Completed in 1982, this is what the Avon looks like today

1930 Standard Avon Special No. 3 

I bought this car (WH 2401) in 1980. I was on my way home from work in an Austin 7 Special and stopped to buy some fruit on a farm shop hear Oxford. I was asked if I would like to see an old car which was potentially up for sale. Within s couple of days the deal was done.

It was a bit of a mess! It was running well and quite a lot of work had been done on the chassis/Running gear but the body was awful and it was clad with incorrect artillery wheels. I stripped the body off and set to work on cleaning and painting the chassis. It was ( and still is) in good order The body panels on the drivers side were in poor condition so new ash framework was produced and new panelling made up.. New valances were made all round.. The bonnet needed considerable attention but was eventually straightened and strengthened. New cycle wings were purchased and everything resprayed.

Whilst thus was going on my father, a precision engineer, turned up a radiator cap to replace the missing original. This was made in phosphor bronze, beautifully fluted and in time I had it silver plated. There was an old repair, in solder, to the nickel-silver radiator. I see this as a rather handsome and evocative feature and it has been retained.

As to the wheels, I advertised for wires to replace the artillery ones in Exchange and Mart. I can not remember the exact details of how I managed to get a full set. However, what I do remember is that a council worker from a West London borough telephoned to say that he knew where there was a complete car buried up to the top of its tyres in a council carpark and I was welcome to help myself! Armed with weapons of minor destruction I resurrected what remained of the car ( the chassis fell to bits as it was lifted from the ground) and, apart from other bits, managed to salvage some wire wheel hubs. Two of these were rebuilt (West London Wheel Company?) with new rims and spokes. The other three wheels are original but, again, I can not remember details of where they came from - probably in answer to my advert. New tyres all round.

The car came fitted with a rather tatty wooden dash with fairly modern 1950's dials. I replaced all this with a new polished aluminium dash and instruments from the 1920's.

New seats were produced using old leather and new floors were also needed. The headlamps had innumerable dents removed and splits repaired and were eventually repainted. There was no windscreen with the car and so as I enjoy the racy look, aero screens were fitted and a tonneau cover professionally made.

The restoration is shown photographically below. Click on any photo to see an enlargement

This all took about 2 years. The car has been little used over the  years as at about the same time as work was completed I acquired a Jaguar XK120 which took over my attention. I have hesitated, for the last 20-odd years, about selling the Standard after all the hard work (and it is a very handsome beast) However, with the Jag and another Austin Project on the go, I may now get it an MoT in the spring and see if anyone would like to buy it.

Stewart Hamilton,

Perth Scotland

Thanks Stewart for sight of your rare and pretty car,

I hope that you fall in love with it again, and start to use it, or that its new owner will do the same. Whatever, I hope that we can see it at the the Standard International Rally one day?

Kind regards,

Phil