Real Road Test: Ambassador vs Princess - Which Wedge is Best?

[@leuvenlife]

I had the Princess 2200 when I was 19. I won every race I ever got into because if you sank your foot deep, the front would lift and she'd leap down the road. This normally shocked all that witnessed it which gave me a great advantage as no one is at their best when they're amazed. Likewise, the handling allowed me to stay ahead. No slip, but plenty of lean... I bought it in a fit of temper as my mother refused to help me own a spitfire by insuring it with me as the named driver. ('you are not having a sports car. Too fast...!") so I opened the local paper to the Motoring small ads page and started at 'A' I owned it three days before I discovered that the pedal had never been pushed past half way.. I stamped it and couldn't believe my luck. If I couldn't look cool with the wind in my hair in a spitfire, I was damn well going to fly like my hair was on fire in a Princess. Good times...

[@wizardssleeve6049]

leuvenlife. A fast Princess that handled ? Comedy gold. Won every race ? What against ? Wheelbarrow's with flat tyre's ? A total fantasist.

[@leuvenlife]

@@wizardssleeve6049 Voila, I know, right? It sounds unlikely.. So here you go. Renault 17 Gordini driven by the local bully, Ford Granada 3.0 V6 driven by my most competitive mate, Granada 2.8 V6 and multiple smaller less memorable events. Mine was a manual which was a big help, as I thought this automatic was rather ineffective when he gave it the beans. If I had had a good or even a fast car, this wouldn't have been such an event. I'm happy to say that I'm no fantasist, but you are a wizards sleeve.

[@wizardssleeve6049]

You must have been a better driver, nothing to do with ur car being a crappy Princess.

[@buzzofftoxicblog791]

For work I drove a Princess 2 comfy and fastish! Also had a Spitfire uncomfortable and slow but both are fun in different ways Thank you.

[@tedhuges8275]

leuvenlife then you woke up

[@loveisall5520]

As a Texan, this guy really enjoys this channel, precisely because he covers cars that we never had over here. Great video!

[@UncannySense]

what an immaculate example, credit to the owner.

[@teatimetel174]

was 12 miles only 2013 now about 3000

[@Brian.001]

@@teatimetel174 About due for the chassis to rust out, then.

[@andysalter4473]

I'd forgotten what a good looking car it is. Always reminds me of Terry and June. The back end design is very nice. Another good vid, looking forward to part two!👍

[@marcelhandsome6042]

There's something regal and noble about these cars, you just don't get these sorts of unique charismatic British interiors anymore in today's cars! These cars teach a lesson to modern cars in terms of quirkiness, charisma, excitement, feel-good factor, and putting a smile on your face!

[@mrbennetts]

I used to deliver Leyland cars as a holiday job, and I remember the smoothness of that six cylinder engine. I didn’t realise it was not very powerful. Once again, I must admire your knowledge. Amazing. Thank you.

[@superchickenlips1]

I have never clicked on a Hubnut video so quickly. Thanks for this Ian, I loved every minute and greatly appreciate the history lesson. Many memories flooding back of being in my Grandad's Princess every sunday morning. I loved it and was deeply saddened when he sold it. I am looking forward to the next part eagerly. Thanks again.

[@Teeb2023]

That "Princess" is immaculate, and I really like the little differences; the grille / bonnet shape, lights.

[@richardfittonperkins1926]

At last, the video I've been waiting for. I AM that sad man who still lusts after the ribbed velour and cushy ride of the Princess.

[@owensmith8467]

Why aren't modern cars so comfortable, hard riding and even harder seats!!

[@sim6699]

All modern cars are built with sporty suspension and hard seats

[@russcattell955i]

"Ribbed velour and cushy ride" like my kind of favourite undercrackers. LOL

[@Treviscoe]

You're not the only one!

[@andicog]

Because these days a selling point seems to be the fact that it's been round the Nurburgring in under a certain time, sod the comfort, get it round the ring on tyres that look like elastic bands but transfer every bit of harshness, I had a new Focus on loan recently, nice looking alloys and low profiles, bloody Road noise wasn't far off my old Landy and that's on mud terrains!

[@davidgillettuk9638]

This has to be your best upload. I had 2 princesses, the 2.2 being the best and an Ambassador which I pretty much rebuilt. What put me off keeping the Ambassador was the shortage of the hydragas units which were made by Dunlop and they closed the factory that built them. I actually spoke to Dunlop directly and they were unable to give me any alternatives. I seem to recall that in crash testing it was safer than any other model on the market due to the strengthened bulkhead which housed the hydragas units.

[@biffick99]

Why does this car look so fantastic now as opposed to back in the day? I can only assume that it's because most of today's cars are so ugly? Just an opinion. Super rare this one is too, it looks fantastic and I love the colour.

[@wangdangdoodie]

I agree. Saw one only last weekend on the road and boy did it look good! Was also getting lots of admiring glances and even waves (the car, not me - sadly!)

[@TheJamie6666]

Because cars these days lack character.

[@andicog]

I was thinking the same, I think we were just led to believe that BL was uncool and old fashioned, yet with a lot of things they were ahead of the game, times were when people aspired to a Rover or Wolseley, now people aspire to Aud/VW, BMW or God forbid some horid little Mercedes with a 'barp barp barp' gearbox. I see an Austin Allegro every day, a car I hated back in the day, now compared to new cars the Allegro looks like a clean uncomplicated design.

[@biffick99]

@@andicog Yes it's strange that cars you thought were ugly in the day now seem nice looking, it has to be down to today's cars looking ugly making what we thought were ugly back in the day look so stylish now. I know BMC, aka BLMC, BL etc had a bad press but I always liked their cars.

[@TheJamie6666]

@@andicog Many cars back then had their own individual design and character so you could distinguish between them. Look on the roads these days.. Yes they look very good but often look the same.. Just my opinion mind.

[@paulboyers816]

My dad had a princess in 1979 it had a seat belt warning light that was very futuristic back then.

[@Tartanwallet]

Excellent road test, you forget how daringly radical these cars were when they came out. In 1975 I was in digs in a retired Cowley worker's house just behind the BL plant. He had got on his bike from Sunderland in the 1930s and had been a supervisor in the toolmaking dept. Both his sons were on the production line. There were high hopes for the Princess but the sons spent most of their time on strike much to the annoyance of retired Dad who accurately predicted they'd all lose their jobs if they carried on. You can imagine the reaction when my Dad dropped me off at the house in his Audi 100 or Mum in her Toyota Corolla.....

[@Schlipperschlopper]

These cars have something from the German NSU RO 80 design

[@sambrooks7862]

I had a mk1 scirocco in 1984, brazium metallic, gorgeous and seriously quick. Anyway, I took it in for a service and the only car available for me to borrow was a 1978 1.8 automatic princess! "Holy shit, I hope know one I know sees me". I drove that car (which was one owner with less than 20 thousand miles on it) to work and back and I fell in love with it. It was soooo comfortable and actually a lot more responsive than I thought it would be. When I took it back i asked the salesman what he was going to do with it and he said "dunno, auction i suppose, I doubt if anyone will buy it though"? So I asked how much he would take for it "£500" I said "£400 and I'll take it today" so I did, I used that car as my daily driver for about 18 months and kept my precious scirocco for weekends. I eventually sold it to a guy I worked with to tow his caravan for £400 and a morris ital van!

[@MrAbowker]

It was Dr Alex Moulton himself who suggested a way of re-gassing them by fitting a gas vavle to the top of the displacer. He never really stopped developing his suspension systems.

[@tedavco]

Early 80s I worked for a famous dept store group as a delivery driver. Store manager had a princess and used to toss me the keys if he wanted stuff from head office in Glasgow in a big hurry. Absolute wafting barge, felt luxurious at the time

[@PhantomMark]

As a kid I used to travel in one of these twice a week in a Taxi for school, I always remember these cars (The Princess) as being a lovely ride with a peppy engine, later the Taxi company got the Ambassador and I also remember that as being a very decent car tbh. I'd have one today.

[@PhantomMark]

Btw, best Taxi of that time went to the mk1V Cortina, despite both the above being very much ok in my book.

[@Gunzee]

@@PhantomMark there's a old black guy who had one as a pco in west London. Really hope he's still driving, this was between 2003-07. I often saw him on break around west Middlesex hospital & the road leading to Syon Park. Custard yellow & I think it was a mk2 and looking so very well cared for. My cousin had a teal one in the early 80's, so much space and a bloody amazing ride. He later got a c reg 5 series which was so fast it gave my 9 year old stomach butterflies. I still remember how large the vents were in the BMW, and how the fan felt like it was steroids.

[@PhantomMark]

@@Gunzee I also remember riding in an E28 BMW 525e , teachers car, wow that thing like you said felt another world compared to normal cars, left a lasting memory on me clearly, all my cars since I could afford one have been a BMW (since my 30s basically - 46 now)

[@frenchcricketer]

As I write this there are 846 comments from 30,801 views. This is a very high participation rate. I think it is not only due to HubNut's choice of subject with all its instant nostalgia and appeal, but also because he is such an engaging and upbeat personality. I like to just lean back and let all that cornucopia of forgotten information wash over me like a balm. Good on you HubNut keep up the good work, Britain needs something to unite it and who would have thought it was British Leyland.

[@peter7624]

British Leyland were much maligned, some of it unjustly!

[@grantchallinor5263]

This car always reminds me of Terry and June) Back in the day, my father rented a Princess as a hire-car for a week. During a business trip (driving up the M1) at the end the week, the rear 3/4 window just blew-out - along with all the contents of the rear parcel shelf.... Then, at the weekend, I was sitting on the back seat being taken out for my birthday. We came to a set of traffic lights, my father braked the car, (to stop at the lights) - whereupon, the back seat (with me on it) ended up in the rear footwell....! The rear seat had never been attached to the rest of the car...!!! Even the indicator noise the test-car emits, is frighteningly similar to the "Danger, vehicle reversing...!" tone - which many goods vehicles have))) Good old BL.....

I searched for both those maladies on Google. Seems your father's rental was very much a one off...

[@piperdoug428]

Omg, man i loved watching Terry n June

[@grantchallinor5263]

@ Maybe, British Leyland cars were so well-known for being so carefully built and for being unbelievably reliable. Funny that they're not around now)

[@liverush24]

Terry Scott was probably the development driver.

[@grantchallinor5263]

@@liverush24 Yes, like with the owners being the original development drivers for the Allegro....)

[@tomhart-shea8344]

I had a Princess 2200 manual for 5 years. I really enjoyed this video for the memories it brought back. The Princess was reliable and didn't use any more fuel than other 2 -litre cars of its time. The space between the front and rear seats was great for children to sit or sleep on the floor on journeys from Hertfordshire to Yorkshire (In the days before child restraints were mandatory). I always appreciated the road-holding and handling when I worked in Bedfordshire and had a 40 minute drive on windy roads to and from work. Of all our cars it was my wife's favourite.

[@dodgydruid]

I bought an A reg'd Ambassador back in 1999 in Bournemouth for £10, it had sat on a drive for years and with a bit of oil, air in the tyres, fresh coolant and some crunchy freeing up of brakes, I took it first to the jetwash then second to my mate in Bournemouth bus depot who MOT'd all the council taxi's and by the power of Greyskull it passed O.o Had insanely low miles and by heck it was hard to shift too, no one wanted it despite cutting it back to a pristine paintwork, steaming the interior and engine bay it was like a brand new car then someone came along with a metallic burgundy Rover SD1 3.5 VDP facelift and I almost snatched his arm off preferring the Rover randomly working electrical fun to the wedge despite the wedge being faultless. Same colour as the one you got there, I had that on my only ever nut and bolt resto being my Triumph Dolomite 1850HL, beautifully done and wrecked by my little brother who had to change a tyre when it blew in Blackwall Tunnel when he borrowed it, he had never done one so he just slapped the trolley jack it carried under the car, right in the middle of the passenger footwell and pulled every weld and joint off down the passenger side in the doings, faced with huge bills on my baby I lost heart and swapped it out for a TR7 then my youngest was born so had to swap again for something practical, the ex Mayor of Greenwich's Wolseley 18/85 so for the first six months of her life my youngest rode around in style. Still going in Gravesend I believe the Wolseley.

[@markfox1545]

Ian Watson - TAXI'S? One taxi, two or more taxis. See how it works? Just add an s. 😉

[@SuperFIFTHGEAR]

What's this about the Wolseley, Ian? I live in Gravesend and don't recall seeing it... Hope its still about somewhere.

[@montyzumazoom1337]

I had 2! 1st one was a twin headlight 1800 manual gearbox which was pretty dire. I used to sell stuff at craft shows when I had the first Princess 1800, and the carbon clutch release bearing went and I hired a Cortina Mk5 estate for the weekend. Interestingly I never got as much stuff in the Cortina estate as I did in the Princess!! 2nd one was a few years later and was the large headlight 2200. Lovely car, straight 6 cylinder twin carb engine, Auto gearbox and power steering. I took the family on holiday, from the south coast, up the west side of the country to the Lake District, then Scotland, Isle of Skye then across to Inverness and back down the eastern side of the country and back home. 2,221 miles in 10 days. It performed effortlessly and flawlessly during that trip, including driving the Hardknot pass in the Lake District. I loved that car. If you put you’re foot down at the traffic lights you certainly embarrassed some other car drivers, particularly in the 2200 auto.

[@stepheng8779]

Wow, that's possibly the best looking front end of a car ever. Absolutely beautiful. Nice to hear it was first reg'd in June, seems fitting.

[@robertcook2572]

It's nice, but it's no Triumph Stag...

[@stepheng8779]

@@robertcook2572 my all time favourite car Robert but that front end gives it a run

[@robertcook2572]

@@stepheng8779 No substitute for four round headlights, see. Rover P6, Jensen Interceptor, Bristol 411 Series 3, Dolomite Sprint. All in my fantasy garage...

[@stepheng8779]

@@robertcook2572 👍👍👍👍

[@bryansmith1920]

No its a rip off of many Italian sports cars of the day But I loved Woolesly BECAUSE NO WAY COULD I AFFORD THE VAN DEM PLAS

[@eggboy-uk]

Excellent video, that was a treat! Never noticed back in the day just how striking that body shape really is. Looks even lovelier these days of course, against the current backdrop of enormous amorphous jelly-moulds with tractor tyres.

[@williamross2579]

There’s a guy in Luton that bought all the spheres from the collapsed ‘Earlpart’ parts company, and he modified them to have a valve, making regassing easy. Rumour is that he found loads of spheres sat in a room, doing nothing...and he’s been modding since...

[@leuvenlife]

So you are saying the company that made the Hydrogas sphere's collapsed? How very fitting.

[@robertbankhead377]

6

[@tonysargent1699]

My dad was an Austin Morris man. In the 1960's he had an Austin Cambridge until the early 1970's he got a landcrab. Then another, newer landcrab, followed by an Austin 1800 princess2. Toward the end of the 1980's he got his second princess, 2.0 hl in mid pageant blue with black vinyl rear quarters. I basically grew up in the rear of Austin's of different types. When I passed my test, I bought his second one off my dad and loved every minute of ownership! In 1990 I bought an Austin maestro 1996, 1.3 city. 3 clutches later, I sold the maestro and bought a red Austin Princess2 1.7L. I had that for some time before buying an Austin Ambassador in red. At the same time I was offered a light blue metallic Austin Ambassador 2.0 HLS, which was in great condition and dirt cheap, so then I had a red 1.7 and a blue 2.0. I know, many years later have a Vauxhall Vectra estate diesel. I miss my old Austin's and now wish I still had my Princess2 2.0 HL. It was such an amazing car and so comfortable! Ian, you lucky bugger. Thankyou for the memories and thankyou for sharing. Wonderful!!! 😁😁😁

[@veritasvincit2745]

John Shuttleworth has an Austin Ambassador Y Reg, Y Reg, Y Reg. Don't keep asking me why, Reg! It just happened to be that year. I'm sure youtube has a video of them both enjoying comfortable and frugal motoring.

[@stevehead365]

The car that I revere.

[@ianwalker1966]

Can't hear the mention of an Austin Ambassador without thinking of John Shuttleworth's brilliant ditty about his 'Y' reg. I'm sure he'd have done wonders for BL's sales figures had he sung that at the time it was launched!!

[@stevedixon8567]

X reg Morris Ital a close second

[@frothe42]

What a car! To me, it seems the six has a linear, smooth power to it, as well as that wonderful sound! Like many others, it does remind me of Terry and June, Terry driving a Princess. I love the shape, the styling, such a British classic! Of course, we Americans never got this, so I am glad that you got this rare opportunity to drive this very rare classic!

[@bunning63]

Had a Princess 2 for about fifteen years. Never let me down and didn't rust either which was unusual for the time. Some areas were a little unrefined, like driveline backlash and exhaust valves on occasion, the auto was a bit more refined than the manual, but that's a long time ago. Never had any electrical issues either. Good performance in top gear. Eventually the displacers were failing, could get the Nitrogen replaced but the rubber parts would split leaving that distinctive sweet smell and I ran out of replacements, the rubber just got to that age. A lot of maintenance really easy, even the front displacers, unlike what some mechanics said. Started a family, bought a Honda. Incidentally there was a small specialist Sportscar manufacturer in Australia that used the six rear mounted and turbocharged. Recall he switched to rotary power and commented he could get just as much power out of the six as the rotary, if you wanted it all to stay reliable. His only reasons he said were marketing to go rotary... Another example of BL just not putting that little bit of extra effort that would have made all the difference.

[@69Phuket]

Read more : Read More of Doom!

[@RexWaldron]

Absolutely love that it is the Wolseley version! Back in the late 70s I worked for Lucas Electrical in Birmingham and used to have to drive out to the Cannock headlamp factory on a regular basis. The company preferred that we use fleet cars for the trips. One of the fleet was a brand new Princess 2 1.7L. I remember that despite its lack of power, it was capable of some impressive point to point speeds because the handling and roadholding were very good. The ride was fantastic, the seats very comfortable. I really liked it. Great review as always, and glad that you spent some extra time on this wonderful car :)

[@nygelmiller5293]

I saw the Wedge cars when I left school, and have liked them ever since. No-one else seemed to like anything new, or stylish, in those days But, as does happen in situations like that, once the cars are old, the very same stick ,- in - the - muss approve after all - now the cars count as "CLASSIC CARS" Nygel Miller

[@RexWaldron]

@@nygelmiller5293 very true. These cars didn't get the recognition they deserved in the 70s. I loved their rather "futuristic" looks and that they dared to be different.

[@AkaWilf]

My first car was an Austin Princess 2...the 1700HLS in oyster gold metallic. Initially bought as a stop gap, but liked it enough to have it resprayed, and ended up keeping it for 8 years. I even drove it down to Northern Italy. Quite a reliable car too...

[@retr0naut823]

There is one that matches that description for sale on ebay at the moment. They don't come up for sale very often.

[@JohnnyPaton]

What a beautiful car, it looks unnervingly new, even more so than Pete C’s rebuilt Cortinas. An absolute credit to the owner having kept it like that all these decades.

[@barneyharding]

"I think we'll go left... because no one else is!"..... A new Hub Nut "T" shirt perhaps?

[@Velocipedium]

Chris Harding living as I do, among the Gammon, I would definitely wear that shirt, with a different connotation!

[@millomweb]

We have options here - so we can go the way the main traffic isn't - and by the time we get to the other end, we're in front of the vehicles we were stuck behind.

[@twobob8585]

@@Velocipedium Please keep that shit too yourself. We come here to enjoy video's about cars.If I wanted to hear left wing bullshit, I would watch the BBC.

[@69Phuket]

@@twobob8585 That's a 'to' then.. Left wings go rusty more. Right wings get too cushy and used to being imbeciles.

[@retr0naut823]

@@twobob8585 you get yourself a nice angry go right muscle vest. I bet you like a little bit of BBC.

[@Wolves1963]

My Dad had a Princess JNS680T with the O series engine. Cam belt snapped at 19000 miles / 2 years old bent 5 valves - happy days.

[@infadeldog13]

Great video - we had an HL as a family car in the 80's when I was a kid - exact same colour spec at this one (twin headlamps too) - we drove all the way to Heidelberg in Germany and back in it (via Belgium and Luxembourg)... all 6 of us; yep, four kids (three of us teenagers) across that lovely wide back seat. We didn't see another one the whole trip and the Germans acted like a space ship had landed - getting waves and thumbs up from BMW and Merc owners all the way.

[@GIXXERUKX]

Many thanks to all the owners that allow you to review these classics 👍

[@RedsGarageUK]

"Wasn't as good as it should have been". 1970's British Leyland in a nutshell there 😂

[@VauxhallViva1975]

I had an Austin Princess model, which was basically the same, except that the odd-looking Woolsley front grille was just a continious grille, which I think was a nicer look. It was snot-green in colour. The ride was fantastic on the hydragas. It was fitted with the 1800cc B-series 4-cylinder engine and standard four-speed. I don't have it anymore though.

[@mctend9108]

British engineering and management in general.

[@pjohnson9576]

I worked for a company that run BL cars from the allegro to the princess , and all we’re doing 25 to 30000 miles a year, all reliable just had there 5000 mile service, ahh those were the days

[@telewiza]

Nice to see a Princess driving, I am looking forward for the Ambassador. You are doing great work!

[@cme2cau]

The front of that Wolseley looks very similar to the Leyland Force 7, a stillborn 3 door hatchback version of the ill-fated P76.

[@millomweb]

P76 ??? I guess the P45 followed that one !

[@Andyc351]

@@millomweb well the factory closed so I suppose so.

[@cme2cau]

@@millomweb Well, the Australian equivalent and for a lot of people!

[@simonhodgetts6530]

What’s not to like about this Wolseley? Way ahead of its time and deserved a much better reputation than it received. I learnt to drive in an Ambassador Sprint (our nickname - it was woefully slow) - so I’m looking for forward to part 2!

[@richardrichard5409]

The obsolescence of the powertrain, woeful economy, ruiness warranty claims....

[@fredlast4547]

You didn't mention Terry and June and whether or not they helped boost sales and by what percentage.

[@david-spliso1928]

Or decrease.

[@simonjames3990]

They used that car on top gear and flooded it with water

[@patrickgill8231]

@@simonjames3990 yes they did. What a waste. W....rs on top gear. They wrote off some beautiful old cars

[@phillipjones3439]

Another amazing video of a car long forgotten. When I was in my teens (late 70's) I worked in a TV shop refurbishing TV's for the caravan parks and guest houses in the Rhyl area of N. Wales. We used to go to Manchester in a six cylinder Princess with a Very large 4 axle trailer in tow and fill the car and trailer with as many as 60 EX rental TVs. The manager would use the same car to go to the south of France on holiday. It was such a practical car and so smooth. This video really brought back lovely memories.

[@MattBrownbill]

My granddad's last journey was to the crem in a Princess hearse. My dad and I spent the journey, in my Granddad's honour, talking engines with the driver. My grandad would have been a real HubNut fan, especially the Citrooooooens, as he called them. One of my earliest memories was of him fixing the brakes on his Ami 6.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

Nice story fella.👍

[@DalekBuilder]

I have really fond memories of a maroon 2200 hls that my father owned back in the day. The ride was so much smoother than the toyota it replaced. The engine note was quite pleasing. It was replaced with another toyota which was a more reliable car but wasn't a patch on the princess when it came to plushness. Looking forward to the ambassador video as my dad was buying mainly toyota's & the princess was the last bl car he bought. Another superb hubnut video.

[@liverush24]

Every driveway that had a caravan on it, had a Princess.

[@grantchallinor5263]

Owning a caravan was definitely a recommended part of Princess ownership, because when the inevitable happened (it broke down) in the middle of nowhere, it gave you somewhere to sleep with a small fridge and limited food supplies - until help arrived..

[@grantchallinor5263]

@captain pugwash Yes! You're right - I remember. I'm not sure it was for the Princess (it may have been) but BL certainly did that.

[@peteacher52]

YES! They were advertised, complete with cutaway drawings to prove the point, as an ideal tow vehicle. And for lighter caravans, especially pop-tops, they did very well. My only complaint was the 4-speed cogbox whereas the Maxi had 5, which made all the difference. Both were good cars in their own right, for what they were when they were.

[@TheAllyMor]

Terry and June's driveway had a green princess on it.

[@roberttaylor7462]

@@TheAllyMor ... which was stolen by the husband of a pregnant lady who had no vehicle when his wife went into labour so the car went missing one night just after Terry had bought it!

[@dannork1240]

I love this channel. Two cars I’m unlikely to ever see in person, with a good, non-gimmicky review. Thank you for this!

[@donaldasayers]

I seem to remember a weird early recall where they took them in and fitted new engine mounts to move the engine to get the drive shafts to line up properly.

[@markrl75]

I believe your absolutely correct and that it applied to the 2200 auto's. They were shearing drive shafts.

[@Martindyna]

They had to redesign the engine mounts on the 1750 Maxis too - engines would drop alarmingly on one side when the mounting sheared.

[@nakoma5]

Wow! A Wolseley 18/22! Being from America, I got so excited when I saw the thumbnail. The Wolseley version of the Princess is one of the rarest cars in the world from what I have read. You're the first and only person to have ever properly reviewed one on youtube so congrats! I don't know if this one had it being a pre production model, but the badge supposedly lights up.

[@CortinasAndClassics]

Always had a liking for the Princess. Never understood why they were so derided, and now they are amazingly rare. If I could own one I would.

[@jaggass]

Ian i think you're onto something here. Morris Marina vs Morris Ital would be a good one to do as well. Talking of British cars ive seen an L reg Maestro D-Turbo Countryman on the M1 today.

[@bunter6]

What a gorgeous car, I love those turbine style wheels & a transverse 6 cylinder back in the 70's when people think these days that Audi are clever in making a 5 fit in an A3

[@marcushull12]

i always called them philishave wheels

[@harveysmith100]

From a lad who grew up in the seventies, can I say, the Princess and it's sister cars looked fantastic when the came out. Six cylinders inline. The smoothest configuration of all below a V12. That Auto box would probable benefit from a couple of good fluid changes. Ignore what the service interval says, give old Auto's fresh ATF every 10'000 and they loose the jerky chances in many cases. Thanks for doing this one, really enjoyed it. I can't help wondering if a modern version of that suspension controlled with modern electrics would work wonders. Coil springs seem so agricultural in comparison.

[@carsyoungtimerfreak1149]

Very nice, this talk on a long forgotten car and brand...

[@mikehurley5052]

You mean best forgotten dont you?

[@philiplindley7384]

I grew up about 10 miles from Cowley, Oxford and many of my friends went to work there. Like you I find it so sad that the level of managerial incompetence ruined BL. Some of the stories that came out of 'the works' when I were't lad were practically unbelievable, if it had been anywhere else but Cowley. It really was an 'us and them' mentality and much cutting off noses to spite faces, on both sides. At one point I drove truckloads of foam for upholstery into the factory and had to be there at 8.00 and stayed on a bay until 16.00 because they would only take the foam off the trailer as they needed it.🙄🤔😆

[@davis7099]

"managerial incompetence that ruined BL." mmm

[@EleanorPeterson]

@@davis7099 - Hi, David! Ooh, yes... I wondered about that bit. ;-) Looks like a HubNut Comment section could be heading for its first work-to-rule grievance demarcation disputation situation! Sorry, sister Elli, you can't say things like that without a management consultation, which must take place before at least 6 brother workers of Grade 2 or above plus the Union Shop Steward... We'll have to down tools and halt production for the eleventh time this week (without pay and so under protest) until such time as - Sigh. Meanwhile, just up the road... Does anybody fancy a Datsun 120Y or Toyota Corolla? The dealer's got 12 to choose from, delivery within 2 days: any colour, any spec, plus you get a free Tax Disc and a year's free insurance and servicing...

[@Lobo-ih3bh]

Talking about wedges, you should try and get your hands on a Leyland P76 for a test when you do your NZ/Aus trip. Has to be the V8 though!

[@HubNut]

Oh don't worry. Very much part of the plan!

[@MC93SE]

@@HubNut 6 cylinder P76's had a 2.6 litre E series 6 cylinder.

[@tracysroberts]

The 4.4l V8 is definitely the one to drive. The 2.6 six was not a popular option as it weighed around the same or a bit more than the V8 for less power.

[@MC93SE]

@@tracysroberts True the 2.6 litre was possibly the worst feature of the P76, however the 2.6 litre E series was intended to be replaced with V6 versions of the 4.4 litre and/or 3.5 litre V8s. The V6 would also have powered the (stillborn) P82 but alas Leyland Australia did not last long enough for any of that to happen.

[@tracysroberts]

@@MC93SEIn the 80's and early 90's I had a V8 super that I bought from a friend's dad when he upgraded to a Targa Florio. A co-worker drove her dad's 2.6 Deluxe. There was no question that the V8 was the better car. The P76 was a tragic lost opportunity for Leyland, particularly if you compare it to other contemporary Australian offerings like the Holden HQ Belmont (my brother owned one of those when I had the P76). Ian, if you want to drive a car designed with gross understeer in the interests of safety then try a HQ.

[@garywordsworth9302]

Thanks Hubnut I now have an overwhelming compunction to watch episodes of Terry and June

[@dodgydruid]

I think the best ever indicator "pinger" was on the Chrysler made Hillman Hunters, was a mix between a loud "ting" with a hint of a "pow" and very loud, my dad had the turquoise one with the GT gubbins on it and the dashboard was so sporty, far better looking than a MK3 Cortina GXL with deep racing dials. Lasted him over 20 years and still on its original head gasket, clutch and gearbox, manager of Bristol Street Ford in Bromley ended up with it when he chopped it in for a MK5 Cortina estate and the manager was like "why are you getting rid of this car, its immaculate".

[@alexrankin1046]

Ian Watson, Hunter GTs all gone now, a friend of my dad had a purple GLS new in 73. I loved it with its extra gauges

[@BrorAppelsin]

My dad had a Hunter when I was 3 years old, my best and worst memory of that car is when I managed to close the door with my fingers between the door and the sill. He then traded it in as a partial payment when he bought a plot of land to build a house on. Our neighbours then drove it well into the 80s when it finally was too badly rusted to pass MOT.

[@Musketeer009]

My mum had a Princess 2.2 HLS. It was trhe first car I drove after passing my driving test (1st time). I loved it.

[@sumo1756]

Enjoyed watching that. I remember in the late 70s my pals dad 2 doors down had a blue Princess, brand new i think. My Dad had a white Wolseley 1885s and looked really old parked with the Princess but to me the Wolseley was still better because it was A: my Dads and B: an " S " haha. Always remember that Wolseley being massive inside. Thanks for posting Ian👍

[@rheinerftvideo2647]

The Princess really was a classic car being sold over here in Germany when I was 12, the later Ambassador looked so cheap like they borrowed the front from a 1981 Ford Escort... Today I have a Wolseley indeed - stationary engine WD 8 1,5 HP running on a bottle of gas. My aunt moved to London in the 1930ies and they used this engine on "city gas" from the late 1950ies till 1975 or so. Still working good. Cheers from Germany, Bernd

[@philt4346]

Phwoar, how does that look so good now? I remember thinking maybe it was trying too hard at the time. That aspect at 5:30 is giving me the horn now, Doctor.

[@andicog]

Can't help reading your 'Phwoar' with a Terry Scott accent . . .

[@1966idc]

I have driven a Wolsely 2200. It was so comfortable, the ride, the seats, the lovely smooth and relaxed engine. Brilliant car. Thanks for the video.

[@PhantomMark]

110bhp for the time isn't that bad tbh, that compares very nicely with the 2 litre Pinto of the time ?? The 1750 Maxi was a flier as well , well the one I last drove was anyway :D

[@russcattell955i]

Yes Phantom, pinto in a RS 2000 was 110 from the factory. Around 90 in cortina / capri GT. Vauxhall Magnum 2.3 was around 115.

[@andicog]

@@russcattell955i Ford only managed 138 BHP from the 3.0 Essex.

[@PhantomMark]

@@andicog that was all about the lazy torque tho to be fair.

[@andicog]

@@PhantomMark yep, your right .

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

i'd say 110bhp is better than "not bad", I'm not even sure Transits back then had that much and they were renowned as being good robbers vehicles as cops panda cars couldn't keep up with them.

[@Velocipedium]

Now this! This is pure joy of Hubnut, as someone who found you through the Marina and Minor Traveller tests. Fantastic. It’s the wolseley for me, despite the colour (vermillion or blaze?). Just watched again on a big screen, and it’s Blaze. I had forgotten it didn’t have a hatch. The company that made the A40 and the Maxi, and that gave the flagship a boot! How daft!

[@d2factotum]

That was BL logic at the time--the Maxi's unique selling feature was its hatchback, so no other mainstream BL car could have one despite being obviously designed for one.

[@MegaWayneD]

There's a very distinctive squeak that all BL cars seem to have. I remember my Grandfather used to refer to the squeak in his Marina as "The Budgie"

[@PaulinesPastimes]

Well, that was interesting. What a plush car and nicely equipped too. It is worth noting that the English 6 cylinder engines have the thermostat housing on the left hand end of the cylinder head which is more sensible. All Australian E series engines (4 or 6) had it on the right hand end at the back next to the exhaust manifold . The water aperture is too small and they tended to overheat, even with a front mounted radiator. The Morris 1500 was notorious for overheating too (small side mounted radiator+Aus summer). Another one of your nicely balanced road tests. Cheers

[@sg8539]

Nice old barge and really like the comfy seats and dash binnacle layout, functional and ergonomically good..ahhh simpler times. Ps. Front end resembles Alfa Romeo styling. Thanks Ian.

[@DavidSmith-yt7im]

Which Alfa Romeo like are you pissed

[@colinhathaway9493]

Was thinking the same. The GTV6 I think

[@wolfieScog]

That Ian was an exceptional video. I’ve learned so much about the much maligned Wedge. The car was a real credit to the owner, such a shame we can’t get orange paintwork and deep blue velour interiors any more. They shouldn’t go together but looked perfect. Love the front armrest action. Looking forward to Part 2. 👍🏻😎

[@christopherbaglin4314]

Another great vid, Ian. Always felt this was an under-rated car- like most British brands- BL in particular- there were quite a few 'friday afternoon cars' back in the day, but bad examples will have long shuffled off this mortal coil decades ago. I do love those 'turbine' wheels.

[@crashbox7130]

Just a quick pointer.. The S.U.Carburetter Co. was bought by William Morris in 1926 and became part of the Nuffield Organisation in the mid-1930s, so was part of British Leyland during the 1970s. Been waiting for a Wedge road test. The Wolseley is my favourite 👍

[@HubNut]

Ah, that explains a lot!

[@Mark1405Leeds]

Many thanks for this video. I loved the Princess. I drove one whilst I was learning to drive and really enjoyed it! Personally I think the four headlamps suited it best.

[@seansands424]

I preferred the trapeze headlights like the one I had

[@jddr33]

My dad had an S reg Princess 2200 HLS & I'm pretty sure that switch on the right (that you asked 'was it cruise control') was in fact a dimmer switch for the clocks. Full brightness, half & off. Excellent video 👍

[@retr0naut823]

Correct!

[@chrisremovalman5009]

The best car related you tuber in my opinion. Good work Ian

[@paultaylor7082]

Love the indicator/light stalks, no doubt from the same parts bin as used for the Marina/Allegro models

[@Kaylem13]

I "used to think" these were the ugliest cars, is my brain broken now or were my eyes broken then?

[@northof-62]

Yes and no

[@stephenbrookes7268]

@@northof-62 That past always looks better in retrospect! Now is "The good old days!

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

Now you probably blind !

[@faisaldhariwal1510]

I think cars are broken now!

[@martinda7446]

@@northof-62 Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

[@daweshorizon]

The 2.2 six pot engine was not powerful, but it was super-smooth! The Princess design is much maligned because of its association with British Leyland, but actually it was a very decent car compared to the opposition of the time. My family were all quite tall, we couldn't fit in a Cortina, but the Princess was just the ticket! Love and peace.

[@paul5828]

LOved my Ambasador, bought it from an old boy it was to big for him, was 6yrs old and in imaculate condition.

[@rob_lightbody]

Loved my dad's 1980 1.7HL. the wee switch which you can't figure out is for the instrument panel illumination, with two levels! I can remember the salesman demonstrating it at the handover in June 1980. We called it the big orange, it felt huge to us, and was a great family car.

[@seansands424]

I loved my 1978 2.2 hls princess 2

[@EinkOLED]

17:32 That's not fresh air ian, that's 1975 air.

[@gryfandjane]

The Princess was yet another model that we never saw here in the States, and more’s the pity in my opinion. I find them very attractive, although the Wolseley grill looks a bit uncomfortable on this one. Apart from that, what a lovely example, and what a fascinating history. Looking forward to Part 2!

[@shaneweightman]

Nice to see these old girls , still going , I cut my teeth on these when I was a young lad, and marina and ital ,, memory’s cheers Shane uk 🇬🇧

[@philhealey449]

Ian, you're on top form here with unrivalled anorakness. There is little you haven't covered in this report!

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

"Dispensed with" not "Dispelled with" ! Otherwise great video !

[@kh23797]

I _knew_ it was the wrong word but my head is so full of a heavy cold that I couldn't bring the correct one to mind! In general, though, Ian's colourful use of English is a delight. I wish he had his own TV show to bring him to a wider public, but I guess he would miss the complete editorial freedom of KZbin.

[@imnotamechanic3491]

@@kh23797 TV is dead because of this (and that's no bad thing). We just watched one guy talk about one car for half an hour, never happens on TV, unless maybe it's James May talking about a very popular car (eg. Mini or Beetle). Everyone can watch what they want when they want, why you want want to watch what broadcasters tell you you like when they say is a good time? Being on TV would ruin Hubnut, and many other youtubers, editorial freedom is just one reason, but TV is about making loads of money, and money eventually ruins everything.

[@paulbennell3313]

A mate of mine worked at a garage in the late 80's. He used to regularly borrow the workshop hack, a mint 1978/79 Princess 2.2HLS. I loved the noise it made and strangely it seemed to sound like a Granada V6 on tickover. However, once under way it sounded like no other car. It had a manual transmission and big squashy velour seats. I loved it. Yes, the steering wheel on the Wolseley does look weird but I can understand why it's there and fair enough really. I always thought the very early production front end look on these was better than the later flat grille/bonnet treatment (the Austin and Morris versions had the small central grille like the Wolseley and the kinked up bonnet edge but with a different shaped central grille as seen on Nick Larkin's pre production Austin, "Wilson the wedge"). These were cars for cruising and long hauls. It's true they weren't as fast as their engine size might suggest. My mate who borrowed the Princess from work also regularly used his mum's Chrysler Alpine 1500 and we were both incredulous that it appeared to be considerably faster to 60mph than the Princess. The car you tested is in remarkable shape. Looking forward to the Ambassador episode (sounds like the title of an episode of Department S or summat...)

[@eamonnconnolly5245]

If it is the oldest surviving then it is not “rare”; it is “unique”.

[@richardrichard5409]

Both rare and unique... if it was scrapped tomorrow the next oldest would take it's place😊

[@alduncan3807]

Nice to learn a little more about the "Princess". My dad had a 1981 2L Auto, DES900V. Thank you.

[@iatsd]

The smell? That's residual Union anger and buyer despair you're smelling. :-)

[@EleanorPeterson]

Ouch! Also ha-ha and LOL, but mostly ouch! :-)

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

That indicator buzzer - brings back childhood memories of the Volvo B59 (whose 2-speed automatic made the Princess' seem like a model of refinement btw). A recent example of a FWD vehicle with a transverse straight 6 would be the Daewoo Tosca, sold in Australia as the Holden Epica (to at least three people, it would seem - based on how many of them you see on the road). Very much looking forward to part II, naturally.

[@Turnbull50]

A friend of mine bought a second Hand Austin Princess at a local garage on his way out he decided he had better put some petrol in. He stuck the hose in the filler and as he was filling up the petrol tank dropped off. He got his money back.

[@splatmanhooha4264]

Ah, Lucas, the Prince of Darkness! The later Princesses had four pot front callipers and a well known adaptation was to add these, via a specialized adapter plate, to fit Ford Capri front discs. Had a mk3 Capri and always wanted this conversion to give more braking power....arghh , just seen the ambassador video where you mention the calipers!

[@PhilipEnglandYT]

what a fantastic shaped car - modern cars all look like they have been on steroids with lumps and bumps everywhere.

[@johnhealy8513]

The Wolseley Princess Wedges were used by the government in the early 1970s and one of them KYT5P was a particular favourite of Dennis Healey MP.

[@lordrichy1065]

what a stunning car

[@amazinganimallearningandfu3842]

quite honestly, better than watching TV - comparing these two wedges will be a landmark hubnut video - just simply aching for the Ambassador video now - well done Ian

[@gothicgman]

love the Princess great looking car 🚗 👍👍👍

[@kevinatkins7641]

Another good video! My dad had a series 2 2000HL, 1978 on a T, when I was a lad. A few of my friends' dads has Princesses too - one of them saying 'lucky dad' when I told him about my dad's new car. It was a great car for the first couple of years, then all sorts of problems developed.. Great pity, as it was a lovely car otherwise. They were huge inside, in a way that few more modern cars can match. I remember driving to France, and my sister and I slept across the width of the car in the back - me across the footwells and my sister on the rear seat; my parents stopped to ask a police officer for directions, and he suddenly said "I can smell burning".. sure enough, we found I had inadvertently engaged the passenger cigarette lighter in the rear console, which was melting my sleeping bag.. Ah, the 1970s.... I still love the styling of these, and ran one myself in the early 1990's - strictly banger territory by then. Nice to drive, lovely supple ride, but it was a bit breathless in terms of performance. I wonder how many are left? Haven't seen one on the roads in years.. PS - Always preferred the Princess to the Ambassador, styling-wise, but will look forward to your next installment!

[@middleknight4292]

I bought one of these for £45 in the late 80's. It had bent valves, which turned out to be an easy, low cost, diy fix. I ran it for about 5 years and towed a caravan with it many many times. Itw as a very, very reliable car but got very tatty in it's old age and thirsty. I bought another scruffy one for about £100 but they both got scrapped eventually and I swapped to a Cavalieer which came available at the right price because the heater radiator had ice damage. I lke bargain motors..

[@martinparker6536]

Bangernomics......been doin it for years .......never spent more than £600 on any of my cars until i bought a low mileage Corsa Auto for £875 with 35000 miles. i spent this much because the 1.2 16v auto is very rare. ive had that car now 3 years which i dont normally do as bangernomics means buy for £300 run for a year ,see what happens at MOT then if its bad (say £200+fix) then scrap n move on !! so £300 x 3 years = my £875 = good !

[@markbennett2170]

Wow, That Car's shape is just like a good wine, It keeps improving as each year ticks by. Love it!

[@petergouldbourn2312]

Thank you for reviewing a 2200 engined Leyland car. My dad had one and I love this car by association with him. Cheers. Pete UK

[@erik_dk842]

It sits as high as 4x4 estate crossovers like the Octavia Scout or the Audi A6 Allroad. A bit of lowering would help a lot.