1914 Standard Model Q 15.6HP

Len Barr reports:

I first came across the existence of this car when the owner, Mr Sudhir Choudhrie, joined the Club in April 2020. The car is part of a private collection of 36 pre-war cars based in India.

At first thought, the owner believed it to be a 1911 16 H.P. model but to me, the bodywork looked later than 1911. There was even speculation that the car might be one of the 70 Standards exported to India for the Delhi Durbar that was held in 1911 to proclaim King George V as Emperor of India. I must admit that I was somewhat sceptical of this claim since I had always understood most of the cars sent to India were the larger 6-cylinder models. The mudguards had clearly been changed at some stage in the car's life for 1920s style curved wings and later steel artillery wheels with much wider late vintage tyres, rather than the usual narrow beaded edge wheels and tyres fitted to cars of this period.

Over the next couple of years, during an exchange of emails with the Chief Mechanic in India, an engine number was supplied of 3017. This pointed to a 1914 Model Q which was rated at 15.6 H.P. That would definitely confirm that it could not be a Delhi Durbar car.

I asked for details of the commission number (Standards do not have a Chassis number) and on the early cars, this is usually stamped in the centre of the steering wheel. Unfortunately, at some point, the steering wheel had also been changed and there was no number stamped. However, after much searching, a number of 3015 was found stamped on the near-side front dumb-iron.

I believe that 3015 is the commission number of the car, and this would fit in nicely with an engine number of 3017. It is from the first batch of 25 examples of the Model Q that was sanctioned in 1914. The model only had a total production of 150 examples before production was halted due to the Great War. There are thought to be two other survivors, one in Australia and the parts of another car in New Zealand.

I am pleased that much work has been carried out on the car, as can be seen in the later pictures. Much more suitable, Edwardian-looking mudguards have been manufactured and a set of beaded edge wheels and tyres obtained from another source. Admittedly they are slightly larger than the original specification, but they look correct and much better than the late vintage wheels and tyres that were on the car.

Specification of the Model:

Engine: four cylinders cast en bloc, 79 mm bore x 121 mm stroke. RAC rating 15.6 H.P.

Side valves, lubricated by a pump driven off the camshaft.

Ignition: High tension magneto with variable timing.

Petrol Supply: Scuttle mounted tank holding 6 ½ gallons. (Gravity Feed)

Clutch: Metal Disc Type

Gearbox: Four forward gears and reverse

Footbrake at the rear of the gearbox acts on the prop shaft. Handbrake acts on the rear wheels.

Wheelbase: 10’

Track: 4’9”

Tyre Size: 815 x 105 Beaded Edge

Ground Clearance: 9 ½”

Weight of Chassis: 16 cwts

Author: Len Barr

1914 Standard Model Q – Postscript

Since this article was published, I am delighted to take this opportunity to write this addendum. I can now report that the car has been formally dated by The Veteran Car Club of Great Britain. Dating Certificate number: 4247 was therefore approved at the Board Meeting that I attended on 2nd October. This confirms the car to be a 1914 model, but with some parts from the 1913 model, and probably manufactured towards the end of 1913.

The car has been confirmed as having a 1914 model chassis with the wheelbase of

10 ft. This differs from the 1913 model which had a wheelbase of 9 ft 6 inches. However, the specification for the 1914 model states a four speed gearbox and a rear axle ratio of 4.6 to 1. Upon examination, this car was found to be fitted with the 3 speed gearbox from the 1913 model and a rear axle ratio of 4.5 to 1 as fitted to the 1913 models. There is also a date of manufacture stamped on the radiator that states the radiator was made on 30th January 1913.

As many owners of later Standards will testify, throughout the 1920’s and 1930’s it was quite common for Standard to use up earlier parts on later models.

So the conclusion of the Dating Panel was that this car is a 1914 model chassis, but fitted with a 1913 model gearbox, a 1913 ratio transmission and a 1913 dated radiator.

Since the catalogue announcing the 1914 models came out in October 1913, and this car is fitted with three major components from a 1913 car, it is highly likely that the car was actually manufactured towards the end of 1913.

Leonard Barr

19th October 2024

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