Standard Motor Company

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Standard logo
Standard Nine Selby Tourer (1927)
Standard Ten (1933)

The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry , Great Britain in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay (1871-1934).

history

1903-1914

The company was set up in a small factory on Much Park Street in Coventry and had eight employees who built the first car with a single cylinder engine , 3-speed gearbox and cardan shaft drive to the rear axle. This first vehicle was quickly replaced by a two-cylinder model, followed by 3- and 4-cylinder versions, and in 1905 the first six-cylinder model. In addition to selling complete chassis, the company also sold engines for installation in other cars, especially when the owner was looking for higher performance. The company had a stand at the London Motor Show 1905 in the Glass Palace in London , where a London car dealer, (Sir) Charles Friswell, agreed to take over the full annual production. In 1907 Friswell became CEO of the company and worked hard to improve the company's reputation until he was finally allowed to deliver 70 cars to King George V and his court for the “Royal Durbah” in Delhi in 1911. Fiswell sold his stake in Standard in 1912 to Siegfried Bettman and CJ Band, the founders of the Triumph Motor Cycle Company, which later became the Triumph Motor Company . In 1914 Standard went public.

The First World War

During the First World War , the company produced over 1000 aircraft, such as B. Manufactured the Royal Aircraft Factory BE12 , Royal Aircraft Factory RE8 , Sopwith Pup and Bristol F.2B in a new facility in Canley, which opened in 1916 and became the main facility for future production.

1919-1939

Commercial automobile manufacturing began again in 1919 with a range of small cars, and by 1924 the company had a market share comparable to Austin's . Over 10,000 cars were made in 1924, but profits plummeted in the late 1920s due to high investment, a failed export deal, and poor sales of large cars. In 1929, Hillman took on Captain John Black as Managing Director. He sold chassis to cartwright businesses like Jensen , New Avon, and Swallow (which later became Jaguar ). Reginald Maudsley left the company in 1934 and died shortly afterwards at the age of 64.

In the 1930s the situation improved with new models like the Standard Nine and the Standard Ten , which belonged to the lower middle class. At the 1935 Motor Show, the “Flying Standards” model series was announced, which already had semi-aerodynamic bodies.

The second World War

During the Second World War , the company continued to manufacture cars, but mainly vans. Nevertheless, the most famous product from this period was the Mosquito aircraft , mainly the FB VI version, of which over 1,100 were built. 750 Airspeed Oxfords were also made, as well as 20,000 Bristol Mercury VIII engines and 3,000 Bristol Beaufighters .

Other war goods were 4,000 Beaverette cars with light armor and a light “Jeep” model.

The post-war years

Standard Eight (1945-1948)
Standard Pennant (1957-1959)
Standard Ensign (1957–1963)

When peace returned, the pre-war Eight and Twelve were soon made again . More importantly, Sir John Black's arranged takeover of Triumph Motor Company , which had gone bankrupt, for £ 75,000. Triumph became a 100% subsidiary of Standard and was called "Triumph Motor Company (1945) Ltd.". A lucrative contract was also acquired to build the small Ferguson tractor. This helped fill the large factory floors that were left over from war production.

A one-model policy was followed from 1948 with the Vanguard , which was designed by Walter Belgrove according to American ideas. It was not until 1953 that the new Eight small car was introduced. Overseas assembly lines have been set up in Australia , Canada , India and South Africa . Sir John Black left the company in 1954. The official reason given was "health problems", but we now know that the Directory asked him to leave. His vice and longtime assistant Alick Dick took over the chairmanship. The company looked for partners to expand further and spoke to Chrysler , Massey-Harris-Ferguson , Rootes , Rover and Renault , but to no avail.

The company was acquired by Leyland Motors Limited in 1960 for £ 20 million, and the last standard in the UK was made in 1963. Triumphs continued to build when Leyland became the British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) in 1968 .

Trademark rights

In 1994 BMW acquired the Rover Group , the successor to the British Leyland Motor Corporation, which was then known as the successor. The company, now renamed MG Rover, was sold to a British investor community in 2000. Together with MINI , Riley and Triumph, Standard stayed with BMW. In addition, the British Motor Heritage , which was founded by BLMC in 1975 and deals with historic BLMC vehicles, continued to belong to BMW. While BMW kept the other brands, the trademark rights to Standard went to the 2001 re-privatized and thus independent British Motor Heritage.

Standard in India

Nevertheless, the name “Standard” remained in India until the 1980s. The Triumph Herald was produced there as the “Standard Herald”, but with additional 4- and 5-door variants.

In 1970 Standard fell out with British Leyland in India and in 1971 introduced a four-door version of the Herald as the "Standard Gazel" with the well-known 948 cc machine. The Gazel was only built in small numbers until 1977 - presumably in order not to endanger the production license. Production at Standard was then discontinued until the "Standard 2000" came out in 1985, which was based on the Rover SD1 . The car was modified - with greater ground clearance and an old 1991 cc machine from the standard Vanguard - and unsuccessful. Its production was discontinued in 1987. This was the last car to be called "Standard".

Standard UK car models

Before the First World War

year Type engine production
1903 6 hp 1006 cm³ sv 1 cylinder
1904-1905 12/15 1926 cm³ sv 2-cylinder
1905 16 hp 3142 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1905-1908 18/20 4714 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1906 10 hp 631 cm³ sv 2-cylinder
1906 16/20 3531 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1906 24/30 5232 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1906-1912 50 hp 11734 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1907 15 hp 1593 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1907-1908 30 hp 5297 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1908-1911 20 hp 4032 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1908-1911 40 hp 6167 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1909-1911 16 hp 2688 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1910-1911 12 hp 1656 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1911-1914 20 hp 3620 cm³ (3336 cm³ from 1913) sv 6-cylinder
1911-1912 15 hp 2368 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1912 25 hp 4032 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1913-1918 9.5 hp Model S. 1087 cm³ sv 4-cylinder

1919-1939

year Type engine production
1919-1921 9.5 hp Model SLS 1328 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1921-1923 8 hp 1087 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1921-1923 11.6 hp SLO 1598 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
1922-1926 13.9 hp SLO-4 1307 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
1923-1927 11.4 hp V3 1307 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
1926-1928 13.9 hp V4 1944 cc ohv 4-cylinder
1927-1928 18/36 hp 2230 cm³ ohv 6-cylinder
1927-1930 9 hp 1153 or 1287 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1929-1933 15 hp 1930 or 2054 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1930-1933 9.9 hp Big Nine 1287 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1931-1935 20 hp Envoy 2552 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1932-1933 Little Nine 1006 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1932-1933 Little Twelve 1337 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1932-1933 Big Twelve 1497 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1934 12/6 1497 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1934-1935 10/12 speed model 1608 cm³ sve 4-cylinder
1934-1936 Nine 1052 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1934-1936 Ten 1343 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1934-1936 Twelve 1608 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1934-1936 Sixteen 2143 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1935-1936 Twenty 2664 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1936-1937 20 hp 2686 cm³ sv V8 cylinder
1937-1938 Flying Ten 1267 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1937-1940 Flying Twelve 1608 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1937-1940 Flying Nine 1131 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1937-1940 Flying Light Twelve 1343 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1937-1940 Flying Fourteen 1608 or 1776 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1937-1940 Flying Twenty 2143 cm³ sv 6-cylinder
1938-1940 Flying Eight 1021 cm³ sv 4-cylinder

1945–1963

year Type engine production
1945-1948 Eight 1021 cm³ sv 4-cylinder 383.139
1945-1948 Twelve 1608 cm³ sv 4-cylinder 9,959
1945-1948 Fourteen 1776 cm³ sv 4-cylinder 22,229
1947-1953 Vanguard Phase I 2088 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 184,799
1953-1955 Vanguard Phase II 2088 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
2092 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder diesel 		81 074
1973
1953-1957 Eight 803 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 136.317
1954-1956 Ten 948 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 172,500
1955-1958 Vanguard Phase III 2088 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 37.194
1956-1957 Sportsman 2088 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 901
1957-1961 Ensign 1670 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
2092 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder diesel 		18,852
1957-1959 Pennant 948 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 42,910
1958-1961 Vanguard Vignale 2088 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 26,276
1960-1963 Vanguard Six 1998 cm³ ohv 6-cylinder 9,953
1962-1963 Ensign II 2138 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder 2,318

Military vehicles and vans

year Type engine production
1940-1943 Standard Beaverette 1776 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1940-1944 12 hp light utility 1608 cc sv 4 cylinder
1943 jeep 1608 cm³ sv 4-cylinder
1947-1958 12cwt 2088 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
1954-1952 6cwt 948 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
1958–1962 Standard atlas 948 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
1961–1962 Atlas Major 1670 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder
1962-1963 Standard 15/20 1147 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder, 2138 cm³ ohv 4-cylinder, 2260 cm³ diesel engine

Web links

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