The Wolseley 1500 was intended to replace the Morris Minor and would be based on the Minor floorpan, steering, suspension and brakes but would have a new body and either the 948 cc A-series or 1200 cc B-series engine. The Minor, however, was still selling extremely well so the project became a small Wolseley car.

The 1500 was introduced in 1957 with a Riley version soon after. An early attempt to make a compact luxury car, the Wolseley had the excellent handling of the Morris Minor but with better performance. Well equipped, it could be had with a variety of exterior and interior two-tone schemes.

Total 1,500 production was just over 100,000 making it the most popular Wolseley model ever.