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HAVING spotted this
wonderful looking motor at a recent Classic Car show, I was prepared
to forgive its owner for being a former bank manager in order to get
the car's interesting history! The beauty in question is a Standard
Vanguard Vignale phase III, of 1960 vintage, in completely original
condition and, to be fair, its owner, John Worby, left the banking
profession long before the current mayhem began. "It's totally
unrestored," John told me. "The total and genuine mileage
is 18,000 and when I bought the car from a chap in Kent about 11
years ago, it had just 8,000 on the clock." Certainly the car
looks resplendent in shiny black with acres of chrome trim.
Apparently, John has had a life-long affair with the Standard badge,
and previously owned a 1948 'Flying Standard', but decided there was
too much work involved in restoring it, so it eventually went to a
museum in Ireland
The Vignale is a
much better prospect due to its superb condition and has been
Christened 'Vera' by John, after becoming a much-loved member of the
family As well as the Cotswold Classic Car Club, John, who lives in
the Ledbury area, is a member of the Standard Motor Club and this
year the SMC will hold its Golden
Anniversary Standard International Rally at the Royal
Agricultural College, in Cirencester, from June 26-28. Standards
from all over the country will be in attendance and they will
participate in a road run on Saturday June 27, but the public are
welcome to visit (free of charge) on Sunday June 28, when most of
the vehicles will be on static display
The Standard Motor
Club caters for enthusiasts and owners of products of the Standard
Motor Company of Canley, in Coventry, which were built from 1903 to
1963, The Standard Motor Company bought the Triumph car company in
1945 and all post-war Triumph cars were designed and made by the
Standard Motor Company in Standard factories. While many are
familiar with Triumph cars, the parent company's products, and the
Standard marque generally, has largely been ignored, except by their
owners. Standard handed the styling of its new Vanguard to a
budding, young Italian designer, Giovanni Michelotti, who would
later gain fame for designing more popular Standard-Triumph cars
such as the Herald, Spitfire and the eventual Vanguard replacement,
the Triumph 2000. All of the major changes to the 'new' Vanguard
were cosmetic and included a larger glass area, a new grille,
revised rear springs and taller gearing. Production of the Vanguard
Vignale continued until 1961. John's example runs on unleaded petrol
- with additive - and has a four-speed gearbox. "It's great fun
to own and to drive," he concluded. "I don't intend to let
this one go."
Reproduced with
acknowledgement to the Gloucestershire
Echo
Have you got a
story about your Standard. Don't keep it to yourself. let the
webmaster have a copy, with one or two good digital photos.
I am aware that there are other cars
and information that could be added to this site to make it more comprehensive, so if you
have material and photographs, please let me know. Please send me, Phil Homer, a
message at: Phil Homer
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