Motor Car History
 Veteran - Vintage - Classic - Modern
Motor car history
Understanding the Automobile
Toggle Navigation
  • You are here:  
  • Motor Car
  • Make and Model
  • W
  • Wolseley
  • Wolseley 4/44 (1953-1956)
  • Home
  • Makes and models
  • Motor car History
  • Motor Car Guide
    • Induction & Exhaust
    • Tyres wheels Brakes
    • Vehicle Body types
    • Electrical & electronic
    • Gearbox & Drivetrain
    • Engine Components
    • Suspension Types
    • Engines
  • Trivia
    • Advertising
    • Race events
    • Film & TV
    • Museums
  • links
    • Advertise your business
    • About us
    • Help with a donation
  • Log in
  • Register
  • Advertise
  • Motor Car
  • Make and Model
  • W
  • Wolseley
Categories
Wolseley
Motor Cars
1950s
Britain

History

Wolseley 4/44

Wolseley four forty-four  specifications (1953-1956)

Manufacturer

BMC

Production

1953 to 1956 

Class

Motor car

Produced

29,845

Designer

Gerald Palmer

Body style

4-door saloon

Engine

Morris 1250 cc in-line 4

Wheelbase

102 in (2,600 mm)

Length

168 inches (4267 mm)

Width

61 in (1,500 mm)

 

The Wolseley four forty-four (4/44) was a Motor car built in the 1950s.

History

The Wolseley Four Forty-Four made its first public appearance on the opening day of the Earl's Court Motor Show. It was originally designed under the Nuffield Organisation but by the time it was released in 1953 Wolseley was part of BMC. Much of the design was shared with the MG Magnette ZA which came out later in the same year.

Unlike the MG, the 4/44 used the well-tried Nuffield design,1250 cc XPAW engine a version of the XPAG engine previously seen in the later MG T-type series of cars but detuned developing some 46 b.h.p. with a three-bearing counter-weighted crankshaft and an S.B. ratio of 1.35:1. Having pushrod-operated overhead valves and unlike the MG a single S.U. carburettor it will readily reach 5,000 r.p.m and produces maximum torque at 2,400 r.p.m. The engine is supported on two tubes of about 21-in. diameter which run forward from the scuttle and these in effect are unstressed torsional. The four-speed manual transmission has a column change, the clutch is of a single dry plate type, 8 in, in diameter, and the gearbox a four-speed unit having ratios of 1.5, 2.53, and 3.8:1,

The construction was monocoque, front-end stiffness is further increased by a rectangular box-section approximately 31 in. deep and 4 in. wide with independent suspension at the front by coil springs and a live rear axle. by using the tunnel as a stressed member so that the car can in some respects be thought of as having a backbone frame built into it the deep and stressed tunnel Contributes materially to the beam stiffness of the car its value in respect of torsional Stiffness. The rear springs are anchored to the narrow-section side members with the rear spring eye slightly higher than the front so as to give an inbuilt understeer characteristic which increases with roll angle. 

For the steering at the front of the car the two half-track rods are placed ahead of the front wheels and connect with a transversely mounted rack-and-pinion steering gear, there being, therefore, only four ball joints in the entire steering linkage.

The car had upmarket trim with wooden dashboard and leather Dunlopillo seats the front seat is bench type, but now tailored for two separate persons although three can be carried. For heating Behind the screen are two wide slots to provide de-misting or de-frosting air received from a Smiths 33-kW heater centrally mounted on the engine side of the scuttle. The heater control unit is placed immediately below the panel, provision as standard of a large-diameter clock in addition to clock and
speedometer, the instruments comprise oil pressure gauge, water thermometer, and fuel tank indicator. finely-veneered wooden fillet, similar material being provided for the window capping. The three-spoke steering wheel has the gear lever immediately beneath it and a corresponding three-spoke horn ring immediately above it. Along with a traditional Wolseley radiator grille with illuminated badge but was expensive at £997 on the home market. It was replaced in 1956 by the similar Wolseley 15/50.

  • Top speed of 73 mph (117 km/h)
  • Engine Performance: 46 BHP 4,800 r.p.m.  
  • Acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 29.9 seconds
  • Fuel consumption of 27.6 miles per imperial gallon (10.2 L/100 km; 23.0 mpg-US) 

Wolseley 4/44 Technical details (1953-1956)

Technical

  • Wolseley 4/44 Technical details and specifications (1953-1956)

    ENGINE:
    Cylinders : 4
    Bore : 66.5 mm.
    Stroke : 90.0 mm.
    Cubic capacity : 1,250 c.c.
    Piston area : 21.6 sq. in.
    Valves : Pushrod o.h.v.
    Compression ratio : 7.2: 1
    Engine Performance: 46 BHP 4,800 r.p.m.
    Carburettor : Single S.U.
    Ignition : Coil
    Plugs: make and type : Champion L10S
    Fuel pump : S.U.
    Fuel capacity : 9 1/2 gallons
    Oil filter : Full-flow
    Oil capacity : 9 pints
    Cooling system : Pump and fan
    Water capacity : 1 1/2 gallons

    ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT:
    Electrical system : 12-volt
    Battery capacity : 51 amp.hr.

    TRANSMISSION DRIVE LINE:
    Clutch : 8 in. Borg and Beck
    Gear ratios: Top : 4.875,3rd : 7.875,2nd : 10.983,1st : 18.56,Rev. : 18.56
    Prop. shaft : Hardy Spicer
    Final drive : Hypoid bevel

    BRAKES:
    Brakes : Lockheed
    Brake drum diameter : 9 in.
    Friction lining area : 101 sq. in.

    SUSPENSION:
    Front : Coil and wishbone
    Rear : Semi-elliptic
    Shock absorbers : Girling

    WHEELS TYRES:
    Wheel type : Steel disc
    Tyre size : 5.50 x 15 in.

    STEERING:
    Steering gear : Rack and pinion
    Steering wheel size : 6 1/2 in.


    DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT:
    Wheelbase : 8 ft. 6 in.
    Track Front : 4 ft. 2 in.
    Track Rear : 4 ft. 3 in.
    Overall length : 14 ft. 4 in.
    Overall width : 5 ft 1 in.
    Overall height : 5 ft. in.
    Turning circle : 35 ft.
    Dry weight : 21 cwt.

    © Motor car History

Service

  • Maintenance and repair

    The front wing and bonnet assembly is given a three-point mounting so that it canbe detachable.

    The front wings themselves can be removed from the side panels which form the bonnet and the latter in turn can be unbolted from their point of connection to the scuttle and have only a single point attachment at the extreme nose of the car, which can be reached by removing the radiator grille.

Gallery

Gallery
    Wolseley 4/44 car history from 1953 to 1956 Production years,history Wolseley 4/44 car history . specification,vehicle body Variant types.

Related

motor car on you tube

Also read (Members)
  • Wolseley Hornet Mark III (1966-1970)
  • Wolseley Twenty (1920-1925)
  • Wolseley 16/45 (1927-1933)
  • Wolseley 16/35 (1925-1927)
British Automotive 1950s | Vehicles launched in 1953

Can’t see this article ?  >>  Register here. <<

Read more in this section (Registered)

Wolseley 14/60 (1938-1948)
Wolseley 14/60 (1938-1948)
Read more...
Wolseley 30/40 (1914-1921)
Wolseley 30/40 (1914-1921)
Read more...
Wolseley 4/50 (1948-1953)
Wolseley 4/50 (1948-1953)
Read more...

Back to Top

© 2023 Motor Car History