The original Vanguard's engine wasn't designed for a car at all — it started life as the powerplant Standard built for the Ferguson TE20 farm tractor.
Lead trim: Vanguard Phase I 2088 cc wet-liner OHV four (68 bhp)
Standard Vanguard Phase IPhase I · 1947–1953
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Standard Vanguard Phase I yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe original Vanguard's engine wasn't designed for a car at all — it started life as the powerplant Standard built for the Ferguson TE20 farm tractor.
The Standard Vanguard was produced by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry from 1947 until 1963 (Phase I 1947–1953, 174,799 made): announced in July 1947, completely new with no resemblance to previous models, designed in 1945 as Standard's first post-war car and intended for export, and the first to carry the new griffin-wing badge. Its name recalled HMS Vanguard, the last Royal Navy battleship, permission for which involved extensive negotiations with senior Royal Navy personnel. It was first exhibited at the Brussels Motor Show in February 1948, production began in mid-1948 with all output allotted to export for the first two years (the focus being Australia; 405 sold in West Germany in 1950), and an estate car and utility pick-up were announced in September 1948, then a 12 cwt delivery van; from 1950 it and the Triumph Renown were the first cars with Laycock de Normanville overdrive. Designed by Walter Belgrove, it had a conventional box chassis, independent front suspension with coil springs and a live rear axle on leaf springs, hydraulic 9-inch drum brakes and a slab-sided body; the wet-liner overhead-valve 2088 cc engine (85 mm bore, 92 mm stroke, single Solex downdraught carburettor, 6.7:1 compression, 68 bhp) was essentially the one Standard built for the Ferguson TE20 tractor, with a 3-speed synchromesh gearbox. A 1949 Motor test gave a top speed of 78.7 mph and 0-60 mph in 21.5 seconds. The 1952 facelift (Phase IA) lowered the bonnet line, widened the rear window and added a horizontal-bar grille; Australia built a coupé utility from 1950 and Impéria of Belgium built convertibles. Wheelbase 94 in (2,388 mm), length 166 in (4,216 mm), width 69 in (1,753 mm), height 64 in (1,626 mm).
Collectors Spotted in the Standard Vanguard Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Standard Vanguard yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Phase I 2088 cc wet-liner OHV four (68 bhp) | 1947–1953 | 2.1 L Inline-4 | 68 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
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The original Vanguard's engine wasn't designed for a car at all — it started life as the powerplant Standard built for the Ferguson TE20 farm tractor.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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