This was one of the first videos I ever made, so if you’ve stumbled across this one, I’d recommend watching this one instead! 👇 The BMC 1800 'Landcrab' is Flawed Genius ua-cam.com/video/IyEkWdTSJX4/v-deo.html
My father’s last car before he died back in 1983 was the Austin 2200 automatic with the gear selector placed on the right hand side of the walnut dashboard it was a 74 plate and immaculate in a deep maroon colour. The thing flew sounded gutsy and looking back gave myself and my dad huge grins as we’d bomb our way round pushing that 2200 straight 6 engine with its great meaty British growl. I have always had a special place in my heart for ORY 832 M my dad’s last car before he died. i am now 50 and this car is a great clear memory of my childhood. 😢
As a 55 year old who grew up with these cars in my youth and lusted after them, it is wonderful to see a young, well informed, well spoken gentleman conveying a passion for cars from way before his years. Your research is immaculate, well done sir, Subscribed!
I came down to the comments section in order to say something very similar. We older chaps need to give our support to young lads like this. The greybeards were good to me when i was a young enthusiast.
I couldnt agree more. Bring these young enthusiasts on. They keep our now defunct engineering heritage alive. Im 58 now and my first car was a 1969 manual Austin 1800. Great car but riven with problems. I always wanted this Wolseley variant. Beautiful car and a great and enthusiastic presenter.
In all seriousness, the BL community is fantastic. So welcoming to people of all kinds no matter who you are. There are a lot of people who love all these cars that hold such a wealth of knowledge on the history and the mechanics. I think it's very important that all the older folk make sure this knowledge is never lost. Pass it on to anybody that will listen. Write everything down. Make a vlog. Answer questions. It's so nice to encounter somebody that experienced these cars the first time around that is willing to pass on their wealth of knowledge to young guys like me to keep the memory of these cars alive.
This presentation has pulled a 57 yr old depressive out into the sunlight ! Our Farmer stepdad Sid Street owned 2 of these in a row , bought as Used from Dealer Gates’ in Boring Brockenhurst in New Forest but they were pretty rare in SW Hampshire in the 70s for some reason . The F Reg one ( MOU 272 F ) was Grey whereas his H Reg one was White . I never heard the term “ Landcrab “ used until the next decade . Neither of Sids’ had a radio fitted as standard ( unless old man Gates had them away before they hit the forecourt) . Thanks ever so much fella , you’ve given my day a nice healthy boost ❤️🐢
The impression I get is that to most US motorists, British cars mean Jag, RR, Bentley, Morgan, Aston Martin etc, and there was a built-in fear of them going wrong, especially with regard to Lucas electrics.... But I believe some smaller cars were imported in the 50s and 60s. I recall reading a US review of the Austin cars offerings of the early 1950s and was much amused by them. The 1952 model line line up was described as a set of "toby jugs" - which wasn't far wrong... Many Austin A30s were used by parking control officers as little runabouts patrolling the parking lots etc. I guess that was all they were for fit for in the States...
@@wordsmith52 No, they were used for parking control not because they were crap, but because they were 'Right Hand Drive' and therefore the driver was on the same side as parked cars. The officer could hold out a stick with a piece of chalk on the end and draw a horizontal mark on the parked car's tyre. If he came back an hour later and the mark was still horizontal, it meant that the car hadn't moved, and a ticket could be issued. It is similar to here in the UK where gutter sweeper lorries are Left Hand Drive so that the driver can drive accurately close to the kerb.
@@horsenuts1831 Well, I didn't say they were "crap", but in a country like the USA you could not have called them competitive in the general park in the early 1950s. The A30 body was designed by an Italian, but the resulting shape overall did look slightly comical, even to my younger eyes in the 1950s. In Sweden they were nicknamed "the meat ball".
this young man is a first class presenter.he has all the credentials to be an excellent tv presenter10/10.his presentation makes this highly interesting.what a wonderful classic car .british built.one to savour and look back on for many years to come.thank you so much young man.
We had several Austin 1800s in the family during the 60s. I was born in '56 so British cars were all the rage in Australia in that era, with the upstart Ford Falcon slowly scratching its way into the market from 1960, pushing aside the British Ford Zephyr. Can you imagine a "land crab" sailing down the road, on one of many road trips, stuffed with ten people? That was us, the parents plus eight sons from newborn to sixteen, and a boot full of whatever supplies and equipment we needed, the Austin never faltered and we loved it. We kids also love the layback feature, which I suppose the British models had too, wherein the front seats, when slid all the way forward, could be laid back flat to meet the back seats and form quite a comfortable bed. We took the cars "bush" on many occasions, up and down mountain roads in the Victorian alps, where these cars were very much at home, though mud and slush in winter and searing heat in summer, mum and dad would sleep in an old miner's cabin whilst we kids would fight over the privilege of sleeping in the car. Such wonderful memories. The 1800 was superseded in 1971 by the "east-west" (transverse) 2.2 litre six called the Austin Kimberley (the British equivalent was a longitudinal live axle 3 litre six) but they only lasted two or three years, followed by the P76 with a 4.4 litre Rover v8 or 2.6 inline 6. Things went downhill from there. Great to see a young fella speaking with such obvious passion for this era of cars that I was lucky enough to live through.
That young guy deserves a pat on the back for this presentation of the 18/85. I've had mine for 11yrs and has been a great car to own and drive. I feel sorry for classic car owners who have never owned an 18/85 they don't know what they have missed, I've had loads of offers for mine but due to the pleasure and trouble free the car has given me I can't bring myself to part with it. For Sunday sun readers my wolseley appeared in Sunday's readers car of the week column
I had a 2.2. Very fast, loads of room. Handled like a big mini. Only killed by a seized CV joint at 80MPH. Lots of smoke, lots or opposite lock. She got me home after cooling-off :-) Very nice car.
What a thoroughly delightful and enjoyable vehicle, hosted by an engaging and knowledgeable young gentleman. I’ve learnt so much just with this video, and thank you for spurring the interests of this (youthful) 65 year old. Well done, you!
I had both the morris 18oo mk2 s and the wolseley 18/85. Both were astoundingly comfortable cars both as a passenger and a driver. I am currently trying to find a good one to buy.
Very well said. The young man spoke well and highlighted so many good points and showed why the sixties cars were wonderful in every way. I'm looking at purchasing a wolseley 16/60 all being well soon. I will admit though I love american 50s / 60s cars to. Respect to you and all.
57 year-old Brit living in So. Cal. Your videos bring back so many memories of growing up in Yorkshire and my dad taking us out on weekend trips to Morecambe, Blackpool, Skipton and towns further afield. Motoring across the Dales in a Popular, Anglia and Escort Mk I are my cherished memories. And, of course, in the contemptible Imp.
My Dad was pleased to see the arrival of the 1800's, having 4 kids it was a squeeze in the back of the Wolseley 1500 he had! He went on to own 3 ADO17's, a Mk1 Austin 1800 manual followed by 2 Wolseley 18/85's, both automatic, I got to drive both Woleleys. I remember they cornered like they were on rails, very different to the rear-wheel-drive offerings of the day. The gear change on the early manuals was worse than shocking, They were a terrific family car, shame they never developed an estate that would have been cavernous.
What’s so endearing about this review is that it’s being critiqued by someone who didn’t exist when the car did, so he’s discovering things that are SO foreign to him. Very genuine appreciation. Fun. Greatly entertaining.
I owned one . I am in New Zealand. I followed David Vizard's book tuning Bls A series and the same principles apply. I remove the exhaust hot spot retaining the single carb and the motor looked identical to look at but the performance was enormous.I also put a smaller steering wheel on and reduced the recommended tow out on the front. The handling was vastly improved. The power steering I adjusted up the tolerances that made it a very impressive car to drive. A top video. Thanks.
The best of the LANDCRABS in my opinion having owned every variant in my time. 18/85 means 1.8 litre engine & 85 BHP. Power steering was fitted as standard on the 18/85 models. Great to see the younger generation appreciating the car that Alec Issigonis described as his greatest creation the ADO 17.
My Dad had a Morris 1800 from new and then a Wolsey 18/85. The Morris was a good car for the 2 or 3 years he had it, he was disappointed with the Wolsey after it had some issues, but in their day they were very good family cars, lots of room etc. Any mass produced car from they time will see deeply flawed and lacking power by today's standards. I was only wondering the other day how we managed to get anywhere with 5 people in the car, a caravan behind and an 11' sailboat on the roof. I disagree about Ford building boring cars, they didn't build cars with cutting edge technology but they were the masters of styling in the 70's creating cars that people really wanted as opposed to the bland products from BL. BL never had anything to compare to the likes of the Ford GT's and E models or the Capris.
Thank you for explaining to this Yank what the 18/85 meant. Although cars are a universal language, it doesn't mean the "dialects" from one brand/country to the next are readily understood.
Fiveo waf I agree I think there was a bit more to it for example Ford had AVO versions of showroom cars such as the Escort twin cam and later the RS cars and it wasn't difficult to make an 1100 Escort look like one of its much quicker stablemates and of course both the Escorts and Capris were very successful in motorsport. By this time BMC only had the Mini which was nearing the end of its dominance and didn't really have another really successful race car until the SD1 in the late seventies and early eighties. People bought Ford because the fast ones were really good and people bought into that in the same way people buy Audis and BMWs today because the RS and M cars respectively are so good. Also later on Ford,s product placement was so good, the two biggest shows of the day The Sweeney and The Professionals both featured Fords. Although the 1800 had some rallying success it wasn't the type of car that younger buyers could either afford or aspired to. That said I have fond memories of these cars, a friend of my father's who owned the local BMC dealer always had 2200 s of both Wolesely and Morris marques and it was wonderful to ride in.
My brother in law had one with the straight 6 and I remember two things about it; firstly it was hugely comfortable with a truly astonishing ride and it was absolutely massive inside. I just love those old Wolsleys, they are just glorious. Thanks for a fabulous upload.
I learnt to drive in a blue Austin 1800 (YLA 507G) in the early 80s. It was a bit of a handful for a new driver but the control layout was good and the gear change was easy, if a bit soggy. You mentioned the auto dimming rear lights, I remember these causing us great confusion when the brake and indicators stopped working at night but we’re fine during the day. Luckily we had the workshop manual and following much head scratching, narrowed the problem down to the auto dimmer which was small box behind a panel in the boot. This was replaced at great cost for the time. Also the boot light switch was a menace, often getting stuck on, causing a flat battery. I think it used to get wet when the boot lid was opened after rain. Luckily I was small enough to be shut in the boot to check if the light was working properly! Thanks for the video and stirring some memories!
My Farther opened a car auction in 1966 and I went to work for him as a 16-year-old in 1977, working out in the yard. All the older entries went through in the first couple of hours and we had thousands of 1960s (and 1970s) cars through the sales every year. I would think I've driven most European cars of the age and some Eastern Block ones too, including Moskvitch and Wartburg. I had many favorites: Austin 1800 (and it's variants); Rover 3-Litre; MGB's; Jensen Interceptor; Triumph Herald and Spitfire; Reliant Regal (and supervan); Ford Cortina Mk 1, 2 and 3 (my favorite); Ford Corsair 2 Litre; Vauxhall Victor (and VX4/90); Austin/Morris 1100/1300 (and GT) and on and on I could go. Great Days!
I'm 72yrs and worked on and drove many cars of the period. I loved em and still do. Much of the problems with unreliability came from small issues and production inspection not up to much. This particular car was much maligned for no good reason. Also the wolseley A 99 and 110 were fantastic to drive or be a passenger. The truly British car industry, now lost what a shame. Oh well that's how it is.
I lived in Australia since 1965, and I have to say I have never seen a Wolesley 18/85 over here, although I knew of their existence (in the UK). I had a 1972 Austin 1800 with an automatic gearbox, which was supposed to be very unreliable. That said, I had no trouble with mine, but I did service it regularly.
there are a few out here, My spouses parents Founded the Wolseley Car Club (Vic), and they had one down in Barwon Heads. the Austin variant was much more common. Wolseley's were the upmarket version of Austins & Morris's, much like Daimler and Bentley are upmarket Jaguar and Rolls Royce
@@amandagardner565 Yes, you're right, there were some Wolseley versions here in Australia. I grew up in the Hunter Valley of NSW and, after having had a Morris 1100 as my first car, drove an Austin 1800 Mk1. On a couple of occasions I spotted the Wolseley version not far from where I lived which, because I was driving the 1800, caught my attention. I don't think BMC sold them from showrooms here, so they must have been private imports. (Maybe BMC would import them on request for customers?)
Im 51 and grew up with these kind of cars. Good to see a young guy apreciating classic/ retro era cars, especially some of the more humble ,less flashy, offerings. Good video
My Dad had one back in the 70s an automatic. I can remember me and my brother in the back, sliding about in the back on the massive rear seat, it was like an Oceanliner, we all loved that car. Thanks for the video Twin-Cam.
The turn signal lever was originally an American Nash motor company unit. Nash used them on their Rambler models in the 1950's. Austin built the Metropolitan for Nash from 1954-1962. Austin continued to use the signal lever....
James Anderton that would have been a later Mini, I think they changed to your style of switch when they went over to the Mk3 Mini with wind down windows. I had a 1968 Cooper S and that had the indicator switch that flashed.
Great review! The great advantage over the Wolseley over the Austin and Morris variants was the nice interior. The cheaper models were very austere inside just like an early Mini and that must have put buyers off too. A friend had an 1800 auto in the 1970's and it seemed very fast even with 5 people in it despite the performance being poor on paper. My dad's Pininfarina A40 from the early sixties had the same indicator stalk!
5:38: "I hate the British public." I live in a Florida, U.S.A. where today most of the cars on the road are either painfully ugly SUVs/CUVs, or pointlessly huge pickup trucks, with the edge of the bed eye-high to a standing man, thus rendering them inaccessible without a ladder. I know how you feel.
In the early '70s l was fascinated by American cars, but oddly only muscle cars. Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, Firebirds, Chargers, Challengers and the like. The car my dad had before the 1800 was a Vauxhall Ventora with a 3.3 litre straight 6 and 3 speed auto. 140 throbbing horses. If you think of an early '70s Chevelle you won't go far wrong.
The American taste in cars and most manufactured goods is poor. Everything has to be huge with clumpy technology. Look to the Italians for good design and taste in all things.
Excellent video, thanks! BMC tried to play the General Motors game, with prodigious badge engineering - it worked for GM in the US market, but eventually became a costly game for BMC; who also had to keep the individual marque dealerships happy. The Landcrab was an advanced car for its day, but let's not forget the Citroen DS. The 1800s also had engine problems - with bearing failures occurring. This was puzzling, given the bulletproof nature of the B-series. My understanding is that the problem was eventually traced to a mis-calibrated dipstick, which caused owners to overfill the engine/transmission oil sump. On a motorway run, the crankshaft would actually end up thrashing around in the oil, causing the latter to froth, resulting in oil starvation to the bearings. The high loading lip at the boot contributed, of course, to the exemplary torsional stiffness of the Landcrab.
I've got a 1968 Mk 1 Wolseley 18/85 which had been stored in a garage for about 30 years - 68,0000 original miles on it. It has been a hole in the ground I have poured money into! Now, after many years of "putting it back on the road" I finally have it running and running very nicely. I also have a Lexus ES300 and my 18/85 has, I think, more room inside it than my Lexus. Great to drive around and quite an eye catcher nowadays too. This 18/85 you have demonstrated is in exceptional condition - quite envious.
A steering wheel hub that is a collector's piece in its own right, lever switches, ignition on the dash an indicator that glows when on.........what a brilliant car to behold.
Its a no brainer that Fords sold so well in Britain and Ireland!! Boring? Hardly....always a goodlooker,good value,solid drive,cheap parts!! Drove nothing but Fords here in Ireland for 36 years....no complaints!!
Hi Ed, another great video. I do love your presentation. Interestingly, the Morris and Austin Landcrabs were used by the Army as staff cars taking over from the Zephyr 4s.
My Dad had a Mark 1 Morris 1800, then a Mark 2 Austin 1800. The Mark 2 went all over the place, one trip camping in France about 1972; Mum, Dad, me and my brother and a canvas tent with proper metal poles! The car, AEG167K did over two thousand miles on a three week holiday to the South of France, no problems. I remember the weather being really hot, but all the windows were open including the flip-out rear quarterlights. We came back on the Hovercraft, remember those? Thank you for your informed and balanced articles on these old British cars. Love and peace.
I worked on many of these, apart from the fact all of them rusted like crazy in the english weather, the larger ones in particular were a very nice ride. Well presented young man.
My dad had one of these as a firms car when I was a teenager, it was maroon and we took it on holiday on a ferry to Sweden driving across the country from Gothenberg to Stockholm, it stood out as a rarity amongst the Volvos. after 3 years it was replaced by an automatic Wolseley Six, but not for long! dad didn't like the extra MPG so it was swapped for the dreaded Maxi in white which was very soon white with brown spots (rust) by the way the second L in Wolseley is silent, so pronunciation is Wolsey, well it was in our family anyway. Great video.
No its WOL-SE-LEY only silent because most people didnt know how it was spelt ! We are Wolseley specialists for 40 years and hire out four Wolseley 6/80 Police cars for film / events & weddings. Ran an 18/85 for years, superb to drive, your dad made a mistake I think !
Brilliant. As a family, late seventies, we had an Austin, a Morris and a Wolseley at one point. Thought they were fantastic, so roomy and such a beautiful ride. Such fond fond memories. And I still think they look amazing. Thank you for some fabulous nostalgia.
I very happy to see the younger generation getting enthused by the cars that Britain used to make. And as such have subscribed and am now looking for a maxi that I remember from from my youth, (Brown obviously)
We got the ADO17 Landcrab in very limited numbers here in the United States, and it was the Austin version. I believe it sold better in Canada. Austin was the marque that BMC (and British Leyland after the ‘68 merger) chose as it’s “North American brand.” Austin had enjoyed modest sales success in North America in the 1950’s, and it was a brand that people recognized. However, most North Americans visualized an A40 whenever they heard the word “Austin,” and the Landcrab (and later the Austin Marina) were not easily identifiable as Austins. I don’t believe any car with a Wolseley badge was EVER offered on this side of the pond.
The models I owned were both 18/85`s, one auto and the other manual, power steering and armchair leather seats with individual arm-rests, great cars to drive over long distances and quite economical. Beautiful walnut dashboard with matching door trims all round.
BMC❗️ all I can do is shake my head. They really screwed up everything they did. (Some great ideas, poorly executed). Not to mention cost cutting to a fault. This is a pretty cool car. I like it. Good video. 📻🙂
Excellent review! Makes me wanting to drive one of these weird but finally beautiful cars. You've done a good job, even better than full-time motor journalists!
I owned one in Perth Australia. We drove it to Sydney return. 4000km each way. We slept in the car as the car has a camping setup. The front seats recline and a line with the rear seats making a flat bed. Best car ever.
My dad had one in that identical colour that was our family car throughout the 70s. I'm sure the seats were a maroon vinyl, rather than leather but still very comfortable. It had the rectangular internal door handles as it was a later car - DUY 578 J. Parents in the front and four kids and a dog in the back - happy memories.
The first car I remember was one of these in Maroon with maroon vinyl seats and the rectangular interior door handles , I was so sad when my father sold it in the early 80's and bought an Opel Rekord "Berlina" (the first car I drove) . I was overjoyed to see the car "alive and well" about 10 years ago at a classic car meet, looking better than it ever had living day to day with 4 kids in the back.
My father replaced his Wolsely 6/90 with one of these (second hand) in about 1972. it was the automatic version - selector sticking out of the dash! Very confusing - for about 10 seconds. I did not get my hands on it very often but it was a joy to drive. If I could find one I would buy in a heartbeat. Thank you. Good memories.
The Yanks would never have dreamed of putting such luxury in such a small car until the Cadillac Cimarron of the mid-1980s. My username celebrates a Yank estate car (shooting brake? We call them station wagons). My '69 has a 5.7-litre V8, 3-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, "Safety Sentinel" (set a pointer on your speedometer and a buzzer will sound if you exceed the set speed) and a driver's side remote side view mirror. It also has a power window in the "Dual-Action" tailgate, which can open like a door or a gate. It has coil springs at each corner, unlike the Citroen-inspired hydraulic suspension on your car. Compared to the "Yank tanks" of the day, equipment was Spartan. Your video was nicely done!
I owned one of these whilst in my mid-20s, I'm in my 70s now. What a great car, super to drive. Love to own one again. Mine was written off when someone in an Audi did a right turn and smashed the front end off my car. Thanks for the video really enjoyed it
Having started my apprenticeship with Morris Garages in 1971 I worked on these cars when they were new or nearly new. I recall going on a 2 day course at Cowley to lean about the Hydrolastic Suspension, great memories. The land crab nickname (which I dislike) wasn't around then and appears to only have become popular in recent years. Great video.
Mike F I started my apprenticeship with Mann Egerton in the late seventies and certainly the lads there all called them landcrabs, it was about 18 months after the launch of the wedge so maybe it came about then to distinguish the two as at launch there were Austin,Morris and Wolesley versions. I seem to remember replacing rear shoes was really fiddly.
A most enthusiastic young presenter. Relook at this historic automobile, ahead of its time in some ways but representative of British auto engineering. Quite luxurious. Nice video. Thanks.
My Dad had 2 of these back in the 1970s. A Wolseley 1885S. I think that was exactly the same engine that was in the MGB, twin carbs. He also had an Automatic.
Wonderful cars!. I remember one of my Uncles had a humble 1800 and I was always amazed at how much room was in the back. That was back in the days when we would be on our knees on the rear seat looking out of the back window waving to the people behind !!
When were you born? I have socks older than you. How dare you be so brilliantly well informed and interesting. That was terrific, I am more than impressed.
I remember riding in one of these in the early 80s. It was really quite refined on the road and a comfortable ride. As noted, there was masses of space inside.
Well done! Great to see the younger taking an interest in these slightly flawed English cars. They had so much going for them. I used to drive the 3-litre version which used the centre 'cab' section. Look forward to you next reviews from down-under.
I had the Austin version. A mate gave it to me after the engine died. Turned out a "mechanic" had put the oil filter canister on the engine with no filter in it! Pistons, rings and a hone (and some rust repairs) and I had a working car. Did you know if you move the seats forward and recline them, you get a huge flat area? You can fit 14 people and still drive. If you want to use the car as a bed, and the gearstick gets in the way, just push and twist and the gearlever comes out! It is fortunately easy to put it back. Landcrab camper!
Very interesting and informative clip, well done fella. I also like the fact that you presented in your own style not like a lot of the Top Gear wannabes on YT.👍
It seems to be a great car. Had it been made by anybody but BL, it would have been the English answer to the Citroën DS, earning renown in Europe, and throughout the world.
Super video! Enjoyed every second! And you really liked the car and didn't ridicule it. Very informative, too. I knew nothing of this car [not many land crabs in Texas] but now I want one. Top drawer, dude.
My father had a friend, who at that age I had to call Uncle Keith (even if he wasn't) had a fawn coloured D registered 1800. The rear lights were thin and horizontal and wrapped around the rear corners. I'm pretty sure its boot sloped down more than the Wolseley above, too. Was it shorter?? Anyway, it carried 4 adults and us 3 children with ease, if not in safety. I was fascinated by the strip speedometer, which you mention, and the T-shaped handbrake. It tended to wallow a bit leading to car sickness at times. Your video, even of a Wolseley, brought back many memories of the days both families had. Can I say that for a young person this is an impressive video and it's great to see you so enthusiastic about our (pretty rotten it has to be said) car industry.
my mother in law sold her Wolseley 18/85 after her husband died, when she passed away we inherited a 1955 Wolseley 6/90 (bought new in UK) and a super rare 1936 Australian bodied 12HP coupe. they gave my spouse a 1948 Wolseley Ten in 2002, which i finished the restoration on. i wish i had gotten her landcrab, it's a lovely car, and i never got to have a drive in it.
It was back in the 1980s, I had a very busy day and a date with a gorgeous blond in the evening, but my car broke down, leaving me in the lurch. My brother loaned me his Austin 1800 for the day which enabled me to do everything I planned, including the blond. I really fell in love with that car, with its spaciousness, comfort and driveability. I vowed that if I ever got the chance, I would get one. Then one day I saw one for sale. It was in excellent condition, but I didn't have enough money, so I told the owner I would definitely buy it if I could get the money. I got approved by my bank for a personal loan within 24 hours, so I phoned the owner to let him know I was on my way. Unfortunately someone beat me to it, and it was sold.
As you say on your channel description, "every car has a story" and you have a talent for narrating a story. My Dad considered the Landcrab but bought an older Austin A95 instead, a practical six cylinder estate which I have loved. The interior was trimmed similar to that Wolseley, with comfy leather seats and the same dashboard instruments and lighted indicator stalk.
I owned the Wolseley 18/85 for many years and used it to pull a caravan when needed. The secret to longevity was regular oil changes with a top quality oil as the oil was also used to lubricate the gearbox. I loved the car for its room inside and in the winter snow it was exceptional and would get you anywhere particularly if you put a pair of Town and country tyres on the front. Like all cars of that era rust was their downfall and was one of the reasons for suspension issues where pipe corrosion was many the cause
This was one of the first videos I ever made, so last year I gave it another go, with much more finesse! The BMC 1800 'Landcrab' is Flawed Genius ua-cam.com/video/IyEkWdTSJX4/v-deo.html
Nice work young fella - keep it up. For your interest, BMC chose in Australia to market the Mini and 1100 as Morrises and the 1800 as Austins. I've never seen a Wolseley landcrab in Australia, but would own one in a flash - particularly given the nice dashboard and the fact that I myself loathe strip speedos!
I grew up with my dad's mauve Austin 1800 and it always seem to run like a dream. My chief memory is of sticking to the seats in summer when wearing shorts.
Very good assessment and in depth knowledge. One of the big difference between BMC cars and fords of the era, was that the BMC cars would start on cold damp mornings. Ford drivers were famous for churning away trying to get the damn things to start! I know, I had both.
driftwood1906 There was a documentary series on Channel 4 or 5 about fifteen years ago about living with British companies and one was about Ford Motor Company, they interviewed the chap who'd been head of marketing at Ford in 1967 and he revealed that the reason cars wouldn't start was because they used cheap starter motors that would only last about eight months by which time the six month warranty had expired and the cost of replacing the few that failed before the warranty expired was far less than the cost savings of using sub standard starters.
@@philnewstead5388 that sounds about right, but it was also to do with a not properly damp proofed ignition system. The engine wouldn't fire. Later on Ford had a problem with sticky automatic chokes that also caused starting problems.
I never really liked these cars when I was a kid. But as a 52 year old classic car fan I can now totally appreciate the forward thinking of the design. The interior is wonderful too. There are a couple of things that weren't mentioned though. You said it looked odd. It's certainly not ugly, especially the lovely Wolseley front profile, but odd is about right. And part of that is the disproportionate side profile due to BMC insistence on using the exact same rear doors for Maxi, landcrab and even their flagship Austin 3 litre. The bus driver like rake of the steering wheel didn't help either across all their fwd cars. I had a Mini and hated the wheel position.
My dad had a Wolesely Six as a company car from '73 to '76. I would describe it as the Flying Front Room. It had velour seat coverings and it was like your Nan's three piece suite stuffed in a metal box. I think the front seats had folding arm rests on each side. We were four kids so it was great in the back. It had Kangol inertia reel seat belts. Those early seat belts used to "catch" very easily. I remember it getting quite out of tune when it was due for a service and my dad commenting on how much better it was after a tune up. We had a physics teacher at high school who was very tall - Mr Speller the ten foot feller - and drove the Austin 1800. It was one of the few cars he could fit in but his knees still came way up around the steering wheel. We saw him once with a load on the roof that he was holding down with his arm out the window such was the length of his arm. Happy days!
In my time I've had both a wolesly 1300 mk2 and a wolesley2litre land crab and boy what wonderful cars they were lovely loved them so smooth and quiet, ld have another one in a heartbeat and the lit up wolesley badge is so brilliant,
Thanks Ed, that was very entertaining! I had an Austin 1800, mk2, auto, in Australia in the mid 70’s. On a long trip, the muffler blew a hole and unknown to me , it was heating up the rear floor and the foam in the rear seat started smouldering and filled the car with smoke! Luckily I had a fire extinguisher 🔥🤣.
I can attest to the nimbleness of the Landcrab. One snowy night in 1967 I had a great time in a deserted carpark doing handbrake turns in my dad's Austin 1800.
I went on holiday to the Isle of Wight from Derbyshire with my Aunty and Uncle in an Austin 1800 back in the 60s. There were 2 adults and 4 teenagers in the car with all our luggage with room to spare.
I had completely forgotten about the Wolseley, So much so I'm not sure I ever knew about it in the first place. I thought I knew everything about cars, and maybe I did and forgot. That is one homely car, so damned homely I might enjoy owning one. But I live in the States, and I doubt one ever made it to our shores.
I have owned just about every BMC over the years, and the Austin 1800 and then the Tasman and Kimberly in Australia with the 6 cyl engine were great, plenty of power and unbelievable to drive, and yet large enough when you laid both front seats down for 2 adults to sleep in, and on one very fast drive, I put the 1800 side ways at around 90 mph, and yet it remained up right and stable, and I pulled up on the bitumen, I would love to own a car as nice as his Wolseley, a great job done and good to see a young guy know his stuff,
My Wolseley 1885 was the best car I ever owned, known affectionately as Boozer cruiser by my mates. It had lovely smooth ride and had the best seats. Eventually rust got the better of it and couldn't keep up with the welding and the cable gear change give problems sometimes, but I have only fond memories of that car .Thanks for the video sir, it was excellent.
A very enjoyable professional presentation. Interesting car which I remember well having grown up in the seventies. Keep up the good work and well done. Subscribed.
Here in NZ I owned a 1965 Austin 1800. It was a very early NZ car in bright red with cream interior and that strip speedo indeed really no dash at all, just Issigonis’s big bins. Our car was the 11666th 1800 made and had before I got it the usual issues, running bearings and using oil. All fixed when I bought it at 76,000 miles. We sold it at 110,000. I loved that car and would love a Mk 1 again. The video just watched was excellent.
This was one of the first videos I ever made, so last year I gave it another go, with much more finesse! The BMC 1800 'Landcrab' is Flawed Genius ua-cam.com/video/IyEkWdTSJX4/v-deo.html
They should make a 'classic' Topgear and he should present it.. he's a bit like a young James May. I drove one of these back in the 70's (not on a public road) at the age of 14. It had an automatic gearbox and it was great. I then went and bought a Mark 1 Escort as we all did back then.
My dad bought one from new in 1968, it was lovely BUT when we set off on a motoring holiday to France it broke down en route and a poor mechanic worked on it all afternoon in order to fix it. We made the ferry just in time! Other this inauspicious start my dad loved it and it never broke down again!
I had a 1971 Morris 1800 landcrab - a fabulous car. A little thirsty but went and drove great ......and the space....the space....went camping one Easter and it snowed heavily. Peoples tents collapsed but me and my then g/f found a warm dry snug place to hole up for a couple of nights. In retrospect one wonders why we bothered to take a tent at all. Replaced by a Maxi which was equally capacious and better on fuel.
Good video. My Mum and Dad had Austins all their lives. From the old A40 Countryman through to the Farina A40, then onto 1100s and then 2 beautiful Maxis. Never a Wolseley though! In my humble opinion, the Rover 2000 and the Landcrabs were 2 of the most goodlooking cars of their day, and which still look pretty good these days. Subscribing.
I'm 52 , Dutch and in my youth these cars were a rare sight on Dutch roads..if any!! Everything here has always been French, German and later on Japananese. Even the wave of British Leyland cars didn't 'affect' our shores that much... But as a teen I saw many pictures and films of these BMC cars (love the big Humbers !!) The old British cars (products of BMC, Rootes Motors etc. etc..) had so much style to them! For your age you're well informed and serious about it! Keep up the good work!
My parents were friends with a Dutch family when I was a kid, they had great service from their Austin Cambridge Diesel so eventually replaced the Cambridge with a new mark 1 Austin Maxi 1500. This unfortunately was a poor car in comparison having not been developed properly before launch. The `E' series OHC engine had a camshaft lubrication problem that was hurriedly redesigned by BMC followed by the dreadful cable operated gearbox being upgraded to rod operation. As a result they bought a Renault 16 TS that they were very pleased with. `B' Series Diesel www.aronline.co.uk/cars/morris/marina/diesel/
This was one of the first videos I ever made, so if you’ve stumbled across this one, I’d recommend watching this one instead! 👇
The BMC 1800 'Landcrab' is Flawed Genius
ua-cam.com/video/IyEkWdTSJX4/v-deo.html
My father’s last car before he died back in 1983 was the Austin 2200 automatic with the gear selector placed on the right hand side of the walnut dashboard it was a 74 plate and immaculate in a deep maroon colour. The thing flew sounded gutsy and looking back gave myself and my dad huge grins as we’d bomb our way round pushing that 2200 straight 6 engine with its great meaty British growl. I have always had a special place in my heart for ORY 832 M my dad’s last car before he died. i am now 50 and this car is a great clear memory of my childhood. 😢
As a 55 year old who grew up with these cars in my youth and lusted after them, it is wonderful to see a young, well informed, well spoken gentleman conveying a passion for cars from way before his years. Your research is immaculate, well done sir, Subscribed!
I'm not quite as old as you, Bill Sinclair, but I absolutely agree. What a find this Twin-Cam is!
I came down to the comments section in order to say something very similar. We older chaps need to give our support to young lads like this. The greybeards were good to me when i was a young enthusiast.
I couldnt agree more. Bring these young enthusiasts on. They keep our now defunct engineering heritage alive. Im 58 now and my first car was a 1969 manual Austin 1800. Great car but riven with problems. I always wanted this Wolseley variant. Beautiful car and a great and enthusiastic presenter.
In all seriousness, the BL community is fantastic. So welcoming to people of all kinds no matter who you are.
There are a lot of people who love all these cars that hold such a wealth of knowledge on the history and the mechanics. I think it's very important that all the older folk make sure this knowledge is never lost. Pass it on to anybody that will listen. Write everything down. Make a vlog. Answer questions.
It's so nice to encounter somebody that experienced these cars the first time around that is willing to pass on their wealth of knowledge to young guys like me to keep the memory of these cars alive.
hear, hear. Well said.
This presentation has pulled a 57 yr old depressive out into the sunlight ! Our Farmer stepdad Sid Street owned 2 of these in a row , bought as Used from Dealer Gates’ in Boring Brockenhurst in New Forest but they were pretty rare in SW Hampshire in the 70s for some reason . The F Reg one ( MOU 272 F ) was Grey whereas his H Reg one was White . I never heard the term “ Landcrab “ used until the next decade . Neither of Sids’ had a radio fitted as standard ( unless old man Gates had them away before they hit the forecourt) . Thanks ever so much fella , you’ve given my day a nice healthy boost ❤️🐢
As a yank, I am absolutely fascinated by 60's era British cars. They are just so elegant looking
The impression I get is that to most US motorists, British cars mean Jag, RR, Bentley, Morgan, Aston Martin etc, and there was a built-in fear of them going wrong, especially with regard to Lucas electrics.... But I believe some smaller cars were imported in the 50s and 60s. I recall reading a US review of the Austin cars offerings of the early 1950s and was much amused by them. The 1952 model line line up was described as a set of "toby jugs" - which wasn't far wrong... Many Austin A30s were used by parking control officers as little runabouts patrolling the parking lots etc. I guess that was all they were for fit for in the States...
@@wordsmith52 No, they were used for parking control not because they were crap, but because they were 'Right Hand Drive' and therefore the driver was on the same side as parked cars. The officer could hold out a stick with a piece of chalk on the end and draw a horizontal mark on the parked car's tyre. If he came back an hour later and the mark was still horizontal, it meant that the car hadn't moved, and a ticket could be issued.
It is similar to here in the UK where gutter sweeper lorries are Left Hand Drive so that the driver can drive accurately close to the kerb.
@@horsenuts1831 Well, I didn't say they were "crap", but in a country like the USA you could not have called them competitive in the general park in the early 1950s. The A30 body was designed by an Italian, but the resulting shape overall did look slightly comical, even to my younger eyes in the 1950s. In Sweden they were nicknamed "the meat ball".
@ferkemall Yes. They renamed them as "Nash". Used to see many in England, but now are very rare.
@@wordsmith52
Ah yes the Nash Metropolitan.
I used to call them lulu cars when I was a kid for some reason.
I still think they look comical.
this young man is a first class presenter.he has all the credentials to be an excellent tv presenter10/10.his presentation makes this highly interesting.what a wonderful classic car .british built.one to savour and look back on for many years to come.thank you so much young man.
Aww thank you Claire, that's very kind :)
Let's replace the "Top Gear" numpties with this fellow.
We had several Austin 1800s in the family during the 60s. I was born in '56 so British cars were all the rage in Australia in that era, with the upstart Ford Falcon slowly scratching its way into the market from 1960, pushing aside the British Ford Zephyr.
Can you imagine a "land crab" sailing down the road, on one of many road trips, stuffed with ten people? That was us, the parents plus eight sons from newborn to sixteen, and a boot full of whatever supplies and equipment we needed, the Austin never faltered and we loved it.
We kids also love the layback feature, which I suppose the British models had too, wherein the front seats, when slid all the way forward, could be laid back flat to meet the back seats and form quite a comfortable bed. We took the cars "bush" on many occasions, up and down mountain roads in the Victorian alps, where these cars were very much at home, though mud and slush in winter and searing heat in summer, mum and dad would sleep in an old miner's cabin whilst we kids would fight over the privilege of sleeping in the car. Such wonderful memories.
The 1800 was superseded in 1971 by the "east-west" (transverse) 2.2 litre six called the Austin Kimberley (the British equivalent was a longitudinal live axle 3 litre six) but they only lasted two or three years, followed by the P76 with a 4.4 litre Rover v8 or 2.6 inline 6. Things went downhill from there.
Great to see a young fella speaking with such obvious passion for this era of cars that I was lucky enough to live through.
That young guy deserves a pat on the back for this presentation of the 18/85. I've had mine for 11yrs and has been a great car to own and drive. I feel sorry for classic car owners who have never owned an 18/85 they don't know what they have missed, I've had loads of offers for mine but due to the pleasure and trouble free the car has given me I can't bring myself to part with it. For Sunday sun readers my wolseley appeared in Sunday's readers car of the week column
I had a 2.2. Very fast, loads of room. Handled like a big mini. Only killed by a seized CV joint at 80MPH. Lots of smoke, lots or opposite lock. She got me home after cooling-off :-) Very nice car.
Something that most manufacturers from the last 30 years seem to have lost is comfortable seats.
Good video. Thanks.
It seems they would rather make snazzy looking seats than proper pillowy seats with gentle support for eating up the miles in.
What a thoroughly delightful and enjoyable vehicle, hosted by an engaging and knowledgeable young gentleman. I’ve learnt so much just with this video, and thank you for spurring the interests of this (youthful) 65 year old. Well done, you!
Yes, (I’m the same age as you) my sentiments exactly. 👍😊
@@philtucker1224 Ed really does a superb job with his videos, doesn’t he?
I had both the morris 18oo mk2 s and the wolseley 18/85. Both were astoundingly comfortable cars both as a passenger and a driver. I am currently trying to find a good one to buy.
Very well said. The young man spoke well and highlighted so many good points and showed why the sixties cars were wonderful in every way.
I'm looking at purchasing a wolseley 16/60 all being well soon. I will admit though I love american 50s / 60s cars to.
Respect to you and all.
@@mrmash3085 absolutely. It’s a real pleasure to see a young, intelligent enthusiast take the reins and go with it. His videos are all top notch.
57 year-old Brit living in So. Cal. Your videos bring back so many memories of growing up in Yorkshire and my dad taking us out on weekend trips to Morecambe, Blackpool, Skipton and towns further afield. Motoring across the Dales in a Popular, Anglia and Escort Mk I are my cherished memories. And, of course, in the contemptible Imp.
That is a beautifully restored vehicle. The overall presentation was flawless and professional by this young man. You've got a bright bright future!
My Dad was pleased to see the arrival of the 1800's, having 4 kids it was a squeeze in the back of the Wolseley 1500 he had! He went on to own 3 ADO17's, a Mk1 Austin 1800 manual followed by 2 Wolseley 18/85's, both automatic, I got to drive both Woleleys. I remember they cornered like they were on rails, very different to the rear-wheel-drive offerings of the day. The gear change on the early manuals was worse than shocking, They were a terrific family car, shame they never developed an estate that would have been cavernous.
What’s so endearing about this review is that it’s being critiqued by someone who didn’t exist when the car did, so he’s discovering things that are SO foreign to him. Very genuine appreciation. Fun. Greatly entertaining.
I owned one . I am in New Zealand. I followed David Vizard's book tuning Bls A series and the same principles apply. I remove the exhaust hot spot retaining the single carb and the motor looked identical to look at but the performance was enormous.I also put a smaller steering wheel on and reduced the recommended tow out on the front. The handling was vastly improved. The power steering I adjusted up the tolerances that made it a very impressive car to drive. A top video. Thanks.
The best of the LANDCRABS in my opinion having owned every variant in my time. 18/85 means 1.8 litre engine & 85 BHP. Power steering was fitted as standard on the 18/85 models. Great to see the younger generation appreciating the car that Alec Issigonis described as his greatest creation the ADO 17.
My Dad had a Morris 1800 from new and then a Wolsey 18/85. The Morris was a good car for the 2 or 3 years he had it, he was disappointed with the Wolsey after it had some issues, but in their day they were very good family cars, lots of room etc. Any mass produced car from they time will see deeply flawed and lacking power by today's standards. I was only wondering the other day how we managed to get anywhere with 5 people in the car, a caravan behind and an 11' sailboat on the roof.
I disagree about Ford building boring cars, they didn't build cars with cutting edge technology but they were the masters of styling in the 70's creating cars that people really wanted as opposed to the bland products from BL. BL never had anything to compare to the likes of the Ford GT's and E models or the Capris.
Thank you for explaining to this Yank what the 18/85 meant. Although cars are a universal language, it doesn't mean the "dialects" from one brand/country to the next are readily understood.
I had a Reliant regal 3/30... which meant 3 wheels and 30 bhp :P
Fiveo waf I agree I think there was a bit more to it for example Ford had AVO versions of showroom cars such as the Escort twin cam and later the RS cars and it wasn't difficult to make an 1100 Escort look like one of its much quicker stablemates and of course both the Escorts and Capris were very successful in motorsport. By this time BMC only had the Mini which was nearing the end of its dominance and didn't really have another really successful race car until the SD1 in the late seventies and early eighties. People bought Ford because the fast ones were really good and people bought into that in the same way people buy Audis and BMWs today because the RS and M cars respectively are so good. Also later on Ford,s product placement was so good, the two biggest shows of the day The Sweeney and The Professionals both featured Fords. Although the 1800 had some rallying success it wasn't the type of car that younger buyers could either afford or aspired to. That said I have fond memories of these cars, a friend of my father's who owned the local BMC dealer always had 2200 s of both Wolesely and Morris marques and it was wonderful to ride in.
My brother in law had one with the straight 6 and I remember two things about it; firstly it was hugely comfortable with a truly astonishing ride and it was absolutely massive inside. I just love those old Wolsleys, they are just glorious. Thanks for a fabulous upload.
Approximate size of a Focus - interior bordering on Mondeo/Granada. Feels so claustrophobic in modern cars by comparison.
@@rosiehawtrey Yes I have to agree.
Certainly a ride to remember, smooth as silk on motorways.
@@metalmicky Yes, the level of comfort was extraordinary.
I learnt to drive in a blue Austin 1800 (YLA 507G) in the early 80s. It was a bit of a handful for a new driver but the control layout was good and the gear change was easy, if a bit soggy. You mentioned the auto dimming rear lights, I remember these causing us great confusion when the brake and indicators stopped working at night but we’re fine during the day. Luckily we had the workshop manual and following much head scratching, narrowed the problem down to the auto dimmer which was small box behind a panel in the boot. This was replaced at great cost for the time. Also the boot light switch was a menace, often getting stuck on, causing a flat battery. I think it used to get wet when the boot lid was opened after rain. Luckily I was small enough to be shut in the boot to check if the light was working properly!
Thanks for the video and stirring some memories!
My Farther opened a car auction in 1966 and I went to work for him as a 16-year-old in 1977, working out in the yard. All the older entries went through in the first couple of hours and we had thousands of 1960s (and 1970s) cars through the sales every year. I would think I've driven most European cars of the age and some Eastern Block ones too, including Moskvitch and Wartburg. I had many favorites: Austin 1800 (and it's variants); Rover 3-Litre; MGB's; Jensen Interceptor; Triumph Herald and Spitfire; Reliant Regal (and supervan); Ford Cortina Mk 1, 2 and 3 (my favorite); Ford Corsair 2 Litre; Vauxhall Victor (and VX4/90); Austin/Morris 1100/1300 (and GT) and on and on I could go. Great Days!
I'm 72yrs and worked on and drove many cars of the period.
I loved em and still do. Much of the problems with unreliability came from small issues and production inspection not up to much.
This particular car was much maligned for no good reason.
Also the wolseley A 99 and 110 were fantastic to drive or be a passenger.
The truly British car industry, now lost what a shame.
Oh well that's how it is.
Your channel deserves growth. Your readership is thorough and well presented, which deserves increasing respect and viewership .
Great to see a young lad taking an interest in these old cars and talking with such knowledge and insight.
I lived in Australia since 1965, and I have to say I have never seen a Wolesley 18/85 over here, although I knew of their existence (in the UK). I had a 1972 Austin 1800 with an automatic gearbox, which was supposed to be very unreliable. That said, I had no trouble with mine, but I did service it regularly.
there are a few out here, My spouses parents Founded the Wolseley Car Club (Vic), and they had one down in Barwon Heads.
the Austin variant was much more common.
Wolseley's were the upmarket version of Austins & Morris's, much like Daimler and Bentley are upmarket Jaguar and Rolls Royce
@@amandagardner565 Yes, you're right, there were some Wolseley versions here in Australia. I grew up in the Hunter Valley of NSW and, after having had a Morris 1100 as my first car, drove an Austin 1800 Mk1. On a couple of occasions I spotted the Wolseley version not far from where I lived which, because I was driving the 1800, caught my attention. I don't think BMC sold them from showrooms here, so they must have been private imports. (Maybe BMC would import them on request for customers?)
Im 51 and grew up with these kind of cars. Good to see a young guy apreciating classic/ retro era cars, especially some of the more humble ,less flashy, offerings. Good video
My Dad had one back in the 70s an automatic. I can remember me and my brother in the back, sliding about in the back on the massive rear seat, it was like an Oceanliner, we all loved that car. Thanks for the video Twin-Cam.
The turn signal lever was originally an American Nash motor company unit. Nash used them on their Rambler models in the 1950's. Austin built the Metropolitan for Nash from 1954-1962. Austin continued to use the signal lever....
On my Minis, the turn signal stalk push sounded the horn. You pulled it towards you to flash the headlamps.
Minis had many different designs of stalks throughout their 41 year production run.
@ferkemall I do remember seeing a few on the road though... always rather liked its unusual styling and 2-tone paint combinations.
James Anderton that would have been a later Mini, I think they changed to your style of switch when they went over to the Mk3 Mini with wind down windows. I had a 1968 Cooper S and that had the indicator switch that flashed.
Great review! The great advantage over the Wolseley over the Austin and Morris variants was the nice interior. The cheaper models were very austere inside just like an early Mini and that must have put buyers off too. A friend had an 1800 auto in the 1970's and it seemed very fast even with 5 people in it despite the performance being poor on paper. My dad's Pininfarina A40 from the early sixties had the same indicator stalk!
This guy knows his stuff and has genuine charisma to boot - I'm subscribing!
5:38: "I hate the British public." I live in a Florida, U.S.A. where today most of the cars on the road are either painfully ugly SUVs/CUVs, or pointlessly huge pickup trucks, with the edge of the bed eye-high to a standing man, thus rendering them inaccessible without a ladder. I know how you feel.
In the early '70s l was fascinated by American cars, but oddly only muscle cars. Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, Firebirds, Chargers, Challengers and the like. The car my dad had before the 1800 was a Vauxhall Ventora with a 3.3 litre straight 6 and 3 speed auto. 140 throbbing horses. If you think of an early '70s Chevelle you won't go far wrong.
Yes...those "pointlessly huge pickup trucks"...Horrendous ugly beasts.
I just don't see the point in their popularity....To intimidate others, maybe?
@@patagualianmostly7437 I think you are right Sir!
The American taste in cars and most manufactured goods is poor. Everything has to be huge with clumpy technology.
Look to the Italians for good design and taste in all things.
Excellent video, thanks! BMC tried to play the General Motors game, with prodigious badge engineering - it worked for GM in the US market, but eventually became a costly game for BMC; who also had to keep the individual marque dealerships happy.
The Landcrab was an advanced car for its day, but let's not forget the Citroen DS.
The 1800s also had engine problems - with bearing failures occurring. This was puzzling, given the bulletproof nature of the B-series. My understanding is that the problem was eventually traced to a mis-calibrated dipstick, which caused owners to overfill the engine/transmission oil sump. On a motorway run, the crankshaft would actually end up thrashing around in the oil, causing the latter to froth, resulting in oil starvation to the bearings.
The high loading lip at the boot contributed, of course, to the exemplary torsional stiffness of the Landcrab.
I've got a 1968 Mk 1 Wolseley 18/85 which had been stored in a garage for about 30 years - 68,0000 original miles on it. It has been a hole in the ground I have poured money into! Now, after many years of "putting it back on the road" I finally have it running and running very nicely. I also have a Lexus ES300 and my 18/85 has, I think, more room inside it than my Lexus. Great to drive around and quite an eye catcher nowadays too. This 18/85 you have demonstrated is in exceptional condition - quite envious.
A steering wheel hub that is a collector's piece in its own right, lever switches, ignition on the dash an indicator that glows when on.........what a brilliant car to behold.
Its a no brainer that Fords sold so well in Britain and Ireland!! Boring? Hardly....always a goodlooker,good value,solid drive,cheap parts!! Drove nothing but Fords here in Ireland for 36 years....no complaints!!
This young fella is a legend, ! Well done mate
Hi Ed, another great video. I do love your presentation. Interestingly, the Morris and Austin Landcrabs were used by the Army as staff cars taking over from the Zephyr 4s.
My Dad had a Mark 1 Morris 1800, then a Mark 2 Austin 1800. The Mark 2 went all over the place, one trip camping in France about 1972; Mum, Dad, me and my brother and a canvas tent with proper metal poles! The car, AEG167K did over two thousand miles on a three week holiday to the South of France, no problems. I remember the weather being really hot, but all the windows were open including the flip-out rear quarterlights. We came back on the Hovercraft, remember those? Thank you for your informed and balanced articles on these old British cars. Love and peace.
Fantastic!
I worked on many of these, apart from the fact all of them rusted like crazy in the english weather, the larger ones in particular were a very nice ride. Well presented young man.
My dad had one of these as a firms car when I was a teenager, it was maroon and we took it on holiday on a ferry to Sweden driving across the country from Gothenberg to Stockholm, it stood out as a rarity amongst the Volvos. after 3 years it was replaced by an automatic Wolseley Six, but not for long! dad didn't like the extra MPG so it was swapped for the dreaded Maxi in white which was very soon white with brown spots (rust) by the way the second L in Wolseley is silent, so pronunciation is Wolsey, well it was in our family anyway. Great video.
No its WOL-SE-LEY only silent because most people didnt know how it was spelt ! We are Wolseley specialists for 40 years and hire out four Wolseley 6/80 Police cars for film / events & weddings. Ran an 18/85 for years, superb to drive, your dad made a mistake I think !
@@donrico5122 I stand corrected, thanks.
svengaleekie Wolsey was underpants and vests.
Brilliant. As a family, late seventies, we had an Austin, a Morris and a Wolseley at one point. Thought they were fantastic, so roomy and such a beautiful ride. Such fond fond memories. And I still think they look amazing. Thank you for some fabulous nostalgia.
Of course was all good till the hydrolastic went on one side, and you had to limp home with a distinct list 😄
I very happy to see the younger generation getting enthused by the cars that Britain used to make. And as such have subscribed and am now looking for a maxi that I remember from from my youth, (Brown obviously)
We got the ADO17 Landcrab in very limited numbers here in the United States, and it was the Austin version. I believe it sold better in Canada. Austin was the marque that BMC (and British Leyland after the ‘68 merger) chose as it’s “North American brand.” Austin had enjoyed modest sales success in North America in the 1950’s, and it was a brand that people recognized. However, most North Americans visualized an A40 whenever they heard the word “Austin,” and the Landcrab (and later the Austin Marina) were not easily identifiable as Austins. I don’t believe any car with a Wolseley badge was EVER offered on this side of the pond.
Absolutely love this old Landcrab! Excellent video showing the features of this lovely piece of British engineering.
The models I owned were both 18/85`s, one auto and the other manual, power steering and armchair leather seats with individual arm-rests, great cars to drive over long distances and quite economical. Beautiful walnut dashboard with matching door trims all round.
BMC❗️ all I can do is shake my head. They really screwed up everything they did.
(Some great ideas, poorly executed). Not to mention cost cutting to a fault. This is a pretty cool car. I like it.
Good video.
📻🙂
Excellent review! Makes me wanting to drive one of these weird but finally beautiful cars. You've done a good job, even better than full-time motor journalists!
Thanks mate :)
I owned one in Perth Australia. We drove it to Sydney return. 4000km each way.
We slept in the car as the car has a camping setup. The front seats recline and a line with the rear seats making a flat bed. Best car ever.
My dad had one in that identical colour that was our family car throughout the 70s. I'm sure the seats were a maroon vinyl, rather than leather but still very comfortable. It had the rectangular internal door handles as it was a later car - DUY 578 J. Parents in the front and four kids and a dog in the back - happy memories.
The first car I remember was one of these in Maroon with maroon vinyl seats and the rectangular interior door handles , I was so sad when my father sold it in the early 80's and bought an Opel Rekord "Berlina" (the first car I drove) .
I was overjoyed to see the car "alive and well" about 10 years ago at a classic car meet, looking better than it ever had living day to day with 4 kids in the back.
@ferkemall Nice to hear,I hope it continues to be valued long into the future.
My father replaced his Wolsely 6/90 with one of these (second hand) in about 1972. it was the automatic version - selector sticking out of the dash! Very confusing - for about 10 seconds. I did not get my hands on it very often but it was a joy to drive. If I could find one I would buy in a heartbeat. Thank you. Good memories.
The Yanks would never have dreamed of putting such luxury in such a small car until the Cadillac Cimarron of the mid-1980s. My username celebrates a Yank estate car (shooting brake? We call them station wagons). My '69 has a 5.7-litre V8, 3-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, "Safety Sentinel" (set a pointer on your speedometer and a buzzer will sound if you exceed the set speed) and a driver's side remote side view mirror. It also has a power window in the "Dual-Action" tailgate, which can open like a door or a gate. It has coil springs at each corner, unlike the Citroen-inspired hydraulic suspension on your car. Compared to the "Yank tanks" of the day, equipment was Spartan. Your video was nicely done!
I owned one of these whilst in my mid-20s, I'm in my 70s now. What a great car, super to drive. Love to own one again. Mine was written off when someone in an Audi did a right turn and smashed the front end off my car. Thanks for the video really enjoyed it
Having started my apprenticeship with Morris Garages in 1971 I worked on these cars when they were new or nearly new.
I recall going on a 2 day course at Cowley to lean about the Hydrolastic Suspension, great memories. The land crab nickname (which I dislike) wasn't around then and appears to only have become popular in recent years. Great video.
Mike F I started my apprenticeship with Mann Egerton in the late seventies and certainly the lads there all called them landcrabs, it was about 18 months after the launch of the wedge so maybe it came about then to distinguish the two as at launch there were Austin,Morris and Wolesley versions. I seem to remember replacing rear shoes was really fiddly.
A most enthusiastic young presenter. Relook at this historic automobile, ahead of its time in some ways but representative of British auto engineering. Quite luxurious. Nice video. Thanks.
Thanks Shashi :)
My Dad had 2 of these back in the 1970s. A Wolseley 1885S. I think that was exactly the same engine that was in the MGB, twin carbs.
He also had an Automatic.
Well done, limey. You have informed us bloody yanks about stuff we have no idea about. Very, very well done. Superb storytelling.
Wonderful cars!. I remember one of my Uncles had a humble 1800 and I was always amazed at how much room was in the back. That was back in the days when we would be on our knees on the rear seat looking out of the back window waving to the people behind !!
When were you born? I have socks older than you. How dare you be so brilliantly well informed and interesting. That was terrific, I am more than impressed.
Thanks mate ☺️
Also, 2000!
I remember riding in one of these in the early 80s. It was really quite refined on the road and a comfortable ride. As noted, there was masses of space inside.
I really, really like your narration style, and your knowledge is first rate. Top drawer.
Thanks mate :)
Well done! Great to see the younger taking an interest in these slightly flawed English cars. They had so much going for them. I used to drive the 3-litre version which used the centre 'cab' section.
Look forward to you next reviews from down-under.
I had the Austin version. A mate gave it to me after the engine died. Turned out a "mechanic" had put the oil filter canister on the engine with no filter in it! Pistons, rings and a hone (and some rust repairs) and I had a working car. Did you know if you move the seats forward and recline them, you get a huge flat area? You can fit 14 people and still drive. If you want to use the car as a bed, and the gearstick gets in the way, just push and twist and the gearlever comes out! It is fortunately easy to put it back. Landcrab camper!
You didn't need new bearing shells as well?
@@Martindyna They survived somehow.
What a talented young bloke . great informative presentation keep it up. from Perth Australia
Very interesting and informative clip, well done fella.
I also like the fact that you presented in your own style not like a lot of the Top Gear wannabes on YT.👍
My dad had the Austin 1800 automatic. It was brand new in 1973 and was huge. You could fit 4 kids in the back easily. It was so comfortable!
I remember these well..big comfortable car with a lovely ride - or at least the Morris 1800/2200 variant. Blast from the past..Liked
It seems to be a great car. Had it been made by anybody but BL, it would have been the English answer to the Citroën DS, earning renown in Europe, and throughout the world.
The DS is a true wonder, first made in 1955 so way ahead of its time
Except it was so damned ugly!!
@@davidedney2323 Or so damned attractive (as distinct from beautiful), depending on your point of view!
Ugly? Now you show your bias.
The English DS was the Rover 2000. Same skeleton and bolt on panels.
Super video! Enjoyed every second! And you really liked the car and didn't ridicule it. Very informative, too. I knew nothing of this car [not many land crabs in Texas] but now I want one. Top drawer, dude.
My father had a friend, who at that age I had to call Uncle Keith (even if he wasn't) had a fawn coloured D registered 1800. The rear lights were thin and horizontal and wrapped around the rear corners. I'm pretty sure its boot sloped down more than the Wolseley above, too. Was it shorter??
Anyway, it carried 4 adults and us 3 children with ease, if not in safety. I was fascinated by the strip speedometer, which you mention, and the T-shaped handbrake. It tended to wallow a bit leading to car sickness at times. Your video, even of a Wolseley, brought back many memories of the days both families had.
Can I say that for a young person this is an impressive video and it's great to see you so enthusiastic about our (pretty rotten it has to be said) car industry.
The 1800 I drove back in the day had vertical rear lights. Must do a Wikipedia search. Mk1 horizontal, Mk2/3 vertical. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMC_ADO17
my mother in law sold her Wolseley 18/85 after her husband died, when she passed away we inherited a 1955 Wolseley 6/90 (bought new in UK) and a super rare 1936 Australian bodied 12HP coupe.
they gave my spouse a 1948 Wolseley Ten in 2002, which i finished the restoration on.
i wish i had gotten her landcrab, it's a lovely car, and i never got to have a drive in it.
It was back in the 1980s, I had a very busy day and a date with a gorgeous blond in the evening, but my car broke down, leaving me in the lurch. My brother loaned me his Austin 1800 for the day which enabled me to do everything I planned, including the blond. I really fell in love with that car, with its spaciousness, comfort and driveability. I vowed that if I ever got the chance, I would get one. Then one day I saw one for sale. It was in excellent condition, but I didn't have enough money, so I told the owner I would definitely buy it if I could get the money. I got approved by my bank for a personal loan within 24 hours, so I phoned the owner to let him know I was on my way. Unfortunately someone beat me to it, and it was sold.
It’s important that we keep cars like this running to preserve our heritage and shape our futures. Great job sir, keep it up.
Thanks mate ☺️
Beautiful car, my dad had one in about 1972, kept it for 2 years and then got a Wolsey six automatic with power steering, luxury 🙂
Always loved the good old Landcrab Ed. Thanks for a suitably reverential vid.
As you say on your channel description, "every car has a story" and you have a talent for narrating a story. My Dad considered the Landcrab but bought an older Austin A95 instead, a practical six cylinder estate which I have loved. The interior was trimmed similar to that Wolseley, with comfy leather seats and the same dashboard instruments and lighted indicator stalk.
I owned the Wolseley 18/85 for many years and used it to pull a caravan when needed. The secret to longevity was regular oil changes with a top quality oil as the oil was also used to lubricate the gearbox. I loved the car for its room inside and in the winter snow it was exceptional and would get you anywhere particularly if you put a pair of Town and country tyres on the front. Like all cars of that era rust was their downfall and was one of the reasons for suspension issues where pipe corrosion was many the cause
This was one of the first videos I ever made, so last year I gave it another go, with much more finesse!
The BMC 1800 'Landcrab' is Flawed Genius
ua-cam.com/video/IyEkWdTSJX4/v-deo.html
Nice work young fella - keep it up. For your interest, BMC chose in Australia to market the Mini and 1100 as Morrises and the 1800 as Austins. I've never seen a Wolseley landcrab in Australia, but would own one in a flash - particularly given the nice dashboard and the fact that I myself loathe strip speedos!
I grew up with my dad's mauve Austin 1800 and it always seem to run like a dream. My chief memory is of sticking to the seats in summer when wearing shorts.
Very good assessment and in depth knowledge. One of the big difference between BMC cars and fords of the era, was that the BMC cars would start on cold damp mornings. Ford drivers were famous for churning away trying to get the damn things to start! I know, I had both.
driftwood1906 There was a documentary series on Channel 4 or 5 about fifteen years ago about living with British companies and one was about Ford Motor Company, they interviewed the chap who'd been head of marketing at Ford in 1967 and he revealed that the reason cars wouldn't start was because they used cheap starter motors that would only last about eight months by which time the six month warranty had expired and the cost of replacing the few that failed before the warranty expired was far less than the cost savings of using sub standard starters.
@@philnewstead5388 that sounds about right, but it was also to do with a not properly damp proofed ignition system. The engine wouldn't fire. Later on Ford had a problem with sticky automatic chokes that also caused starting problems.
I never really liked these cars when I was a kid. But as a 52 year old classic car fan I can now totally appreciate the forward thinking of the design. The interior is wonderful too. There are a couple of things that weren't mentioned though. You said it looked odd. It's certainly not ugly, especially the lovely Wolseley front profile, but odd is about right. And part of that is the disproportionate side profile due to BMC insistence on using the exact same rear doors for Maxi, landcrab and even their flagship Austin 3 litre. The bus driver like rake of the steering wheel didn't help either across all their fwd cars. I had a Mini and hated the wheel position.
My dad had a Wolesely Six as a company car from '73 to '76. I would describe it as the Flying Front Room. It had velour seat coverings and it was like your Nan's three piece suite stuffed in a metal box. I think the front seats had folding arm rests on each side. We were four kids so it was great in the back. It had Kangol inertia reel seat belts. Those early seat belts used to "catch" very easily. I remember it getting quite out of tune when it was due for a service and my dad commenting on how much better it was after a tune up.
We had a physics teacher at high school who was very tall - Mr Speller the ten foot feller - and drove the Austin 1800. It was one of the few cars he could fit in but his knees still came way up around the steering wheel. We saw him once with a load on the roof that he was holding down with his arm out the window such was the length of his arm. Happy days!
In my time I've had both a wolesly 1300 mk2 and a wolesley2litre land crab and boy what wonderful cars they were lovely loved them so smooth and quiet, ld have another one in a heartbeat and the lit up wolesley badge is so brilliant,
Thanks Ed, that was very entertaining! I had an Austin 1800, mk2, auto, in Australia in the mid 70’s. On a long trip, the muffler blew a hole and unknown to me , it was heating up the rear floor and the foam in the rear seat started smouldering and filled the car with smoke! Luckily I had a fire extinguisher 🔥🤣.
my brother owned a variant of that. So big inside and an absolute pleasure to drive!!!!
I can attest to the nimbleness of the Landcrab. One snowy night in 1967 I had a great time in a deserted carpark doing handbrake turns in my dad's Austin 1800.
I went on holiday to the Isle of Wight from Derbyshire with my Aunty and Uncle in an Austin 1800 back in the 60s. There were 2 adults and 4 teenagers in the car with all our luggage with room to spare.
I had completely forgotten about the Wolseley, So much so I'm not sure I ever knew about it in the first place. I thought I knew everything about cars, and maybe I did and forgot. That is one homely car, so damned homely I might enjoy owning one. But I live in the States, and I doubt one ever made it to our shores.
Once again, another thorough and informative video in this young gentleman’s entertaining series. Top marks.
Cheers mate :)
My dad had the Morris 1800 version. Good ride, comfortable seats and a fine motorway cruiser.
I have owned just about every BMC over the years, and the Austin 1800 and then the Tasman and Kimberly in Australia with the 6 cyl engine were great, plenty of power and unbelievable to drive, and yet large enough when you laid both front seats down for 2 adults to sleep in, and on one very fast drive, I put the 1800 side ways at around 90 mph, and yet it remained up right and stable, and I pulled up on the bitumen, I would love to own a car as nice as his Wolseley, a great job done and good to see a young guy know his stuff,
Thanks Bryan :)
Such an articulate, knowledgeable chap. I hope he has 12 children.
My Wolseley 1885 was the best car I ever owned, known affectionately as Boozer cruiser by my mates. It had lovely smooth ride and had the best seats. Eventually rust got the better of it and couldn't keep up with the welding and the cable gear change give problems sometimes, but I have only fond memories of that car .Thanks for the video sir, it was excellent.
A very enjoyable professional presentation. Interesting car which I remember well having grown up in the seventies. Keep up the good work and well done. Subscribed.
Here in NZ I owned a 1965 Austin 1800. It was a very early NZ car in bright red with cream interior and that strip speedo indeed really no dash at all, just Issigonis’s big bins. Our car was the 11666th 1800 made and had before I got it the usual issues, running bearings and using oil. All fixed when I bought it at 76,000 miles. We sold it at 110,000. I loved that car and would love a Mk 1 again. The video just watched was excellent.
This was one of the first videos I ever made, so last year I gave it another go, with much more finesse!
The BMC 1800 'Landcrab' is Flawed Genius
ua-cam.com/video/IyEkWdTSJX4/v-deo.html
They should make a 'classic' Topgear and he should present it.. he's a bit like a young James May. I drove one of these back in the 70's (not on a public road) at the age of 14. It had an automatic gearbox and it was great. I then went and bought a Mark 1 Escort as we all did back then.
They were lovely to drive, out of this world. They were fantastic, easy to work on too
My dad bought one from new in 1968, it was lovely BUT when we set off on a motoring holiday to France it broke down en route and a poor mechanic worked on it all afternoon in order to fix it. We made the ferry just in time! Other this inauspicious start my dad loved it and it never broke down again!
I had a 1971 Morris 1800 landcrab - a fabulous car. A little thirsty but went and drove great ......and the space....the space....went camping one Easter and it snowed heavily. Peoples tents collapsed but me and my then g/f found a warm dry snug place to hole up for a couple of nights. In retrospect one wonders why we bothered to take a tent at all. Replaced by a Maxi which was equally capacious and better on fuel.
Good video. My Mum and Dad had Austins all their lives. From the old A40 Countryman through to the Farina A40, then onto 1100s and then 2 beautiful Maxis. Never a Wolseley though! In my humble opinion, the Rover 2000 and the Landcrabs were 2 of the most goodlooking cars of their day, and which still look pretty good these days. Subscribing.
New to your channel and love it!
1985 I learnt to drive in an Austin 1800 - my first car. Most roomie car ever built! Loved it.
Thanks Wayne ☺️
I'm 52 , Dutch and in my youth these cars were a rare sight on Dutch roads..if any!! Everything here has always been French, German and later on Japananese. Even the wave of British Leyland cars didn't 'affect' our shores that much... But as a teen I saw many pictures and films of these BMC cars (love the big Humbers !!)
The old British cars (products of BMC, Rootes Motors etc. etc..) had so much style to them! For your age you're well informed and serious about it! Keep up the good work!
My parents were friends with a Dutch family when I was a kid, they had great service from their Austin Cambridge Diesel so eventually replaced the Cambridge with a new mark 1 Austin Maxi 1500. This unfortunately was a poor car in comparison having not been developed properly before launch. The `E' series OHC engine had a camshaft lubrication problem that was hurriedly redesigned by BMC followed by the dreadful cable operated gearbox being upgraded to rod operation. As a result they bought a Renault 16 TS that they were very pleased with.
`B' Series Diesel www.aronline.co.uk/cars/morris/marina/diesel/