One Man and his Teignmouth

My love affair with Vintage motoring started in the mid 1960’s, my best friend’s brother was part of a group of older lads who were into pre war motoring and at the time owned a 1929 Standard Teignmouth (XV 9893).

I was about 14 yrs old and was fascinated by this fabric bodied motorcar. Too young to drive I probably made myself a nuisance by tagging along with the three older boys, helping to polish it on Sunday mornings, eventually attending rallies, VSCC meetings and the very early days of the Enfield & District Veteran Vehicle Society.

After a couple of years it was decided that the Teignmouth had to go in favour of a larger and more prestigious Standard, a 1927 Pall Mall. The Teignmouth was duly sold to Miss Pam Ayres for the enormous sum of £150 and replaced on a temporary basis by a Standard Fulham on loan from the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry (courtesy of John Davy), until the Pall Mall arrived.

We ran the Pall Mall (TW 9025) for about a year after which it was sold to Eastern Automobiles in Chelmsford for display purposes, as they had been the original suppliers and their brass plaque was on the car.

Over the years I have owned several vintage and pre war motorcars but none have held a special place like XV 9893. I did track the car down in the 1980’s as it was being offered for sale by a dealer in Trowbridge for £2000 but it was in a very sorry state with torn fabric and poor mechanicals. I really wanted another Standard and ended up purchasing a 1931 Little 9 from an antique dealer in Milton Keynes who had thought that owning an old car helped with his business image. A growing family, financial pressure and the fact that it was not a Teignmouth meant that the Little 9 had to be sold and it went on to a very good home with Tony Pingriff.

I continued to look out for my old Teignmouth and even considered buying Sid Sparks car but it just didn’t ring the right bells. By chance there was an advert in the Standard Club magazine for a Teignmouth but no clue as to it being the right one. I telephoned only to find out that it was XV9893 (in a much better state than when last seen) but that it had been sold. I contacted the new owner who graciously invited me over to see the car and it was love at first sight all over again. We parted on the basis that should the car ever be for sale I would get first refusal.

Well as you can probably tell a deal was struck pretty soon after seeing each other again and XV9893 resides in the garage next to my office. We have had a lot of catching up to do after nearly 40 years, plus catching up with some of the previous owners. I found out that Pam Ayres called the car Henrietta during her ownership so that is what we call her today.

A fluke telephone call put me in touch with one of the lads that I used to hang around with (now a retired Doctor) and he had kept all the original 1960’s rally plaques, which have been re-united with Henrietta, plus a lot of the cars history in the form of bills and receipts.

She has had lots of love and attention over the past year or so and will be at the National Rally at Charlecote Park (as she only lives about a mile and a half away) the last time Henrietta and I were there together was in May 1964.

Colin Clatworthy

January 2008

PS:

Just for information the Pall Mall TW9025 has been immaculately restored and lives in Switzerland and the last time I saw the Fulham it was on display in the Coventry Motor Museum.

Many thanks for your story Colin,

If we had a prize for "shortest run to the rally" I think you might be a contender!

If you would like to see your Standard here, just send me photos and a story.

Phil Homer.