Lot Ended
Description
From a deceased estate; was in regular use up until 2012; brakes
require attention; rare model, one of only around 5 known to survive
Sir John Black
joined Standard as Managing Director from Hillman in 1929 and came in with a new
broom, increasing sales dramatically.
One of his
ideas was to offer the full running chassis to coachbuilders, a plan which met
with considerable success. William Lyons was perhaps his most famous customer,
with Swallow Coachworks in Coventry producing the SS Jaguar built on a lowered
Standard chassis. Another beneficiary of this new policy was Avon Coachworks of
Warwick who produced a most attractive range of Standard Avon Specials,
initially based on the excellent Standard 9hp chassis.
Based on the more powerful Standard Ten, the Standard Avon Sports was
a dashing 4-seater with full running boards and a high compression engine.
Fitted with a 4-speed gearbox and taller back axle ratio, it offered a fair turn
of speed in exchange for modest fuel consumption, proving a reliable and
well-made alternative to the sporting MGs of the period.
This Standard Avon Sports was first registered in Worcestershire in
March 1934. On offer here from a deceased estate, it was acquired by the
current keeper from Brightwells back in May 2012. At that time the car had
been owned by the vendor since 2006 and was in regular use, clocking up almost
2,000 miles during his six-year ownership and being described as ‘a willing
performer’. He had also treated it to a brake overhaul, a dynamo rebuild and a
new set of weather gear (hood; sidescreens; tonneau cover).
We are told that the current owner used the car only briefly before
experiencing trouble with the brakes which meant that the car got parked up (we
did note that the brake pedal seems to have lost a pinch bolt). As he had
several other vintage cars to play with, the Standard was rather forgotten about
and remained tucked away in storage until we collected it shortly before this
auction.
Although there is no real history with
the car, HPI/Experian records a colour change from red to white in 1991 so
perhaps that is when it was restored. Corresponding with the Standard Register,
the previous owner had found just five other Avon Sports models surviving
worldwide so you are unlikely to find another for sale any time soon.
On offer
here as a straightforward recommissioning project at a very modest guide price,
this rare and pretty sportscar should amply reward any work now
required to get it back on the road once more.
Contact: stewart.rich@brightwells.com