The General Strike of 1926 and the Wall Street Crash had far reaching effects on almost all of British Industry and the Standard Motor Company was no exception.    1927 began with the continued production of the well-tried V4 model (rated at 14/28 H.P.), which was in reality an updated version of the popular SLO4 model that had been introduced in 1922.   The rather rash decision was also taken to introduced the first post Great War,  6-cylinder model, the 18/36 H.P. 6V model.

Many car manufacturers were feeling the effects of the stock market slump, and the Standard Motor Company was struggling to remain buoyant – in fact the situation got so bad that Barclays Bank was ready to liquidate the Company, and was it not for the intervention of William Morris, threatening to withdraw his own substantial deposits from the same Bankers, then the Company may well of ended there and then.   

In September 1927, ‘The Autocar’ was able to announce that ‘an entirely new light car rated at 8.9 H.P. will be introduced at Olympia’.  The design had been laid out on the Directors’ Board Room floor, and it was running in prototype in six months.    Despite its hasty evolution, the new fabric saloon, which was known as the ‘Falmouth’ model, selling at £198 10s. 0d., was an immediate success and proved a satisfactory vehicle from the outset.  

The two prototypes were driven day and night none-stop for a month round a stiff 150 mile route in the Cotswolds, the only servicing permitted being a ten-minute pause every six hours for greasing, fuelling and any other necessary adjustments.   After 18,000 miles of this treatment only £5 worth of spares were needed to restore the cars to first class condition and they averaged 26 m.p.h. and between 37 – 40 m.p.g. 

The engine of the new car, had a bore and stroke of 60 x 102 mm (1,159 c.c.) The wheelbase was 7’ ft. 7 ½ in.  An even cheaper ‘Fulham’ fabric saloon, and two open cars, a four-seater ‘Selby’ tourer and a two seater ‘Coleshill’ model joined the Falmouth. The chassis was also made available to Gordon England, who produced special two-seater saloon and sports cars on the chassis.   This model was also available with the option of a super charger, which guaranteed 70 m.p.h. for £75 extra. 

`

Late in 1928 a LWB version was introduced ready for the 1929 season.  This had a wheelbase of 8 ft 3 in. the bodies took on more rounded lines, and the bore of the side-valve engine was increased to  63 ½ mm, therefore increased the cubic capacity to 1287 cc.  A very popular model was the four door, four light, ‘Teignmouth’ fabric saloon.  This was later joined by a six-light steel-bodied coach built saloon which was also called the ‘Teignmouth’, this was joined in the range by the ‘Selby’ tourer, and the continental looking, two door, four seater, fabric bodied tourist coupe.     A contemporary road test of the ‘Teignmouth’ saloon, then priced at £215, showed a top speed of 52 m.p.h., 10 – 30 m.p.h. in middle gear in ten seconds, and petrol consumption of 32 – 34 m.p.g.  The gear ratios were 5.0, 9.3 and 20.0 to 1.    The chassis was also made available to the Jensen brothers who designed two-seater sports cars for Avon and also to the Swallow coach building concern – the company co-founded and owned by William Lyons.  

In August,  the new Standards were announced for the  season and with them  came the ‘Big Nine’ with its coil ignition, spiral bevel axle and its new radiator shape which saw the demise of the distinctive shouldered radiator and Union jack badge which, since 1908, had carried the words ‘Standard Coventry’ to the four corners of the globe.  Over 9,000 of the worm-driven Nines had been produced in the two-year period 1929-1930 and this first attempt at mass –production continued with the ‘Big Nine’.