Standard 9 Saloon

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The Standard Motor Company was founded by R Maudslay on the simple principal that he wanted his products made from components that were tried and tested for reliability.

The Coventry-based company was amongst the top six manufacturers in the UK before the war, and its cars were a very common sight on the roads of the period. Their fortunes started to wane in the late vintage period, and in 1929 Sir John Black was brought in from Hillman to try and turn things around. His first move was to develop new 9 and 10 horsepower models, where previously the range had been poorly represented.

In 1930, before the worst of the Depression, the Big 9 was introduced. Here standardisation was taken a step further with the bodies on 9hp four-cylinder and 15hp six-cylinder being almost indistinguishable except for bonnet length. The Standard Little Nine was manufactured from 1932 to 1933. Using a straightforward side valve 1,006cc engine and 3-speed gearbox, the whole vehicle whilst obviously at the lower end of the market, gave a feeling of quality not shared by most of its counterparts.

For 1934 the Standard range was redesigned and the 9 replaced the Big 9 and Little 9. The new Standard 9 was fitted with a four-cylinder side-valve 1,052cc engine with Zenith carburettor, which drove through a four-speed gearbox with synchromesh on all but first gear. Suspension was by semi-elliptic springs and shock absorbers front and back. Prices started at £135 for the basic saloon, with the ‘De Luxe’ and ‘Four-Seater’ costing a little more at £152 each.

First registered in Surrey in December 1934, this Standard 9 was bought by Stondon in 1994 from Octagon Cars Ltd in Maidstone. It seems to have only turned one mile since its last MOT in 1993 which recorded 5,016 miles. The MOTs trace back to 1980 at which point it had only 8 miles on the clock, when we assume that the speedo was changed or reset, quite possibly as part of a major restoration. The car comes with nine old MOTs, a V5 and a handbook.