This performance-focused special with its distinctive look was built for racing at Brooklands in Surrey using a modified Morris Oxford ‘Bullnose’ chassis.

A Morris Motors distributor in Wales, H.R. (Reginald) Wellsteed, converted a standard Morris Oxford to race on the famous Brooklands track. He covered the famous ‘Bullnose’ radiator with a streamlined nose cowl and changed the standard Sankey artillery wheels to wire ones. The car was finished with a tuned engine and a body that had been on a Gwynne Eight Brooklands racing car. 

The new look Oxford Special was first seen at Brooklands during the Easter Meeting of 1926 and was driven by Wellsteed. In later years it was raced by Cyril Paul. Originally named the Morris Oxford ‘Wellstead’ after its owner (which would have helped promote his motor business), the car was capable of a lap of the circuit at over 78 mph - a remarkable speed for the time. 

The car was retained by the Wellsteed family for many years and took part in events across the country including the Motor Industry Jubilee Cavalcade at Cardiff in 1946. It was donated to Morris Motors Limited by 1964.