Cars’ jubilee tour celebrates historic link to city’s business

The stop at Wolseley UK in Ripon yesterday was part of a 2,000-mile tour around the country and marked the connection between the two organisations.

About 80 classic cars, all between 36 and 78 years old, are taking part in the tour.

The vehicles arriving in Ripon were greeted by the Mayor, Coun Andrew Williams, and his 
deputy, Coun Pauline McHardy, along with staff from Wolseley UK.

Also on hand to meet the drivers was Geoff Craggs, a former mayor of Boroughbridge and the current chairman of the Wolseley Register. He said: “We are so pleased that Wolseley UK can welcome us on our Yorkshire leg of the journey and give us the opportunity to show people what this classic car looks like and to talk about the heritage of the marque.”

Ripon’s largest employer gave its name to the Wolseley car in 1895, when Herbert Austin, an employee of Frederick Wolseley, designed and built a “Wolseley horseless carriage”.

The vehicle was developed and later bought by William Morris, as part of Morris Motors, which then went on to become BMC, British Leyland and, eventually, the Rover Group.