Standard Vanguard - the British 1940s car designed for the world

Today's video is about the Standard Vanguard phase 1 - let me know what you think and don't forget to like and subscribe for future videos on mid-century cars
Check out channel sponsor Bidding Classics to buy yourself a classic, or perhaps sell the one in your garage at home to free up the space for something new: bit.ly/BiddingC...
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Standard Vanguard
If you’re watching this from outside the UK and know somebody who owned one or owned one yourself, I’m not entirely surprised, because the Standard Vanguard was as the marketing material said ‘Made for Britain, designed for the world’
In post-war Britain when this car came to market, life was a world away from what we know now. We still had the late Queen Elizabeth the second’s father on the throne, rationing was still in place for some items and along with that, Britain was in a period of recovery from the Second World War.
And why do I tell you this? Because this idea of global appeal was linked partially to a government policy of the post war era - steel quotas. For manufacturers to access steel, they had to pledge to sell a huge percentage of their cars abroad, I believe it was 90% or thereabouts.
With that in mind, customers in the UK would be waiting years for their cars whilst overseas relatives could access the same car much quicker. In fact, these were hard to come by in 1951 and this example we’re testing today is one of the earliest examples sold in the UK and one of The oldest survivors.
In fact, in 1948, the discerning buyer is advised the cars are for the export market only! Another interesting fact for these phase 1s is that they were a big hitter in Germany, accounting for more than 70% of sales of British cars in 1950.
Another point to note on this, is you’ll notice when we look around the inside, the dash is symmetrical either side. This has been designed with the export market in mind so it can be swapped to LHD with minimum fuss. You see this on Morris Minors too, if you want a familiar car which also employed this mindset.
Power and performance wise we talk about later on and I give you the manufacturers specs as per the literature sold with the car, but it’s worth noting you may see the top speed I give you later on argued because when it was tested by journalists of the time it only reached a max of 78.7mph.
The car was designed by Walter Belgrove, who is sometimes called the man with the magic pencil or the first real British designer. When designing the Standard Vanguard, he’d been told by his superiors to visit London and take design influence from the Plymouth. But where do you find a Plymouth in 40s Britain? The American embassy of course! Belgrove then visited the site and sketched out the Plymouth and from those sketches, the Vanguard was born.
Well loved at the time yet hardly talked about today, the Standard Vanguard was the first all new car to come from Standard after the Second World War. It deserves a lot more attention and recognition for the love and in today’s video I hope we do justice to a car which transported millions of people all over the world.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

I was the rear seat passenger in a Phase 2 saloon which had a crash with a 1965 Mk3 Ford Zephyr when the ladty driving drifted over the centre line and we sideswiped the Zephyr...destroying the Zephy's entire driver's side from the headlights to the taillights.....a write off...and it also deflected into the ditch on that side of the road. The Vanguard had a 2 inch area of paint rubbed off the driver's mudguard.....

[@julesmarwell8023]

ps nearly every Australian FARMER had one of these especially the ute version lots were still in service after 50 years. My Eliza was a lovely girl. Thanks for showing.

[@tapaskumarbanerjee6863]

My grandfather bought a Standard Vanguard 1950 model from MacNeil Barry Coal Co. Before retiring, he handed over the car to my father who maintained it very nicely. Then we brothers and sisters learned to drive on It. Superb car with wonderful suspension. Had a lot of joy in driving. Miss those days very much. Nostalgic.

[@lornablewettandlee504]

I fell out of one of these in the late 50s when I was 5 or 6 years old. My dad was driving and my mum was in the passenger seat, I was in the back. No seat belts in those days! I was singing "how much is that doggie in the window" And for some reason I opened the rear door, we were doing about 25mph according to dad, in London traffic. My dad remembered seeing me in the rear view mirror bouncing down the road with cars swerving to miss me, which thay all did. I was taken to hospital with cuts and bruises and it was a week before they discovered I had a fractured arm. What should have alerted the doctors that there was something wrong was my language. I wonder where I got that from! I still remember bits of it, I shall be 70 in July.

[@pip393]

Hope you have a long wonderful life!

[@johnwalker283]

As a kid I remember the terrible handling.

[@nicholasspirosgreening8900]

Hi I know what you experienced I fell out of my dads model A I woke up in hospital

[@awolwakefieldyorkshire]

Did you find out how much the doggie in the window cost ? 🙂

[@derekwalker3594]

I was born in Kenya, Vanguards were very popular there, an aunt & uncle owned one which they loved so much they exported it back to England when they came home & used it to tow their caravan all over Europe. My step father had one too, a lovely car. One thing you do not mention is that it was one of the first mass produced British cars to offer overdrive as an option With this option it is well able to take modern motorways in its stride as in effect it then has a semi automatic 5 speed gearbox making it a very relaxing car to travel in, & surprisingly fuel efficient too.

[@skippmclovan1135]

Just imagine what an engine that would have been with two extra cylinders on the end as a big six..!! It would have easily topped the BMC 'C' engine then.. : )

[@merseymarineimages6283]

@@skippmclovan1135 The last of the Vanguards was indeed a 6 cly in that they put the early Triumph 6cly in the car making it the Vanguard six. My father had and automatic vesion while I had a 1959 mark 3 estate with overdrive which I took to France, Spain and Portugal as well as being a daily driver until a tooth on third broke away. They were also prone to braking the back bearer as had happened to mine before I got it. The bearer had been replaced by a section of Dexion (SP) attached each sill and a section of a scaffolding running accross the car hold the back of the gearbox up. Try that these days!

[@kawasaki5187]

@@merseymarineimages6283 Great story, my Uncle was a great fan of Dexion and it brings back wonderful memories, I keep buying Meccano !

[@robt2151]

My parents had a van version in Kenya in the early 60s, a neighbour had the estate version. I still recall the registration of ours, KAJ 912, my mother learnt to drive in it.

[@leopoldonotarianni8663]

Were Ford Zephyr, Zodiac or Consuls popular too ? In your location

[@iankings6405]

I was privileged enough to be driving in the 50s still driving today, had so many of the old cars, best thing ever was the starting handle on a frosty day. such happy memories.

[@skippmclovan1135]

The Standard Vanguard 2,188cc 4 cylinder engine was bullet proof as they say and with a good heft of torque. I believe they used replaceable cylinders liners, so a very long lived engine was possible, and they did a sterling job in the Fergusson 28 tractor with a smaller Zenith downdraft carburettor and with rpm governing of course. Many Fergie 28's still run perfectly on their original engines from seventy years ago..!

[@outfoxthefox]

mine was 2032 cc

[@davidjones332]

Their only weakness is that they're a wet-liner engine, and in old age the seals tend to fail, especially on engines that have been left standing too long. However, they can be modified to eliminate the seals which should ensure they will run reliably for years.

[@skippmclovan1135]

@@davidjones332 They were also used in the Triumph TR4A in 2138cc form i seem to recall, but i think they were 100cc less capacity in Standard Vanguard form (??) ..that engine in the Fergie 28 as we called them in the day (NZ) was a sheer delight to use..easy to maintain ..easy on fuel ..never gave any trouble whatsoever ..they just went and went and went ..for years and years, mind you that always regular pony club use, light work etc : )

[@martinsmallwood9605]

Best bit is you can buy new liners and all the parts because so many fergys are still around . They are all Tea 20's . What is called the 28 is the later 28 hp version with the bigger bore .

[@skippmclovan1135]

​ @martinsmallwood9605 i loved using a low-timed red '28' during the sixties as a teenage kid for our suburb's local Meadowbank pony club on a very extensive part farmland part bush-clad area on the then outskirts of Auckland.. it was used for everything you can think of ..including pulling out smaller to mid-sized trees ..fencing ..feeding out ..grass cutting ..trenching ..transporting bales ..to fill it with petrol i took it 15mins either way on the road to the nearest BP, as it was road registered. Never missed a beat ..always started with immediate throaty vigour, and i absolutely lavished it with spark plug, HTs and contacts, filter, oil, grease, and air maintenance. it was bought for $500 in the early 60's, about the same value as a 15yr old 6 cyl family car would have been, such as Velox or a Zephyr. Good and simple days. Now gone. The contemporary stuff is now 100% 'controlled' by AI and satellite . . ? ? ? ?

[@davidatkinson2167]

Don't forget the brake master cylinder underneath the driver's floorboards. No split braking, the master cylinder does every wheel and a failure is no brakes. I also, apart from driving Vanguards owned two Triumph Renown saloons with overdrive on 2nd and top gear on the second one.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

A relative by marriage had one that had been converted to a Perkins diesel engine in the UK...not a factory conversion. He said it was slow to accelerate but very economical in his trade as a travelling salesman...

[@VisorView]

I am 68, my grandad had one back in the 60's. I only ever saw it out of the garage once. It was absolutely immaculate.

[@vijaymujumdar5617]

My father, a forest officer in central India owned a black Standard Vanguard in Nagpur from 1952 to 1955. I remember riding in that vehicle with parents and siblings. A beautiful car indeed. He had purchased it from a retiring British Railway Officer.

[@stephenbower5394]

😊😊

[@kenmaund2836]

I remember a member of the family owning one, solid and indestructible. When testing these old vehicles, you best learn to double de clutch if you want to change down while moving.

[@briancritchley5295]

I am a car nut born in 51 ( Australian) never owned one but knew people who did, they were a tough car.

[@billspence1799]

I remember these from my boyhood. The last ones I saw were in 61/62 when in the RAF where station commanders had one as their company car

[@mikelindsay6980]

As I recall from my RAF days they were the standard vehicle on RAF stations. In 1957-8 there was a problem with petrol supplies and to save fuel all the RAF Vanguards were fitted with governers to reduce the top speed to 40mph. But the guys in the MT department soon found out you could override the governers and go faster if you ran with the choke half out. Which of course had the effect of dramatically reducing miles per gallon.

[@philbrice]

My father was a Baptist minister in Australia, with eight children. Happy memories of all of us in the family black Standard Vanguard. Those bench seats crammed six in the back and the two smallest with my mum and driver dad in the front. My father English and loved British cars.

[@tripsadelica]

Oh what memories this brought back to me! My dad owned one of these back when I was about five in 1963 here in Melbourne Australia. The upholstery was the same colour as this car and I can remember, vividly, being ferried home lying on that back seat all rugged up after coming out of hospital when I had my tonsils removed. Dad loved that car but it was stolen and that was that. I do remember one incident that will tell you how tough these cars were. Dad had parked near our local shops in a newish suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne. The carpark had not been laid with tarmac as yet and it was still covered in chipped bluestone. Out of the blue a guy in a brand new Australian made first generation Ford Falcon roared into the car park. He had a couple of ladies in his car and he was showing off and hooning about. Well, sadly for him his car careened into dad's Vanguard. The net result was that the Falcon lost the complete left fender and the entire grill. The damage to the Vanguard? A scratch on the right fender...no dings or bumps at all. The Ford driver was furious with dad but onlookers just laughed at the errant driver and one lady ( I remember this to this day) told the guy, "That's what you get for speeding and showing off... don't blame the humpy driver...his car was sitting still, you twit!" With that my dad thanked the lady and we drove home.

[@JohnDavis-ed5sg]

I bought one of these for £10 when I was an optimistic 14 year old. It was one owner and had been sitting in an underground garage for years. I was such an inexperienced mechanic that it took me days just to get a wheel off, and I had no tools except a Halfords screwdriver and pliers (still in my toolbox 50 years on!). Of course I spent most of the time sitting in the comfy seat pretending to drive. I never moved it so I expect it was scrapped when the garage was redeveloped. A shame as looking back I can see what a sound original car it was.

[@rickshaw2779]

The value of hind sight, I did a very similar thing with a Phase One Hillman Minx I was given. Very hard to find these days, but keeping these things just wasn't practical unfortunately.

[@millbaymoll2420]

Same thing for me and two mates, all 15 year olds, bought a non running Austin Big 7. We traded it for a 7 Ruby Saloon which ran. We kept it in my dads garage and as we didn’t have drivers licences, almost killed ourselves with carbon monoxide when we ran the engine!

[@millbaymoll2420]

My dads favourite. A beautiful black car, like the one in your video, followed by a grey one and then another grey one with the later notchback body. I remember the body roll on winding roads, seen also in the video. My TR4 has the same Massey Ferguson derived engine; a nice link with my dad and the old days!

[@jamesdouglaswhittaker4612]

Had two of these beetle backed beauties . Thought they were wonderful . Solid as a rock , very comfortable and a great caravan tow car .

[@MrDaiseymay]

My first glimpse of this Futuristic American looking Car, was in 1951, when I was 10. I was travelling with my family in our old pre-war car from the midlands to North Wales. There was a continuous line of them, ( about 20 cars ) being driven up to the Liverpool Docks for export, according to my dad. Not on Trucks, but driven seperately, and had protective tape on their chrome parts. A sight we saw again later, only with Jowatt Javelin Sports Cars.

[@koll789]

This is a car from the era that just driving it and going anywhere was an adventure in itself.

[@brianjones4598]

My uncle had one of those. I remember him taking us from Doncaster to Filey for a holiday in his caravan on Primrose Valley.

[@chrissmith7655]

Hi, my Dads mate had a Vanguard Pickupin the 60's, the only one I have ever seen. Many thanks love your presentation of all your uploads.From Nr Liverpool.

[@allanalee3693]

Hi Stef. A Phase 1 Standard Vanguard was my first car. The owner had been a ship's captain who took his favourite car with him and registered it in every country he was stationed to. The bumper was a bit like a cheese grater where different plates had been bolted on. It was clearly his favourite car! The green leather seats with armrests were so soft like lounge chairs to sink into. Just radiated quiet and 'basic' quality. Everything felt 'solid'. The fuel system felt like it was a bit 'breathless' . I thought I'd like to go a bit faster on the highways so I chopped into two carbys and inlet manifolds with a hacksaw, muffler puttied the bits of them together, let it set over night, new gaskets, and lo and behold everything started up wonderfully the next day. No longer needed the choke with that bit of extra petrol. With the graceful overdrive the speedo cruised right up to and over 90 MPH. So I respectfully replaced the narrow 16 inch tyres to newer 6.50 inch ones. Good quality thicker rubber felt safer at high speed! Went so well for so many years with what felt like an extra cylinder pushing it faster - but with just the same fuel economy.

[@johnjb3205]

Oh what a great reminer for me. I drove one of these great cars for two years in the Egypt desert in the army. It was used to ferry the medical officer around. I was also the Austin ambulance driver. My car was Army green in 1950 . I knew every single mechanical part, because my job was to maintain it by what was called " Daily Tasks "even had to polish the grease nipples. But I was shocked that my wonderfull car was put in a scrap feid, because the flexible oil pipe frlom engine to dash, started to leak and there were no sparse , Same prloblem if the front shocks went faulty too.

[@michaelawford7325]

We had a Standard Vanguard from 1953 to 1960, thinking back it featured in many happy memories of that time, when having a car at all in Britain was unusual. I particularly remember touring Scotland with a caravan too small for our and my uncles's family, so my brother and me had to sleep in the car, and got into trouble for leaving the radio on and running the car battery flat.

[@richardknowles4200]

It was my dad’s first car in the 1950’s - remember us regularly driving out into Derbyshire at weekends. Great car at the time - built like a tank with loads of space inside. Happy memories.

[@tetchuma]

That car looks so stylish! I love the rear wheel skirts. Very streamlined

[@caw25sha]

I wonder why they went out of fashion. In our efficiency obsessed modern times I'd have thought they made a worthwhile contribution to aerodynamics.

[@alfindigo]

My Dad bought one in the mid ‘60’ for £10 with a seized engine. He rebuilt it and drive it for years. We all loved it. He sold it to one of the Standard factory test drivers. He told my Dad that when they tested them, the Speedo needles broke because it would go well over the 90mph on the speedo. They had to modify them all before they were sold. Probably why people say they won’t go much over 70!

[@sysmith9910]

I remember the old man, had a Vanguard, back in early sixties; a big car compared to the Morris's, Austins, other British marques, here in Oz back then. We were parked outside a shop one day, when the starter motor jammed; - Dad just got out the old crank handle & hand cranked it to start. It was fortuitous that Standard retained some of its antique features!

[@sidewaysid]

My Uncle had one, he took his Mum, my Mum, and me to Blackpool for a day out but the big ends went on the way, we had to abandon the car and catch a train back home, he got the car collected, but it never ran again, it was plonked in his garden and stayed there, me and my mates loved it, we used to pretend we were driving it, I can still smell the interior, it stayed with me all this time from 1960

[@garyfrancis6193]

Is this English?

[@robinburn4974]

Yes ?​@@garyfrancis6193

[@robertwoodliff5622]

​@@garyfrancis6193...... very English ... Odd that .., Blackpool ...

[@garrington120]

The Standard Vanguard was one of the many cars our dad had between 1954 and 1970 and was probably the favourite of us 4 children because there was plenty of room for Mum Dads and the four of us on our Sunday trips from Alton Hants to Hayling Island and West Wittering .

[@billcowell]

I learned to drive in one of these and passed my test in it in 1961. I don't share your enthusiasm for the column gear shift - it was a bit sloppy and ours became disconnected on my way home from my driving test. The video brought back many memories - the door handles, the window winders, the horn ring, the quarter lights and the massive front bench seat. I seem to remember a risk of catching your knee on the handbrake as you got out the car and occasionally this would release the brake. We also had to thump the B pillar to encourage the trafficators to come out. You mention the same engine was used in the Ferguson tractor. We had one of these on the farm but I later had a Triumph TR4 sports car which also used this engine with a couple of SU carburetors added.

[@NSBarnett]

We had one of these when I was aged about 4 to about 7 -- seeing the ashtray in the middle of the back of the front seat (ie, for smoking rear seat passengers, or for curious kids to fiddle about with) and the catches on the quarterlights made me recall them from, what, 65, nearly 70 years ago!

[@Dibleydog]

I had a Vanguard and could run it on a paraffin/petrol mix. I fitted mine with a Zenith 30VM carburettor, all I had to do was unbolt the float chamber ( two bolts ) fill it with petrol and that would be enough to get it to start. Then it would run regardless of what was in the tank.

[@SuperHeatherMorris]

My dad had one of these in the mid 1950s and I think it was true to say it wasn't his favourite car. I remember going on holiday to Cornwall with Mum, dad, my uncle and aunt and their two children (that's right seven of us) and the whole holiday being plagued with a slipping clutch which was eventually traced to a leaking rear oil seal. The problem was solved by drilling a drain hole in the bottom of the bell housing and pouring copious amounts of petrol in the top to wash out the oil which came out the bottom. Different world.

[@tjm3900]

Sometime around 1970 the ministry of defence sold off a bunch of these that I guess had been mothballed. It was funny to see these new looking old cars on the road.

[@robertlucas6225]

my father owned a 2nd hand standard vanguard here in England we as a family loved it especially trips to the seaside.

[@rowejon]

In the 1970's I had a 1953 model, with overdrive on 3rd & the optional HMV valve radio with 4 presets. It had had one owner for 21 years, 2nd owner for a few months & I was the 3rd. I loved it.

[@allareasindex7984]

My father had a Dodge (sibling to the Plymouth, both from Chrysler) and sure enough, it had several styling cues similar to this Vanguard. The grille and taillights in particular. It also did not have a radio, but unlike my mother’s Ford, the windshield wipers were electric. The Ford had vacuum-operated wipers which worked brilliantly at idle, but slowed or stopped when accelerating or driving uphill! Her Ford did have a radio with tubes (valves) but she refused to “play the radio”. She said when you are driving you should pay attention and besides, “we have a perfectly good radio at home.” She would have something to say about today’s distracted drivers if she was still around.

[@HowardLeVert]

The last time I saw one of these it was hiding under the wing of a Vulcan at the RAF Museum in Hendon! It wasn't just car makers that had to export though, the whole of British industry was told to "export or die!".

[@schaumyb7445]

This a a great review Steph! My Grandparents bought one new in Australia in 1950 as the waiting time for an Australian built Holden was too long. I think that they were partially built in Melbourne at AMI , which made many Brands from CKD kits such as Triumph, AMI Rambler and Toyota as well as others. My memory of 1960's roads around Adelaide saw many Vanguards, they seemed indestructable.

[@ldnwholesale8552]

I agree, fairly common in Adelaide in the 50s and 60s. Largely forgotten by the mid 70s And yes they were Australian assembled,,, back when we had a motor industry

[@adow77]

@@ldnwholesale8552 The road from Adelaide to Pt Wakefield seemed littered with rural properties with Vanos rusting away in the backyard. We used to wonder about the mythical, very persuasive Vano salesman who must have worked this patch in the 50s.

[@simonblair-beal3952]

I agreed, a lot have survived here in South Australia. Great torquey engine, very similar to the Fergy Tractor.

[@ThreenaddiesRexMegistus]

My father did a delivery run in 1962, Reporoa, New Zealand in a Vanguard Standard utility (pickup for US). It was exactly the same grey colour.

[@Thelivewire64]

Grandpa had a blue phase 2 sedan. Dad had a blue phase 2 wagon, a black phase 1 sloper back and a blue and white phase 3 6cyl wagon. Uncle had 1956 Spacemaster deluxe 4cyl (broke his arm hand cranking it once). After those 3 vehicles, Dad bought a p6 Rover and later a couple of Triumph sedans. I even had a 2500TC for a couple of years.

[@ianbutterfield1019]

Bought one of these in 1967 as my first car for £40 after passing my test and apart from the Fred Flintstone floors and 24 miles to a gallon it was a great car KDU 249 left some good memories.

[@dhall4363]

Driven a couple of column shift cars. Easy enough to get used to. Brother drove a column shift automatic van that had been converted to manual, with out changing the gear indicator. So drive was 1st , park was reverse etc.

[@outfoxthefox]

I had one for my first car, and what I remember most was it was exceedingly good as a courting car.

[@johnadams3730]

My friends dad had a Beetle back when I was a child.I owned one for a while when I was 22, brilliant car.

[@alexweatherburn4390]

A Standard Vanguard phase 1 was my first ever car reg number BCN 533, solid, tough and reliable.

[@johndean3475]

Spent my early childhood on the back seat of a Vanguard Mk 1 Wonderful old car !

[@johneast7987]

My Dad had a 1953 model (Reg MNC 843) but an estate car. It was in that colour and had the same grill but it didn't have the aerial retractor. He had a lot of problems with the gear linkage getting all crossed up so bonnet up and fiddle about with them! Being a Barry Bucknall fan he changed the trafficators for direct replacement orange flashers and fitted Irving front seat belts. Triumph TR2 engine I believe.

[@barbarybar]

Love my uncle Ben's Vanguard as a kid (EDN 456). The flip up aerial which you turned a knob to erect.

[@anthonysmith5979]

When you went for a drive I was shitting myself on how fast you were going and I wasn't even in the back seat LOL

[@drwho534]

What a memory!...(a vague one at that) as I was only 3 when we first immigrated to Canada from Glasgow but this was dad's first car here in Canada. Thanks for another great ride and the memory!

[@idriveaclassic]

Really?! That’s so cool!

[@Thelivewire64]

Definitely saw them in early 1990s because of Dad's car club. Last Vanguard I remember was phase 3 sedan in NSW between Bathurst and Dubbo.

[@MrModelworx]

These always remind me of a Dinky model my late Dad gave me when I was a child, it was blue and I kept it for many years, no idea where it is now mind you!. Excellent video as always Steph.

[@paulwilliams4815]

Thank u...bought back many memories..had a 1954 model the windows were held up with screwdrivers jammed into the door frame...as i remember 1st gear lift towards you then down .. lovely old bus.

[@gregbennet5560]

Great video. Good idea having the camera in the back, it gives a much more interesting view.

[@bilko529]

My dad was an mt driver in the raf in the early fifties and he drove one as a staff car . He spoke very fondly about it .

[@robdy1386]

My dad had two Standard Vanguards back in the 1960s, one was the estate version. My first car was a Citroen Traction Avant light 15,then I had two vanguards ,but they were very thirsty vehicles, never the less I loved them, All were ex army/RAF vehicles bought at auction from Ruddington.

[@Snaptophobic]

With Standard's links to Ferguson (of tractor fame) I believe the Vanguard was the first British car to be offered with a Diesel engine option.

[@idriveaclassic]

A new fact thank you!

[@ldnwholesale8552]

Fergys came diesel but not to my knowledge ever in Australia. I knew of one decades ago with a 4cyl Perkins but not factory

[@michaelsnaidero1671]

​​@@ldnwholesale8552 oh yes they did I own one and still use it in my vineyard, it's a 1954 built tractor and runs like a clock ,heaps of them were imported and command a premium price above the petrol and tvo models,they are a great tractor with plenty of power to accomplish all jobs on the farm especially with the Ferguson implements made exclusively for them .They have the Standard 20 C Diesel engine that went into the standard Vanguard as well .

[@allenjenkins7947]

One of the reasons why Vanguards were popular with Australian farmers was interchangeability of engine parts with the "Grey Fergie". If you had a breakdown in the middle of planting or harvesting, you could "borrow" parts, or even a complete motor from the family car to get you back in the paddock while you waited for Ferguson parts to arrive. A particularly useful feature was the ability to pull the wet sleeves out of the Vanguard motor and give the Fergie an instant "rebore".

[@peterrogers9257]

Yes. The standard motor company designed and built the diesel engine, in the hope that Ferguson would used the engine and they could use in thier cars. I would be keen to know what was the max engine revs of the diesel engine, when fitted in the car? As the tractor max out at 2200rpm

[@rjones6219]

I remember an uncle bought one in the mid 50s, and I travelled in it from Manchester to Sheffield.

[@michaeltreadwell777]

That was brilliant Steph - obviously ! No idea when I last saw one of these in any guise. Over 60 years ago, I remember 3 people having these, in the Beetle Back, Booted Version and the Estate Version. They just look so solid and reliable, and as I remember, so comfortable. Thanks for sharing this Steph - what a great find. Take care 🙂

[@les8518]

Fantastic. Love your video. I worked for a Standard Vanguard in New Zealand. One I would like to mention. The accountant who also worked for the dealer. The gear change lever in his Vanguard was on the right hand side of the steering wheel. Not for getting that NZ drove on the left hand side the same as the UK. It was the only one that I ever saw with it.

[@davidtaylor351]

The very first Vanguards from 1948 had the gear shifter on the right. And they didn't have rear wheel spats. (ie covers)

[@lloydbelle3406]

My late father had a Standard Vanguard in the West Indies (St Kitts) before he came to England in the mid-fifties. My dad never owned a car in the UK, so this video is the closest experience of my dad's car, all those years ago. Thank you.

[@lesthiele4921]

Have seen one of these since 1974, where it being towed by a New Zealand Army Landrover, through a shallow river, but as luck goes the Landrover got stuck on the opposite river bank, bedt regards from a Kiwi living in Australia 👍👍👍

[@cbaboxsqueeze]

The RAF seemed to have bought up the entire production of the pickup truck version of the Vanguard Phase 1. I trundled in one to various Maintenance Units in about 1959/60 it being fitted with a canvas top at the rear. Unit commanders drove about regally with fluttering pennant in Phase III estates. If very senior and thus entitled to be relieved of the chore of driving themselves then they would have a Vanguard saloon.

[@enigmasvids9615]

Hey there...drive it like you stole it. Take it easy...they're a big barge and the brakes are from the 50s. Love the beetle back look. I drove one when I was a lot younger. A wonderfully strong, long lived torquey engine too. Enjoy. 😎 👍

[@local56]

Fantastic video Steph, my dad had one of these in New Zealand in the late 50s early 60s, he said they had drum brakes operated by cables and were terrible to stop but went very well. When I was a baby he used to put my basinette on the back seat and drive around town to get me to sleep, must be where my passion for cars comes from...lol. First time I've ever seen a review of this car so thank you.

[@stephenluke2347]

I remember these as staff cars at the RAF station in Tripoli , Libya in late 1950, early 1960s

[@kittenmisho7744]

Yes indeed, you gave me great memories with this car. Thank you

[@graeme9679]

When we were kids my Dad always had a Vanguard (here in Australia)plus 1 for spares. My brother and I had a Standard 10 each to drive around our property well before we were licence age.

[@PeterBlackwood]

A green Vanguard was our family car in Australia through most of the 50's. Looking over your car brought back many memories. Ours had a few differences, notably fold down sun visors. Also, ours had no red reflectors on the back fenders until the law required them and Dad fitted them himself.

[@joesprinks4215]

My broths law boat one when they came back from Canada many years ago was an absolute pleasure to ride in.

[@leopoldonotarianni8663]

Steph I absolutely love your presentations. You are truly talented and creative in your reviews. Entertaining and informative. You are so articulate and appreciative of vintage.

[@SkepticalSteve01]

Bought an old Phase 3 Vanguard in 1972 when my son was born, and it was quite a nice beast - “she’ll climb mountains in second gear”, one of my workmates observed correctly. It performed domestic duties for us quite well, buzzing reliably around central Auckland, New Zealand. Until one day it blew its head gasket. But I was young, borrowed a torque wrench from my father-in-law, and replaced the damn thing without much trouble. I wouldn’t dream of attempting such a thing with my Subaru today - back in those simpler times the cars seemed to be a lot more easily worked on than they are now. Standard Vanguards have completely disappeared from New Zealand roads now. After a while somebody thought it’d be a good idea to import used cars from Japan, and that’s what we’ve been doing for at least the past 50 years.

[@canalflashback]

Steph, just found your channel and got SO happy watching this lovely video! The way you express yourself, so enthusiastically, is so charming that it's impossible to take the eyes off the screen before the video ends, LOL! I live in São Paulo, Brazil. We own a black 1951 Standard Vanguard Phase 1. She's been stored for 20 years, waiting for a restoration! Recently, I discovered a way to fix her documents, so I'm already saving money to start the restoration process. I do have a channel, too, about retro stuff. Posted a video about the VW Beetle some few weeks ago, but it is in Portuguese... Maybe the automatic subtitles could help a little.. Well, thank you so much for this video of yours! Surely, the close takes will help me to restore my car. My very kind regards!

[@davemiller2987]

I love this video! My family had vanguards from 1949 through to 1960 (we live in Canada). My parents had a 49, 51, 55, 56 and a 60. The 1960 was kept the longest, and I drove it for a while in the early 70s. Sad to say, our Canadian winters (namely road salt) finished it off. The motors in those cars were derived from the Ferguson tractor as you mentioned, and were practically indestructible. 20:00 They used a version of this motor in the early Triumphs and early Morgan’s. The cars were 20:00 comfortable, and would hold their own at 60mph. Good on gas, too. The heater was OK, except on the coldest days. A great car that almost nobody around here remembers.

[@victorlyford-pike6100]

It was the other way round, Ferguson used a Standard Vanguard engine. My father was the Standard representative in Uruguay so we had all of them, a Standard Eight, a Standard 14, a Vanguard Phase 1, a Phase 2 and a Phase 3 so I spent all my childhood and after in Vanguards

[@philipstrachan6212]

My dad had one of these. I think the seats were beige not red, but I might be wrong. Yes, lots of fond memories, especially of our camping trips to the West country. Ah, those were the days... Thank you for posting.

[@Jaxs2]

That's a car I used to adore... never seen any for a long time ... fantastic to see one ..thank you ... appreciated Steph 🙏

[@paulboyle6857]

There was one of these racing a few years ago(yes really!!) in the HRDC series.Same colour as yours & with the moniker HMS Vanguard! Underneath,of course,it was all TR3 with about 160BHP but still with column gearchange.Don,t know who has it now but worth investigating. I have seen an estate version in the Rugby area where I live.Wonderfull looking cars.Cheers.

[@richarddavidthomas]

Great to see this car. I remember them so well. So many were used by the Brighton Streamline Taxi Co. in Brighton (UK). They really looked the business, black with cream bonnets.

[@nudebaboon4874]

The way the wings, front and bonnet all join up at the front is a thing of design beauty, my father had one in the mid 60s, after his Ford V8 Pilot crapped out. Thanks Steph!

[@MegaPhil1951]

oh Steph youve done it again. I owned one of these in New Zealand in the sixties and you have brought back so many wonderful memories Great show love you Phil xxx

[@idriveaclassic]

Aww no way!!! So many NZ’ers commenting today.

[@colinfrance6926]

Lovely video. Brings back happy memories for me as we had a new 1952 model which we kept until 1959. I was a little boy and would stand up in the back for most journeys. Solid as a rock. Wonderful times.

[@JohnBarley-b9c]

That is a great video, Steph. I come from a Vanguard family. My maternal grandfather had a new Vanguard in 1949, champagne gold in colour, in Jamaica and I remember seeing it in Nottingham, complete with Jamaican (diplomatic?)number plate, when he returned to the UK in 1951. My paternal grandfather also had a new Vanguard, light green in colour, in 1949, reg MWA 449. When he gave up driving in 1963 he gave it, by now very tatty, to me. Through my landlord in Coventry I got some maroon paint and hand painted the car. He was a dustman with Coventry Corporation and, strangely, the car ended up the same colour as the local buses. When I was a boy, my father had a grey 1949 Vanguard reg KTE 138, bought s/h in 1954 and sold in 1956, I think. I then had a phase 3 Vanguard briefly in the UK, before going to work in India in 1968. Guess what, my company car was a blue 1960 Vanguard, reg MSQ 1639 (a Madras number), complete with driver. I remember doing a two week business tour from Madras down to Cape Comorin, then up the west coast and back across to Madras. That makes five Vanguards in the family. A slight aside, my next company car in India was a Standard (yes, Standard, not Triumph) Herald saloon. Mk 3 (or was it Mk4?) with 4 doors. This was an Indian variant, never produced in the UK, Reg WBJ 1017. Lots of memories.

[@blasgrana5877]

At Peru sometime at the 60's it was my father's first car. The last time I found one at Lima was at mid 90's.

[@philipblick8887]

We had them in New Zealand (Aotearoa) my father owned one earlier than this model, his had a right hand gear-change lever and small Lucas headlights.

[@albertseabra9226]

As a child, I used to see a great deal of Vanguarda here in Portugal in the late 60s. Not brand new cars, obviously. I was inside a couple of them, owned by Friends of the Family -- quite comfy and roomy. Car design had changed dramatically. And yet the vehicles still looked OK -- most of them, very well kept. In sum, the Vanguards aged quite well. Thank you for this interesting video -- a trip down Memory Lane.

[@arunta5]

For its time a well designed and good vehicle. I remember when I was at high school a English/History teacher had one, albeit a much later model.

[@semadu6181]

I live in Uruguay and, thanks to my maternal grandfather who taught me with great patience, I learned to drive when I was 15 years old in a Standard Vanguard similar to the one in the video, in black and with the difference that the rear fender did not cover the wheel. . Truly a strong, spacious, comfortable and, at least here, scarce car. I haven't seen another model of this car in years, it is very rare and that makes it special. Thanks for this great video!

[@andrewmorton9327]

My father had a second hand Vanguard estate, RFG281. It had a diesel engine and sounded a bit like a tractor. Polishing it was a bit of a chore as it was so big! It had a radio and the amplifier for it was in the boot.

[@davidbennion876]

Takes me back a few years. Lovely car to drive handled rugged terrain with ease.

[@davidsmith5523]

My dad had one of these. His first car was a 1927 Rover. All his cars were old when he got them by the way. The Standard Vanguard was black. I can't remember the car but my older brother can. It's nice to see this vehicle still going.

[@malekmo64]

I remember my grandfather owning one here in Australia before he replaced it with a Holden Ute. Early 1960s.

[@neilsradios]

The Phase 1 Vanguard was the first car I ever travelled in. I don't remember the trip though as I was coming back from the hospital after I was born 🙂

[@rayreynolds5146]

Remember the standard vanguard really well my dad's first car when I was a mere lad always remember the registration no HFH 84 and black In colour .what memories

[@paulchappell]

What memories your video brings! Growing up in Canada, I had a Dinky toy model of this Standard Vanguard in the early 1950s. (Might it have been a Corgi as another comment says his was?) i always thought the wheels looked too big for the body but no, they were similarly, seemingly over-big on the real car. Nevertheless I thought the car looked much like my grandfather's 1948 Plymouth Deluxe. What a shock to learn from you in the video that the design brief for the Vanguard was that model of Plymouth! Great video, Steph.

[@alecporter1784]

Steph another great vlog, the car is in beautiful condition, as someone from Bradford im excited to see the Jowett

[@stephenfoxall9655]

A friend of my Dad had the van version that had a central rear seat. Compared with cars of the time it went like a bomb and this suited my Father’s friend!

[@davegoldspink5354]

Absolutely brilliant video thanks for sharing. We had Vanguards built here in Australia and my Mum and Dad owned a ‘52 followed by a ‘48 and as a baby in 1963 I travelled in a hatbox in one from the East Coast of Australia to Western Australia via the Nullarbor Plain (pre sealed road) a distance well over 4000kms. Part of my Auto apprenticeship at the beginning of the’80s was actually rebuilding one so I have a bit of a history with them so this was a great treat.

[@awolwakefieldyorkshire]

As a child in the 60's i remember seeing only a few of these compared with vast amounts of Standard 10's. There was a Vanguard of the same colour parked up near a business in Ferrybridge "West Yorkshire" about 12 years ago which had a spare engine at the side of it. The car and spare engine disappeared when the site was developed.

[@marknelson5929]

I see from your other comments about the car in Australia and NZ. They were hugely popular here in the day and I still recall them on the roads in inner Sydney even in the late 70s/80s.

[@danieleregoli812]

What an incredible car that old Vanguard is Steph! Thank you so much!