Description
H&H Classic Auction @ The Imperial War Museum, Duxford/ Cambridgeshire
9th October, 2024 13:00
1931 Wolseley Hornet Sportsman Coupe
In the ownership of two families from new
Estimate
£15, 000 - £20, 000
Registration No: OV 2980
Chassis No: 4769CF3
MOT: Exempt
Exceptionally rare Hornet Sportsman Coupe originally commissioned by Eustace Watkins
Coachwork by Salmons and Sons in Newport Pagnell
Highly original example in its original colour scheme
In the ownership of just two families from new with current ownership since 1984
Supplied with a comprehensive restoration between 1984 and 1987
The vogue for creating small cars of big performance pre-dates today's hot hatches by many decades, of which the Wolseley Hornets of 1930 to 1935 are ample proof. The trick was to insert six-cylinder OHC engines of 1271cc into unsuspecting modified Morris Minor chassis and then provide them with relatively lightweight bodies and wheels to create cars with considerably more get-up-and-go. The ‘Occasional-Four Coupe‘ is understood to have been originally commissioned for Eustace Watkins, a London dealer of Wolseleys located in Croydon from 1906 and at one time was the largest distributor of Wolseley cars in the world. Eustace Watkins offered custom coachwork, most notably the Wolseley Hornet Specials some of which were coachbuilt for Eustace Watkins.
Chassis number ‘4769CF3’ was manufactured in 1931 and was originally commissioned through Eustace Watkins and is bodied in exceptionally rare Sportsman Coupe coachwork with sunshine roof by Salmons and Sons in Newport Pagnell. Purchased new by the Roberts family, the Wolseley was retained in the ownership of two of the family until 1984, by which stage the Hornet required a full restoration following being unused and stored in a garage/ workshop for thirty-five years. Notably original and appreciating the rarity, the Sportsman Coupe was purchased by the late vendor who embarked upon a comprehensive, body-off and chassis-up restoration. The chassis was fully refurbished before the original coachwork was renovated and presented in its original colour scheme of Fawn paintwork.
The mechanicals were completely restored including the six-cylinder engine overhauled, as well as the interior was retrimmed. Returning to the road in Spring 1987, since then, the Hornet had been in regular use including trips to Retromobile, Silverstone, and Shuttleworth, only stopping for coronavirus and sadly the passing of the vendor last year. Starting readily and running well during the recent photography session, the Wolseley may require some recommissioning before returning to road use. Supplied with a history file that contains the original buff logbook, notebook documenting the journeys in the current ownership, a large selection of previous MOTs, previous invoices and tax discs, a letter from the original family ownership’s daughter, VSCC eligibility document, letter from The Automobile editor for restoration feature, and current V5C document.
A highly original example with exceptionally rare and attractive coachwork, this Sportsmans Coupe has remarkably been in the ownership of just two families from new.
