine
The Nine
The Wolseley Nine was introduced in 1934 as a car in the lower middle class. Its engine was a water-cooled four-cylinder of 1,018 cc with an overhead camshaft, and it was supplied on a chassis with a 2,286 mm wheelbase. The four-door saloon body was 3,645 mm long and 1,397 mm wide, and the car weighed 876 kg with wire-spoke wheels. Its top speed was 95 km/h.
The Wasp
In 1936 the Wolseley Wasp replaced the Nine. Its engine had a slightly larger capacity of 1,069 cc and produced 32 bhp at 4,000 rpm. On the same wheelbase the body was 3,480 mm long and 1,461 mm wide, the kerb weight was 914 kg and the top speed 103 km/h. After only one year the Wasp disappeared from the Wolseley range without a replacement.
Design and features
- Overhead-camshaft engine: a 1,018 cc four with a camshaft above the cylinders.
- Compact saloon body: four doors on a 2,286 mm wheelbase, 3,645 mm long.
- Wire wheels: the car weighed 876 kg in this form.
- 95 km/h top speed: respectable for a 1-litre car of the mid-1930s.
Wolseley Nine versions
- Nine (1934–1936): the original 1,018 cc car.
- Wasp (1936–1937): the replacement with a 1,069 cc engine, 32 bhp and a 103 km/h top speed.
The Wolseley Ten was the marque’s next small car, and the Wolseley Hornet was the six-cylinder lightweight of the same decade. More cars are in the Wolseley collection.
Video: Wolseley Nine 1934
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Wolseley Nine, German Wikipedia: engine, dimensions, weight, performance, Wasp
