Standard's first light car was the Model S, launched in 1913. Prior to that date, the Standard Motor Company had concentrated on building large and expensive six cylinder cars. The new car came in various body styles, the cheapest and most popular being the two-seater "Rhyl". Prices started at £195, rising to £210 for an all-weather version with two piece windscreen, sidescreens and a higher quality hood. There was also more luxurious versions, a Hurlingham Victoria at £250 and the Ranelagh and Richmond models at £275. Acetylene lights, as on this example, were standard, electric lighting being a £20 option. The car was a roaring success and up to 50 a week were coming out of the factory gates.

This superbly preserved example dates from 1914, just before the factory went over to manufacture of aircraft for the first world war. It's owned by Grahame Dutch from Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Grahame uses the car on a regular basis both at home and on the continent, a testament to the reliability and ability of these little cars

Click on the thumbnails to see an enlargement: