[97405] Nuffield Place : 1946 Wolseley 8

Nuffield Place, Oxfordshire, 1914.

The National Trust.

By Oswald Partridge Milne (1881-1968).

For Sir John Bowring Wimble (1868-1927).

The house is, surprisingly, unlisted.

 

This is the garage which contains a 1946 Wolseley 8 - BUD 650. It is a refined version of the better-known Morris 8 and was used by Lady Nuffield. Lord Nuffield had a similar Wolseley, also preserved at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

 

Nuffield Place was Lord Nuffield’s home from 1933 until his death in 1963. Originally named Merrow Mount, the house was built in 1914 for Sir John Bowring Wimble, a shipping magnate.

 

When Sir John Wimble died, his widow sold the house to William Morris. Having just been raised to peerage, Morris took his title from the local village and renamed the house Nuffield Place.

 

William Morris (1877-1963) built his Morris Motor Company from the ground up. At the height of his career, he was reputedly earning £2,000 a day. However, he was never extravagant with his money. Questioned about his riches, he replied, “Well, you can only wear one suit at a time.” Naturally frugal, Lord Nuffield gave away much of his vast fortune. In total he donated £30 million to good causes, the equivalent of £700 million in today's money.

Done