CELEBRATION DAY FOR STANDARD TRIUMPH AFICIONADOS – TUESDAY 10th FEBRUARY 2026
Fans of the once-mighty Standard and Triumph marques are celebrating the 131st birthday of Sir John Black today – Tuesday 10th February 2026. Sir John was the former chairman of the Standard Motor Company who orchestrated the acquisition of Triumph.
Each year owners of Standard Triumph cars worldwide are encouraged to participate in ‘Drive Your Standard (or Triumph) Day’. This event is masterminded annually by Rye Livingstone of the Triumph Traveller Sports Car Club in Northern California. Owners are urged to drive their cars to somewhere scenic or interesting, photograph it and then email their hi-res photographs to DriveYourTriumphDay@gmail.com, from where they are uploaded to a special Drive A Triumph Facebook page.
This year, Standard Motor Club publicity officer David Shadbolt took his Standard Vanguard Phase 1, dating from May 1951, to Peterborough Cathedral, to be photographed in the shadow of the magnificent West Front of the historic building. Peterborough Cathedral is one of the finest Norman cathedrals in Europe. It was founded in 655 AD as a monastery. Much of it was destroyed by fire in 1116, and construction of the current building began in 1118. It was consecrated in 1238, featuring a unique wooden ceiling which remains largely unchanged today. Katharine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII was buried there in 1536, and in 1541 Henry transformed the Abbey Church into a Cathedral. Mary Queen of Scots was buried there in 1587, after her execution at nearby Fotheringhay Castle.
The Vanguard was developed after the end of World War II in a bid to relaunch British car exports. Launched in 1948, the Vanguard’s looks have distinctive American styling, leading to significant sales all around the world. The initial cars were generally known as 20S models and had open wheel arches front and back. But in1949 the Phase 1 tag was introduced, including, for example, the addition of spats to cover the rear wheels, as on David’s car. Late in 1951 further changes were made, most noticeably a larger back window and simplified, chunkier radiator grille, and known as the Phase 1A. In 1953 came the Phase II with a whole new bodyshell, including a bigger, more traditionally shaped boot. 1955 saw the launch of the Phase III, with a Carl Otto-designed car of unitary construction replacing the Vanguard’s previous separate chassis and body approach. This basic shape, under Phase III, Ensign and Vignale branding continued until production of the Vanguard range ceased in 1963, from which point all future cars were marketed in the UK under the Triumph name, and the Standard name was consigned to history.
David Shadbolt, publicity officer for the Standard Motor Club, commented:
“As time moves on fewer people remember the Standard name, or the important part the Standard Motor Company played in UK motoring history. It could be said that without the visionary Sir John Black at the helm there would have been no Triumph Motors, and it is a fitting tribute that his birthday continues to be celebrated worldwide each year.”
The Standard Motor Club:
For more information about the Standard Motor Club, including how to join the organisation, please go to:
https://www.standardmotorclub.org.uk/
