Standard Eight: from the Flying Eight to the post-war small car

The Standard Eight was a small car produced by the Standard Motor Company from 1938 to 1959. It appeared first as the Flying Eight, returned after the Second World War as the 8 hp and was replaced in 1953 by a completely new car sharing almost nothing with its predecessor. In 1959 the Standard brand gave way to the Triumph Herald.

Standard Eight at a glance

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Standard Eight. The article source ends before the production figures for the 1953 model, so they are not given here.

History of the Standard Eight

Flying Eight (1938–1940)

The Flying Eight was the smallest member of the Standard Flying family, launched in late September 1938 before the Earls Court motor show. Apart from the power unit it was a brand-new design and marked Standard’s first entry into the 8 hp market. The chassis had box-section longitudinals and independent front suspension by a transverse leaf spring, the first British 8 hp family car with such suspension. The engine, a development of the Flying Nine/Ten unit, had a counterbalanced crankshaft and an aluminium cylinder head; the bore was reduced to 57 mm with the stroke unchanged at 100 mm, giving 1,021 cc and 31 bhp at 4,000 rpm. A three-speed gearbox and Bendix mechanical brakes were used. Two versions were offered: a two-door all-steel saloon built by Fisher & Ludlow at Tile Hill and a 2/4-seat open tourer by Carbodies, with cut-down door tops and a fold-flat windscreen; a drophead coupé by Mulliners followed around the turn of 1938/39. The tourer cost £125, the saloon £129, the saloon de luxe £139 and the drophead £159.

8 hp (from 1945)

The model was quickly re-introduced after the Second World War, with the first cars appearing within ten days of VE Day. The main change was a four-speed gearbox. The bore was reduced to 56.7 mm for 1,009 cc and 28 bhp at 4,000 rpm. The absence of bonnet louvres distinguished it from the pre-war Flying Eight. The pre-war tourer was replaced by a simplified drophead coupé with detachable sidescreens and a fixed windscreen frame, and estate cars were produced in 1948 only. Priced at £314, the car was aimed at the Austin 8 and Morris Eight. It was phased out after the Triumph Mayflower failed to meet its sales targets.

The 1953 Eight

The Eight of 1953 was a completely new car with unit construction and the new Standard SC overhead-valve engine. It was offered only as a four-door saloon. The 803 cc overhead-valve unit produced 26 bhp at 4,500 rpm, slightly less than the larger side-valve it replaced, but this rose to 30 bhp at 5,000 rpm in 1957. The four-speed gearbox had synchromesh on the top three ratios and was available with optional overdrive from March 1957. Girling hydraulic drum brakes were fitted. The model was dropped in 1959 and replaced by the Triumph Herald as the Standard brand was phased out.

Design and features

• Independent front suspension: a first for a British 8 hp family car in 1938.
• Three body styles: saloon, open tourer and drophead coupé before the war.
• Post-war four-speed gearbox: the main mechanical change of the 1945 model.
• Unit construction in 1953: a completely new car with the new overhead-valve SC engine.

Standard Eight versions

• Flying Eight (1938–1940): saloon, tourer and drophead coupé.
• 8 hp (from 1945): four-speed gearbox, no bonnet louvres, drophead only as an open car.
• Standard Eight (1953–1959): four-door saloon with an 803 cc overhead-valve engine, 30 bhp from 1957 and optional overdrive from March 1957.

The Eight was the smaller stablemate of the Standard Ten, and its Flying range included the Flying Nine. More cars are in the Standard collection.

Sources

• Standard Eight, English Wikipedia: Flying Eight, post-war 8 hp and 1953 model