Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969

Wolseley Hornet/Riley Elf

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The Wolseley Hornet and Riley Elf were launched in 1961 to give a luxury end to the Mini phenomenon. They stretched and beautified the original Mini, with boot extensions, plusher grille and smarter interior. BMC sold 59000 of these models during the 1960s, presumably to people who wanted something slightly more refined than the basic box of tricks. Often described unfairly as "badge engineered", the Hornet and Elf were in fact very important in the development of the Mini, having a 998cc engine five years before the standard car and wind-up windows three years before other models.

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