Private company

Wolsit

Motorcycle manufacturer

Wolseley Italiana (official name: Società Anonima Wolseley Italiana – Officine Legnanesi Automobili Wolsit, also known by its trade name Wolsit (an acronym for Wolseley Italiana), was an Italian company active in automobiles, aerospace, motorcycles, and bicycles, operating in Legnano between 1907 and 1927.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1907Founded1
  • Industryautomotive industry1
  • HeadquartersLegnano1
  • Founded inLegnano1
  • Legal formsocietà per azioni1
1907 Wolseley-Siddeley "Wolsit" Coppa Floria Racer - Flickr - exfordy
Photo: Brian Snelson from Hockley, Essex, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

Wolseley Italiana (official name: Società Anonima Wolseley Italiana – Officine Legnanesi Automobili Wolsit, also known by its trade name Wolsit (an acronym for Wolseley Italiana), was an Italian company active in automobiles, aerospace, motorcycles, and bicycles, operating in Legnano between 1907 and 1927.2

The story

The company was founded in 1907 in Legnano with the acquisition, by Franco Tosi, of the license to produce and market automobiles and bicycles from the British company Wolseley Motors, hence the name "Wolsit".

The founding of Wolsit involved, among others, the Banca di Legnano, which invested 2 million lire in the venture, and Aermacchi of Varese.

The production facilities were located on via XX Settembre in Legnano, along the Domodossola-Milan railway, in a shed owned by Franco Tosi.

In 1907, some Wolsit cars participated in motorsport competitions. Due to the crisis that hit the automobile sector at the time, car production ceased in 1909, just two years after the company's founding.

Even after the end of car assembly, bicycle assembly continued, still under Wolseley license. Wolsit bicycles were famous for their design and construction techniques.

A few years after the end of car assembly, airplane production began, but it was unsuccessful and short-lived.

The company changed its name to Legnano in 1927, after which the name "Wolsit" survived as a brand for a few decades. From 1910 to 1932, the company also produced motorcycles under the Wolsit brand.

From Wikipedia’s article on Wolseley Italiana, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

The smallest car model for sale was the 10/12 HP, which was equipped with a two-cylinder engine of 1,775 cm3 displacement. Also available were the 16/24 HP, which was equipped with a four-cylinder engine of 3,550 cm3, and the 30/40 HP, which had a four-cylinder engine of 5,555 cm3. The largest model was the 45/60 HP, which had a six-cylinder engine of 8,190 cm3. The last model listed was the 14/20 HP, which was equipped with a four-cylinder engine of 2,587 cm3.

From Wikipedia’s article on Wolseley Italiana, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1927Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1907Founded Founded in Legnano1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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