Mortlock
bodied Standards in 1939
Flying 10's with local
bodywork being assembled in Perth, Western Australia, circa 1939. The Canley
built panels are in darker primer and consist of the bonnet, radiator grille and
both front and rear wings. The locally built body tub of the Tourer is easily
distinguished by the lighter primer or final body coat. 14 more bodies are
stacked precariously on their noses behind. An unidentified Standard saloon is
just visible on the right. A saloon body also appears to have just been fitted
to the car on the left, it still has a wooden jig around it to enable it to be
craned into place!
Shane York in
Oklahoma has sent on these photographs of assembly of what
appear to be Standard Flying 10's in the Mortlock Brothers
Factory, Pert, Western Australia in 1939. The photographs come
from a new book on the Perth Motor Trade authored by A. John
Parker.
John writes,
"Mortlocks
were Standard car agents from 1932 to 1953 when Diesel Motors Pty
Ltd took on the franchise. My parents bought a Standard Flying 10
from them in Hay Street in 1939 which I remember as our 'old'
family car when I was a kid in the 1950s.
The
various Mortlock firm(s) are mentioned many times
throughout the text of the book and in the index at the back but
there are no details available for exactly which cars were sold
(no sales figures or model numbers) or to whom (no sales figures
with clients names). Such details only exist for Winterbottoms
and Faulls Ltd. Even after 5 years of research, doing 400
interviews and talking with car clubs (which tend to collect
this sort of data) virtually nothing exist of this Perth
yesteryear information."
Here are three other
pictures of the assembly area: Click on any of them to see an
enlargement:
In the first shot,
four operatives are working on 3 chassis in the background. The
nearest chassis is upside down, as it is easier to install the
Independent Front Suspension in that manner. The two rearmost
chassis sit the right way up and have engines, gearboxes and
steering columns all installed. At the rear, one operative is
preparing an engine for installation. The guy in the waistcoat and
watchchain is leaning on a completed car and watching the others
work - as managers do!
The second shot shows packing
cases arrived from England at the rear with a solitary frame leaning on its end.
To the left, two cars are part assembled on trestles, In the front are a number
of engines with a pile of wiring looms beside them. It all appears a little
haphazard with no attempt to build a production line.
The third shot appears to have
been taken at the same time as the first but looking in the opposite direction,
over the upturned chassis back to where the first photo was taken. On the far
wall are a pile of petrol tanks, wheels and a smaller number of tyres. About a
dozen bare chassis frames are leaning against the right wall and in front of
them are a group of axles. Everyone seems to have gone for some tucker!
You can read more about A John
Parker's book here Cars,
Characters and Crankhandles
I am aware that there are other cars
and information that could be added to this site to make it more comprehensive, so if you
have material and photographs, please let me know. Please send me, Phil Homer, a
message at: Phil Homer
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