Richard Hornby Sideboard spruce-up advice  

Watco or any "Danish" oil finish
Follow instructions on the can.
Wax after a week if higher lustre is desired.
Nice-looking piece!

.
If it just needs a spruce up try some dark beeswax and a very light/ fine wire wool start lightly and rub in until you achieve the desired look. You can use oil but I personally hate the smell, it will work just aswell.
DO NOT varnish or finish with a similar product!

Arthur, you may be right, but...
IME, while wax will add sheen and some protection to the surface, oil is required to impart improved color, depth, and to really make the grain "pop".
And, yes, the odor is offensive to some, but it will dissipate after a few days in a well-ventilated space.

Oil Vs wax
Oil will not work well because it will only penetrate the areas where the factory finish has worn or on scratches. Wax is by far a better option for any type of furniture. And the oil smells like a fish factory.

Sold!
I'll avoid the fish factory.

virtue
danish teak oil? does it really smell bad? maybe i feel so virtuous that I've finally got around to using it that i just don't mind the smell. Surely a teak oil after a light wire wool is the way to go?
I have a very dark Hornby sideboard, could it be rosewood? it doesn't seem to have the bold grain. It was a rescue piece that had had its legs chopped down, never had the heart to throw it out.

Sayz ere
It's English Rosewood? Can that be right?

sorry http://www.pigeonvintage.co.uk/pieces/17-1960s-richard-hornby-sideboard/

Sideboard
I believe it is aformosia, cut down legs the horror! I would always use beeswax the sideboard has an original factory spray finish which the oil will sit on top of, wire wool and oil will clean the sideboard but wax for me is the better option.

English Rosewood
Rosewood only grows in hot temps. there is no such thing as English rosewood.

It really has
to do with what the original finish was. Do we know for sure that this piece was sprayed ? Mightn't it have had an oiled finish from day one ?
The effects posters are describing have much to do with the existing finish (or lack thereof) -- no ?

oiled finish
the sideboard did have an oiled finish originally (we've had many of these and similar Youngers ones). You really do have to remove the old Danish oil before applying a new finish otherwise you get an uneven colour and sheen, particularly as they used an oil along with a stain (either mixed together or separate, not sure which). Teak oil just won't work, it will just sit on the surface and create a residue, it does need to be Danish oil and it will be well worth the effort as this is a beautiful piece of furniture. As to what it's made of it is afrormosia, no such thing as English rosewood I'm afraid.

.
Sideboard was NOT oiled originally its possible it may have been stripped and oiled since but looking at the pictures I would say not.
I believe the OP was asking for a spruce up I would agree for best results you would remove the years of in a can spray waxes and start from there.

asking for best advice for the wood
Actually the inital question was what is the 'most authentic way to bring the wood to life', this of course will be the way it was originally finished - so Danish oil it is!