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2013 marked an important milestone in the history of the Standard Motor Company. Up until 1912,
Standard had concentrated on the production of small numbers of large 6 cylinder motor cars of up to 50 H.P. The
Standard Model S 9.5 H.P. was a complete departure for the Company and recognised the first entry into the light car market
and the first model produced by volume production methods.
With this in mind, it was my intention to gather as
many survivors of the model together for our 2013 event. Four examples of the 1913 model S, were joined by two 1914
examples making a total of six and the largest number ever seen together since the cars were in the production sheds at Coventry
100 years ago.
Exactly one hundered years after the first customers began to receive their long awaited
Model S cars. Fourteen Pre 1930 Standards, including eight pre 1st World War examples gathered at The Royal Agricultural University,
in Cirencester for our annual weekend Rally.
Saturday morning dawned fine and suggested a
good day for our trip to Marlborough. The destination being Marlborough College, where the founder of the Standard
Motor Company, Reginald Maudslay, was a pupil from 1885 - 1889.
A guided tour, by the Archivist included Cotton
House, Maudslay's old house and the Memorial Hall which was built in the 1920's as a memorial to the 700 Old Marlborough
pupils who were killed in the Great War.
A buffet lunch was arranged in Marlborough, but during lunch the weather
changed for the worse, with very heavy rain. The return drive to Cirencester was not very pleasant with heavy
rain and spray from other traffic. The weather began to improve by the time we approached Cirencester.
A wine reception and celebration cake cutting ceronmy, preceeded a gala dinner. A lovelly evening followed
which extended late into the night.
Sunday morning dawned damp, but the opportunity was taken to park
all six surviving Model S Rhyl survivors next to each other for photographs. The Sunday morning road run to us to the
Elizabethan Manor House of Chavenage, near Tetbury.
Chavenage has been used as a film location on many occassions
over the years. So it was a welcome return for Clive Watson's 1912 Model 6M Brighton Torpedo, which had last visited
Chavenage in 1990 during the filming of Agatha Christie;s " A Mysterious Affair at Styles".
On return
to Cirencester, there was a final Sunday Luncheon, prior to departure.
LIST OF PRIZE WINNERS:
Rally to the Event:
Class 3 - 1st Ray
Martin, Piddinghoe, East Sussex - 107.0 formula miles
(1930 Teignmouth)
- 2nd Harry Groom,
Melton Mowbray, Leics. - 97.4 formula miles
(1928 Gordon England)
Class 2 - 1st Robert Browett, Claverdon, Warwicks. -
59.2 formula miles
(1924 Kenilworth)
Class 1 - 1st Clive Watson, Fleet, Hampshire - 109.3 formula
miles
(1912 Brighton Torpedo)
Clive was presented with the Barr Trophy for the overall winning distance
The
Butterworth Cup - (Presented to the Standard Register in 1967, by the late John Butterworth and awarded for
the most improved car in the last 12 months)
Winner - 1913 model S Rhyl, registration number BD 1717
owned by: Michael Grady, Market Harborough, Leicestershire (The car was also driven to the event, and if the owners
had been able to attend for the full weekend would have won the Rally to the Event with 135.9 formula miles.)
It
is very appropriate that this is the actual car that was owned by John Butterworth. It was fully rebuilt by John from
a pile of bits found powering a circular saw on a farm in Sussex.
London Underground
Station Quiz
winner with a full set of correct answers - Suzie Singleton |
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| For the first time in 100 years |
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| six Rhyl's gathered together |
| Cutting of the Celebration Cake |
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| by the six Rhyl owners present |
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| 1919 model SLS |
| The 1912 Brighton Torpedo at Chavenage House |
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| which appeared in The Mysterious Affair at Syles |
| Driven to the event from Market Harborough |
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| 1913 model S Rhyl, which won the Butterworth Award |
| the line up of cars at Marlborough College |
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| photo courtesy of Steve O'Hara |
| the line up of model S Rhyl's |
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| photo courtesy of Steve O'Hara |
| A pair of Teignmouth's, the example on the right |
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| was driven to the event from Piddinghoe, East Sussex |
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