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Standard (Indian automobile)

January 01, 1970

Standard was an Indian brand of automobile which was produced by Standard Motor Products of India Limited (SMPIL) in Madras from 1951 to 1988. Indian Standards were variations of vehicles made in the United Kingdom by Standard-Triumph. Standard Motor Products of India Ltd. (STAMPRO) was incorporated in 1948,[1] a company formed by Union Company (Motors) Ltd. and the British Standard Motor Company. Their first product was the Standard Vanguard. The company was dissolved in 2006 and the old plant was torn down.

Standard Motor Products of India Limited
Company typeAutomobile manufacturer
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1948
Defunct2006
Fatedissolved
HeadquartersPerungalathur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
ProductsAutomobiles
Commercial Vehicles
Number of employees
n/a

History edit

The first locally built Standard Vanguards were finished in 1951, built in Standard Motors' Vandalur (a suburb of Madras) factory.[2]

From 1955, versions of the Standard Eight and Ten were produced, with ever-increasing local content. The Pennant joined in 1959, although it too was curiously branded "Standard 10" and devoid of bootlid trimwork.[3] The Tens and later Heralds and Gazels all used versions of the 948 cc Standard-Triumph four-cylinder engine. In 1961 production began of the Triumph Herald, known as the Standard Herald in India.[4]

Standard also built a range of light commercial vehicles based on the Standard Atlas/20 (later Leyland 20), called the Standard Twenty. They were sold with the advertising slogan "Standard Twenty can do plenty". For these, production of diesel engines began in India, later exported back to the UK for use in the refurbished Carbodies FX4Q London cabs.[3] In spite of a production lineup incorporating passenger cars as well as light commercials, production was always low. In the fiscal year 1974/75, for instance, only 1,393 units were built.[1] The Twenty was later updated with locally developed angular bodywork.

 
1965 Standard Herald Mark I

Annual production of passenger cars reached about 3,000 units in the early 1970s, but production dropped steadily throughout the decade and only 161 cars were finished in 1976.[5] By 1980, production was down to six cars and thereafter the company reported annual outputs of single cars for many years, reportedly only carried out so as to keep the licence active.[5]

Herald edit

Badged in the Indian market as the Standard Herald, the Herald was originally heavily dependent on British parts, but as these were gradually replaced by indigenous items specifications and trim as local content increased. By 1965 engines, gearboxes, and axles were all made in India.[3] In 1966 the Standard Herald Mark II was introduced, which featured the bonnet and front end of the Vitesse, but strangely with the outer pair of headlights blocked off and the parking lights cum side-indicators incorporated there instead. In anticipation of the Mark III, very late Mk IIs featured modified rear bodywork (different roofline and a bootlid without a recess).[4]

The new Standard Herald Mark III, made from 1968 to 1971, received a unique indigenously developed four-door body,[6] to meet the demands of Indian buyers (with large families) and competition from the Ambassador and Fiat 1100 (both of which featured four doors). The engine remained the same though, with a claimed top speed of 109–112 km/h (68–70 mph).[7] In 1969-1970 a very few Herald Mark III Companions were built, five-door estates with fibreglass roofs and tailgates.[4] The "Companion" nameplate hearkens back to the Standard Ten-based Companion introduced in 1955.

Gazel edit

 
Mark II Gazel, with smaller bonnet

In 1972, the Standard Herald was remodeled (redesigned body, new suspension, and new differential) by Standard Motor Products of India as the Standard Gazel, with a different grille and headlights set far apart, purportedly inspired from the Triumph Herald 13/60. It received a new, more sober rear end with low horizontal rectangular tail-lights (which are also still used on some locally built buses and three-wheeled taxis in India) and without the characteristic tail-fins of the Herald designed by Michelotti.[3] It also received a live rear-axle suspended on two leaf springs, purportedly copied from the Triumph Toledo instead of the Herald's swing-axle independent suspension, replacement of the Herald's front bucket seats with a bench, and underwent the retrograde move of replacing the shifter with a long-crank version as also found in the Standard Ten. However, the engine was the same 948 cc single carb. The Gazel was the first car to be remodelled and engineered in India.

 
Rear view of the four-door Gazel

The new Gazel continued in production in this guise until 1974, when a modified version took over. The updated model (Mark II) received a 'standard' bonnet, hinged at the rear, instead of the forward lifting front end inherited from the Herald. This move was most likely because the normal Herald bonnets popping open on either or both sides during running was a common occurrence, especially on rough roads. This, however, resulted in making the body heavier due to the additional reinforcement needed on the front panel due to the bonnet modification.

The Gazel was also built in small numbers with estate bodywork, the estate featuring a fiberglass tail-gate but with the saloon rear windscreen. Production of the Gazel ended in 1979 although another twelve cars were built in the 1980s, with a final, single car finished in 1983.[8] It was not until the mid-1980s that Standard went into car production again, with the Standard 2000, a hand-me-down Rover SD1 with a local engine transplant.[4]

Standard 2000 edit

 
The Standard 2000 was a rebadged version of the Rover SD1 (pictured), manufactured by SMPIL

From 1985 to 1988 the company manufactured the Standard 2000, a version of the Rover SD1 powered by a 2 L (2,061 cc) Standard four-cylinder engine borrowed from an old Standard Vanguard model (as also used in the Standard 20 commercial vehicle). Power was a mere 83 hp (62 kW) at 4,250 rpm. With a kerb weight of 1,335 kg (2,940 lb) and a four-speed manual transmission (it, too, from the Standard 20), top speed was a lowly 145 km/h (90 mph). Standard had not been able to acquire a licence for the Rover SD1's more modern engines and thus had to rely on their existing technology. The 2000 featured higher ground clearance for the Indian market; but low quality, high price, and low performance combined to end the car after only about three years.[9] Hopes had been high, with the Ministry of Industry claiming that the 2000 would be successful enough that the black market price of imported luxury cars would go down.[10]

Production capacity was 4000 per year but such numbers were never achieved.[11] Standard only built 11 cars in 1985 but 1,557 cars were finished in 1986.[12]

To top it all, a supposedly false claim about the fuel average of the car attributed to the company from the then Government caused an inquiry and resulted in the company getting into long-winded legal tangles. India had recently introduced fuel-efficiency standards, which Standard Motors were unable to meet.[13] The situation eventually led to the factory being shut down for many years until the property was auctioned off and thereafter completely torn down.[9] Most, if not all, of the Rover SD1 parts were bought up by a British classic car parts specialist supplier named Rimmer Brothers in 2006 and shipped back to Britain.

Production edit

This table shows Standard's passenger car production. Some discrepancies are due to numbers being reported for the Indian financial year (1 April through 31 March), while occasionally numbers may signify a fifteen-month period (1 January through 31 March following year).

Year 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Production 161[5] 112[14] 117[14] 56[15] 6[15] 4[16] 1[16] 1[8] 0[8] 11[12] 1,557
2,221[17] 		995[17] 5[18]
Numbers in italics are for the Indian fiscal year (1 April–31 March)

References edit

  1. ^ a b Bhaktavatsala Rao, C. (20 February 1993). "Structural Configurations and Strategic Investments: Indian Automobile Industry". Economic and Political Weekly. 28 (8/9). Mumbai, India: Sameeksha Trust: M22.
  2. ^ Muthiah, S.; Gopalan, K. N. (23 December 2008). . Business Standard. Archived from the original on 10 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Adams, Keith. "Standard Motor Products". AROnline. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Bhote, Karl (2005). . Standard Motor Club. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Robinson, Vaughan (5 June 1982). "Motoring for the millions". Autocar. Vol. 156, no. 4459. IPC Business Press Ltd. p. 23.
  6. ^ Bhote, Karl (2005). "Standard Herald Mk 3". Standard Motor Club. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  7. ^ , Chennai (Madras): Standard Motor Products of India Ltd, archived from the original on 5 March 2012
  8. ^ a b c Heitz, Rudolf, ed. (1 August 1985). Auto Katalog 1986 (in German). Vol. 29. Stuttgart: Vereinigte Motor-Verlage GmbH & Co. KG. p. 252. 81530/85001.
  9. ^ a b Adams, Keith. "Standard 2000". AROnline. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  10. ^ "Automobile Industry: Unconvincing Explanations". Economic and Political Weekly. XX (16). Mumbai, India: Sameeksha Trust: 669. 20 April 1985.
  11. ^ Guinness, Paul (25 June 2015). . HonestJohn Classics. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015.
  12. ^ a b Dackevall, Gunnar, ed. (1987), BilKatalogen 1989 (Swedish edition of German Auto Katalog) (in Swedish), Stockholm, Sweden: PM Press AB, p. 267, 0284-365X
  13. ^ D'costa, Anthony P. (March 1995). "The Restructuring of the Indian Automobile Industry: Indian State and Japanese Capital". World Development. 23 (3): 491. doi:10.1016/0305-750X(94)00135-L. ISSN 0305-750X.
  14. ^ a b Freund, Klaus, ed. (August 1979). Auto Katalog 1980 (in German). Vol. 23. Stuttgart: Vereinigte Motor-Verlage GmbH & Co. KG. p. 237.
  15. ^ a b Freund, Klaus, ed. (August 1981). Auto Katalog 1982 (in German). Vol. 25. Stuttgart: Vereinigte Motor-Verlage GmbH & Co. KG. p. 251.
  16. ^ a b Heitz, Rudolf, ed. (August 1983). Auto Katalog 1984 (in German). Vol. 27. Stuttgart: Vereinigte Motor-Verlage GmbH & Co. KG. p. 243.
  17. ^ a b Dackevall, Gunnar, ed. (1988), BilKatalogen 1989 (Swedish edition of German Auto Katalog) (in Swedish), Stockholm, Sweden: PM Press AB, p. 261, 0284-365X
  18. ^ Büschi, Hans-Ulrich, ed. (March 1991), Automobil Revue 1991 (in German and French), vol. 86, Berne, Switzerland: Hallwag AG, p. 637, ISBN 3-444-00514-8
  • David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles.

External links edit

    January 01, 1970
    standard, indian, automobile, standard, indian, brand, automobile, which, produced, standard, motor, products, india, limited, smpil, madras, from, 1951, 1988, indian, standards, were, variations, vehicles, made, united, kingdom, standard, triumph, standard, m. Standard was an Indian brand of automobile which was produced by Standard Motor Products of India Limited SMPIL in Madras from 1951 to 1988 Indian Standards were variations of vehicles made in the United Kingdom by Standard Triumph Standard Motor Products of India Ltd STAMPRO was incorporated in 1948 1 a company formed by Union Company Motors Ltd and the British Standard Motor Company Their first product was the Standard Vanguard The company was dissolved in 2006 and the old plant was torn down Standard Motor Products of India LimitedCompany typeAutomobile manufacturerIndustryAutomotiveFounded1948Defunct2006FatedissolvedHeadquartersPerungalathur Chennai Tamil Nadu IndiaProductsAutomobiles Commercial VehiclesNumber of employeesn a Contents 1 History 2 Herald 3 Gazel 4 Standard 2000 5 Production 6 References 7 External linksHistory editThe first locally built Standard Vanguards were finished in 1951 built in Standard Motors Vandalur a suburb of Madras factory 2 From 1955 versions of the Standard Eight and Ten were produced with ever increasing local content The Pennant joined in 1959 although it too was curiously branded Standard 10 and devoid of bootlid trimwork 3 The Tens and later Heralds and Gazels all used versions of the 948 cc Standard Triumph four cylinder engine In 1961 production began of the Triumph Herald known as the Standard Herald in India 4 Standard also built a range of light commercial vehicles based on the Standard Atlas 20 later Leyland 20 called the Standard Twenty They were sold with the advertising slogan Standard Twenty can do plenty For these production of diesel engines began in India later exported back to the UK for use in the refurbished Carbodies FX4Q London cabs 3 In spite of a production lineup incorporating passenger cars as well as light commercials production was always low In the fiscal year 1974 75 for instance only 1 393 units were built 1 The Twenty was later updated with locally developed angular bodywork nbsp 1965 Standard Herald Mark I Annual production of passenger cars reached about 3 000 units in the early 1970s but production dropped steadily throughout the decade and only 161 cars were finished in 1976 5 By 1980 production was down to six cars and thereafter the company reported annual outputs of single cars for many years reportedly only carried out so as to keep the licence active 5 Herald editBadged in the Indian market as the Standard Herald the Herald was originally heavily dependent on British parts but as these were gradually replaced by indigenous items specifications and trim as local content increased By 1965 engines gearboxes and axles were all made in India 3 In 1966 the Standard Herald Mark II was introduced which featured the bonnet and front end of the Vitesse but strangely with the outer pair of headlights blocked off and the parking lights cum side indicators incorporated there instead In anticipation of the Mark III very late Mk IIs featured modified rear bodywork different roofline and a bootlid without a recess 4 The new Standard Herald Mark III made from 1968 to 1971 received a unique indigenously developed four door body 6 to meet the demands of Indian buyers with large families and competition from the Ambassador and Fiat 1100 both of which featured four doors The engine remained the same though with a claimed top speed of 109 112 km h 68 70 mph 7 In 1969 1970 a very few Herald Mark III Companions were built five door estates with fibreglass roofs and tailgates 4 The Companion nameplate hearkens back to the Standard Ten based Companion introduced in 1955 Gazel edit nbsp Mark II Gazel with smaller bonnet In 1972 the Standard Herald was remodeled redesigned body new suspension and new differential by Standard Motor Products of India as the Standard Gazel with a different grille and headlights set far apart purportedly inspired from the Triumph Herald 13 60 It received a new more sober rear end with low horizontal rectangular tail lights which are also still used on some locally built buses and three wheeled taxis in India and without the characteristic tail fins of the Herald designed by Michelotti 3 It also received a live rear axle suspended on two leaf springs purportedly copied from the Triumph Toledo instead of the Herald s swing axle independent suspension replacement of the Herald s front bucket seats with a bench and underwent the retrograde move of replacing the shifter with a long crank version as also found in the Standard Ten However the engine was the same 948 cc single carb The Gazel was the first car to be remodelled and engineered in India nbsp Rear view of the four door Gazel The new Gazel continued in production in this guise until 1974 when a modified version took over The updated model Mark II received a standard bonnet hinged at the rear instead of the forward lifting front end inherited from the Herald This move was most likely because the normal Herald bonnets popping open on either or both sides during running was a common occurrence especially on rough roads This however resulted in making the body heavier due to the additional reinforcement needed on the front panel due to the bonnet modification The Gazel was also built in small numbers with estate bodywork the estate featuring a fiberglass tail gate but with the saloon rear windscreen Production of the Gazel ended in 1979 although another twelve cars were built in the 1980s with a final single car finished in 1983 8 It was not until the mid 1980s that Standard went into car production again with the Standard 2000 a hand me down Rover SD1 with a local engine transplant 4 Standard 2000 edit nbsp The Standard 2000 was a rebadged version of the Rover SD1 pictured manufactured by SMPIL From 1985 to 1988 the company manufactured the Standard 2000 a version of the Rover SD1 powered by a 2 L 2 061 cc Standard four cylinder engine borrowed from an old Standard Vanguard model as also used in the Standard 20 commercial vehicle Power was a mere 83 hp 62 kW at 4 250 rpm With a kerb weight of 1 335 kg 2 940 lb and a four speed manual transmission it too from the Standard 20 top speed was a lowly 145 km h 90 mph Standard had not been able to acquire a licence for the Rover SD1 s more modern engines and thus had to rely on their existing technology The 2000 featured higher ground clearance for the Indian market but low quality high price and low performance combined to end the car after only about three years 9 Hopes had been high with the Ministry of Industry claiming that the 2000 would be successful enough that the black market price of imported luxury cars would go down 10 Production capacity was 4000 per year but such numbers were never achieved 11 Standard only built 11 cars in 1985 but 1 557 cars were finished in 1986 12 To top it all a supposedly false claim about the fuel average of the car attributed to the company from the then Government caused an inquiry and resulted in the company getting into long winded legal tangles India had recently introduced fuel efficiency standards which Standard Motors were unable to meet 13 The situation eventually led to the factory being shut down for many years until the property was auctioned off and thereafter completely torn down 9 Most if not all of the Rover SD1 parts were bought up by a British classic car parts specialist supplier named Rimmer Brothers in 2006 and shipped back to Britain Production editThis table shows Standard s passenger car production Some discrepancies are due to numbers being reported for the Indian financial year 1 April through 31 March while occasionally numbers may signify a fifteen month period 1 January through 31 March following year Year 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Production 161 5 112 14 117 14 56 15 6 15 4 16 1 16 1 8 0 8 11 12 1 5572 221 17 995 17 5 18 Numbers in italics are for the Indian fiscal year 1 April 31 March References edit a b Bhaktavatsala Rao C 20 February 1993 Structural Configurations and Strategic Investments Indian Automobile Industry Economic and Political Weekly 28 8 9 Mumbai India Sameeksha Trust M22 Muthiah S Gopalan K N 23 December 2008 The first wheels roll into India Business Standard Archived from the original on 10 July 2016 a b c d Adams Keith Standard Motor Products AROnline Retrieved 15 December 2010 a b c d Bhote Karl 2005 History of Standards in India Standard Motor Club Archived from the original on 28 September 2011 a b c Robinson Vaughan 5 June 1982 Motoring for the millions Autocar Vol 156 no 4459 IPC Business Press Ltd p 23 Bhote Karl 2005 Standard Herald Mk 3 Standard Motor Club Retrieved 15 December 2010 The Standard Mark III brochure Chennai Madras Standard Motor Products of India Ltd archived from the original on 5 March 2012 a b c Heitz Rudolf ed 1 August 1985 Auto Katalog 1986 in German Vol 29 Stuttgart Vereinigte Motor Verlage GmbH amp Co KG p 252 81530 85001 a b Adams Keith Standard 2000 AROnline Retrieved 15 December 2010 Automobile Industry Unconvincing Explanations Economic and Political Weekly XX 16 Mumbai India Sameeksha Trust 669 20 April 1985 Guinness Paul 25 June 2015 Curios Standard 2000 HonestJohn Classics Archived from the original on 26 June 2015 a b Dackevall Gunnar ed 1987 BilKatalogen 1989 Swedish edition of GermanAuto Katalog in Swedish Stockholm Sweden PM Press AB p 267 0284 365X D costa Anthony P March 1995 The Restructuring of the Indian Automobile Industry Indian State and Japanese Capital World Development 23 3 491 doi 10 1016 0305 750X 94 00135 L ISSN 0305 750X a b Freund Klaus ed August 1979 Auto Katalog 1980 in German Vol 23 Stuttgart Vereinigte Motor Verlage GmbH amp Co KG p 237 a b Freund Klaus ed August 1981 Auto Katalog 1982 in German Vol 25 Stuttgart Vereinigte Motor Verlage GmbH amp Co KG p 251 a b Heitz Rudolf ed August 1983 Auto Katalog 1984 in German Vol 27 Stuttgart Vereinigte Motor Verlage GmbH amp Co KG p 243 a b Dackevall Gunnar ed 1988 BilKatalogen 1989 Swedish edition of GermanAuto Katalog in Swedish Stockholm Sweden PM Press AB p 261 0284 365X Buschi Hans Ulrich ed March 1991 Automobil Revue 1991 in German and French vol 86 Berne Switzerland Hallwag AG p 637 ISBN 3 444 00514 8 David Burgess Wise The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles External links editA History of Standard Motor Products Madras Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Standard Indian automobile amp oldid 1175634202, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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