1. Standard Flying 10?
I've looked around, and the nearest match I can find to this car is the mid-1930s Standard Flying 10, with a painted rather than chrome grille surround, and a rear profile less flowing than that seen on the Flying 12s and 14s. Hopefully an expert on pre-war Standards will call by and let me know what it is! A look at the different Standard models produced in the 1930s can be quite baffling, so if this isn't in fact a Flying 10, I'd be only too happy to modify this page with the correct information. For comparison, have a look at this c1934 version of the Standard 10. A car seemingly identical to the Flying 10 below can be seen on this 1940s Lifeguard car polish promotional item.
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This particular example looks to be fitted with one of these new-fangled wireless installations, perfect for listening to the latest 78s by George Formby, Ella Fitzgerald or Bing Crosby. The giveaway is the lengthy aerial fitted to the nearside scuttle, just next to where the dapper chap is stood.
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2. A 1937 Flying 10 saloon.
Standard Flying 10 registration CAO 571 appears in the next three photographs. The registration confirms that its first owner resided in the Cumberland area, and that the car was registered some time after January 1937. This ties in nicely with the fact that this car is a second series Flying 10, a model introduced at the 1936 Motor Show for the 1937 season. The '38 model would see yet further revisions, and the introduction of the waterfall-type grille.
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This particular example of the "10" is a Flying 10 De Luxe (model 10AL), identifiable by features such as the spare wheel cover and the chrome-plated headlamp shells. The radiator on CAO looks to have received a nudge at some point.
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Some time after publishing the two photographs shown above, another shot also believed to be of Flying 10 registration CAO 571 turned up. This one is a head-on shot of the car, with a young lady sat on the grass verge in front of it, accompanied by a smart wireless set. There's no sign of picnic equipment so perhaps they simply pulled over to sit on the grass, and listen to the radio - does anyone recognise the make of radio shown here?
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A note on the rear of the photo adds, slightly vaguely, "more teeth than that, how do you like our radio?".
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3. Standard Flying Super 10 at Blue Bank, Yorkshire.
Alas only the first part of this Standard's registration is visible, BAJ confirming that the car was registered in the Yorkshire North Riding area. All three photos appear to have been taken during the same roadside picnic halt, although only the first is printed on frilly-edged paper, the other two being on standard Velox-branded paper. Who the three ladies were, isn't recorded. An early AA road sign for "Blue Bank" (gradient 1 in 3), topped with a triangle, can be seen in the background. Blue Bank is on the A169 south west of Whitby, Yorkshire, which ties in nicely with the Standard's BAJ registration.
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Cups of tea are being enjoyed here, just as the photographer shouts "cheese". Judging by how immaculate the Standard was at the time, it could well be that all three snaps were taken in 1939, shortly after the car had first entered use. If anyone needs to know how the door trims of a c1939 Flying Ten should look, then look no further.
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Tea is still being consumed in this, the final photo in the trio. The accessibility benefits of the rear-hinged "suicide" front doors fitted to this model are easy to spot here. Both wiper blades are positioned just below the car's opening screen, suggesting that maybe it had recently been open slightly, affording the occupants of the Standard a pleasing blast of fresh air, as they all pootled their way across the Yorkshire scenery, looking forward to their next refreshing cup of tea.
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Return to Old Vehicle Photos Page 8.
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Enthusiasts of pre- and post-war Standards might be interested in this free screensaver, that features 20 images of various Standard motorcars. A look in the vintage car photograph index will also bring up details of other period photographs, featuring Standards similar to the one shown here, including a Flying 10 tourer with bodywork believed to be by T.J. Richards of Adelaide.
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