Standard Motor Co
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
Sources of Information
- ↑ David Kay & Lynda Springate 'Automotive Mascots: A Collector's Guide to British Marque, Corporate & Accessory Mascots.'
- ↑ David Kay & Lynda Springate 'Automotive Mascots: A Collector's Guide to British Marque, Corporate & Accessory Mascots.'
- ↑ The Times, Tuesday, Sep 26, 1933
- ↑ British Motor Cars 1950/51
- ↑ British Motor Cars 1950/51
- ↑ The Times, Thursday, Oct 14, 1954
- ↑ The Times, Thursday, Oct 14, 1954
- ↑ 'Tractor & Machinery' magazine, September 2018
- ↑ The Times, Thursday, Sep 24, 1959
- ↑ Wikipedia