Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 165,141 pages of information and 246,494 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Standard Motor Co

From Graces Guide
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Im081230-Standard.jpg
Im081230-Standard2.jpg
19??.
1903.
February 1905. Six-cylinder 20 h.p. chassis.
February 1905. 18 and 20 h.p.
1906.
November 1907. 20 h.p. six-cylinder.
November 1908. 14 h.p.
November 1908. Gear drive for oil pump detail.
November 1908. 20 h.p. six-cylinder magneto, pump and fan.
November 1909.
November 1909.
November 1909.
November 1909.
November 1909.
July 1910.
1913. Standard 20-hp with Cheltenham body. Exhibit at the Heritage Motor Centre.
May 1913.
April 1914.
February 1915. 9 hp.
March 1919. 9.5 hp.
November 1919
November 1919
November 1919
November 1919
November 1919
November 1919. Specifications.
1920.
1920.
January 1920.
1921.
(approx. 1921 - 1929). Hood ornament (mascot) 'Standard Roman's standard'. Front view.
(approx. 1921 - 1929). Hood ornament (mascot) 'Standard Roman's standard'. Back view.
March 1922.
October 1922.
November 1922. Standard 8.
November 1922. Standard 13.9.
1923.
June 1923.
October 1923.
October 1923.
October 1923. Models, prices and specifications.
March 1924
1925.
August 1926. 12-24hp.
1927. Standard 13.9 hp V4 Tourer. Reg No: SV 5424.
June 1928. Standard Nine.
September 1929.
October 1929.
September 1930.
1930. Fabric six cylinder saloon.
October 1930. 14-day training course for agents.
1931. Standard Swallow. Exhibit at Lakeland Motor Museum.
October 1931.
October 1931.
October 1931. Little Nine.
October 1931. Little Nine.
March 1932.
September 1932.
October 1933.
February 1935.
1937. Standard 12 Drophead. Reg No. JT 9189.
October 1936.
1938. Standard Flying Eight. Reg No: FLC 178.
1938-1948. Standard Flying Standard (left side view) "fitted to 10,14,20, etc marked "M553 WB".[1]
1938-1948. Standard Flying Standard (right side view) "fitted to 10,14,20, etc marked "M553 WB".[2]
April 1939.
April 1939.
October 1941.
December 1941.
November 1942.
January 1944.
March 1944.
March 1944.
June 1944.
1946.
1946. Standard 8 Tourer. Reg No 516 UXY.
Im090504-Standard1.jpg
1951. Courtesy of History World
1955. Courtesy of History World
1958. Courtesy of History World
1950s. Design for office by Moira Paterson.
September 1954.
March 1955.
June 1955.
October 1956.
October 1958. Atlas 10 cwt.
February 1959.
Flying 12. Reg No: KHT 470.
1960. Standard Van Pennant 948cc. Reg No: 805 AAA.

The Standard Motor Company was a manufacturer of cars from 1903.

See also -

1903 Founded in Coventry by Reginald Maudslay and backed by John Wolfe Barry. The company was set up in a small factory in Much Park Street, Coventry and employed seven people to assemble the first car, powered by a single cylinder engine with three speed gearbox and shaft drive to the rear wheels. This was soon replaced by a two cylinder model quickly followed by three and four cylinder versions and in 1905 the first six. As well as supplying complete chassis, the company found a good market in selling engines for fitting to other cars, especially where the owner was looking for more power.

1905 The company took a stand at the London Motor Show in Crystal Palace where a London Dealer, Charles Friswell (later Sir Charles Friswell) agreed to take the entire factory output. This sole agency arrangement continued for some years.

1907 Friswell became Chairman of the company. He organized a guaranteed overdraft with the bank and the company acquired additional premises, as coachworks and repair and service centres. He worked hard raising its profile, culminating in supplying 70 cars for King George V and his entourage at the 1911 Delhi Royal Durbah.

Friswell's influence raised questions about whether he interfered with production decisions too much.

1911 Financial problems affected the company, arising from Friswell's company.

1912 Standard survived but the works were put on short time in mid-1912; Friswell's sole agency agreement was terminated with effect from 30 September.

1912 Friswell sold his interest in Standard to C. J. Band and Siegfried Bettmann, the founder of the Triumph Motor Cycle Company.

1914 Standard became a public company.

WW1 During World War I, the company produced over 1,000 aircraft including the Royal Aircraft Factory BE12, Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8, Sopwith Pup and Bristol F.2-B in a new works at Canley opened in 1916 which would become the main centre of operations in future.

1919 Civilian car production restarted with a range of small cars and by 1924 the company had a share of the market comparable to Austin, making over 10,000 cars in 1924, but by the late 1920s profits had fallen dramatically due to heavy reinvestment, a failed export contract and poor sales of the larger cars.

1929 Captain John Black joined the board from Hillman as joint Managing Director and one thing he encouraged was the supply of chassis to external coachbuilders such as Jensen, Avon and Swallow (which would become Jaguar).

1933 On the board are Reginald Maudslay (Joint MD). Captain John Black (Joint MD), E. Grinham and E. A. Green. [3]

1934 Maudslay left the company and died shortly afterwards at the age of 64.

In the 1930s, fortunes improved with new models, the Standard Nine and Standard Ten which addressed the low to mid range market.

1935 At the 1935 Motor Show the new range of Flying Standards was announced with semi-streamlined bodies.

1939 Producing 50,000 cars from the Canley factory. [4]

WWII The company continued to produce its cars but now mainly fitted with utility bodies. However, the most famous war time product was the Mosquito aircraft, mainly the FB VI version of which over 1,100 were made. 750 Airspeed Oxfords were also made as well as 20,000 Bristol Mercury VIII engines, and 3,000 Bristol Beaufighter fuselages. Other wartime products included 4,000 Beaverette light armoured cars and a lightweight "Jeep" type vehicle.

Post WWII. The pre-war Eight and Twelve cars were quickly back in production. Of greater significance was, in 1945, the purchase arranged by Sir John Black of the Triumph Motor Co, which was in receivership, for £75,000. Triumph was reformed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard called "Triumph Motor Company (1945) Limited". Also, a lucrative deal was arranged to build the small Ferguson tractor which helped fill some of the large war time factory space. This arrangement was seen primarily by Black as a means to securing increased profits to fund new car development.

Standard Motor Co becomes known as Standard-Triumph after the acquisition.

1941 George Turnbull joins the company as an apprentice.

1948 A one-model policy was adopted in 1948 with the Vanguard, styled on American lines by Walter Belgrove, which lasted until 1953 when the new Eight small car was added.

Overseas assembly plants were also opened in Australia, Canada, India and South Africa.

1950 97,000 vehicles including 55,000 Ferguson tractors were produced. Operating from Canley, Banner Lane and Fletchamstead. [5]

1951 Exhibitor at the 1951 Motor Show in the Car Section.

1953 Introduced new 8-hp car

1954 Introduced new 10-hp car

1954 Sir John Black stepped down from control of the company. Ill health was cited as the 'official' reason for his resignation but it is now known the Board of Directors requested he should leave. His deputy and long-time personal assistant, Alick Dick, took over. The company started looking for partners to enable continued expansion and talks were held with Chrysler, Massey-Harris-Ferguson, Rootes, Rover and Renault but these came to nothing. [6]

1954 In the FY the sold 70,000 cars and 61,500 tractors [7]

1954 In the 1950s the company was producing gas turbines and tractors, and the two products came together in 1954 in a prototype machine, about which little appears to be known. It was featured in the magazine 'Tractor & Machinery' in 2018[8], illustrated by several works photographs. The tractor, probably a Ferguson FE35, was flanked by a small gas turbine, presumably driving either a generator or an air compressor, and the engines were enclosed in box-like bodywork. A large skid-mounted tank was carried at the back, presumably for the turbine's fuel. The machine was evidently for airfield use, possibly for starting jet aircraft.

1959 September. The company changed its name to Standard-Triumph International [9]

1960 Standard-Triumph International was bought by Leyland Motors Ltd. in December; Donald Stokes became chairman of the Standard-Triumph division in 1963.

Further mergers resulted in the formation of British Leyland Motor Corporation in 1968.[10]

List of Models

Military and commercial

  • 1940-1943 Beaverette 1,776 cc side valve 4 cylinder
  • 1940-1944 12 hp Light Utility 1,608 cc side valve 4 cylinder
  • 1943 Jeep 1,608 cc side valve 4 cylinder
  • 1947-1958 12cwt 2,088 cc ohv 4 cylinder
  • 1954-62 6cwt 948 cc ohv 4 cylinder
  • 1958-1962 10 hp Atlas 948 cc ohv 4 cylinder
  • 1962-1963 Atlas Major 1,670 cc ohv 4 cylinder
  • 1962-1965 7cwt 1,147 cc ohv 4 cylinder

See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. David Kay & Lynda Springate 'Automotive Mascots: A Collector's Guide to British Marque, Corporate & Accessory Mascots.'
  2. David Kay & Lynda Springate 'Automotive Mascots: A Collector's Guide to British Marque, Corporate & Accessory Mascots.'
  3. The Times, Tuesday, Sep 26, 1933
  4. British Motor Cars 1950/51
  5. British Motor Cars 1950/51
  6. The Times, Thursday, Oct 14, 1954
  7. The Times, Thursday, Oct 14, 1954
  8. 'Tractor & Machinery' magazine, September 2018
  9. The Times, Thursday, Sep 24, 1959
  10. Wikipedia
  • [1] Wikipedia
  • [2] Standard Motor Club
  • [3] History World