Big Twelve running in the family

Morten Larsen describes his life-long association with a six-cylinder Standard Big 12

It really feels good to own my father’s car. I just had to buy it when it was offered to me.

How that happened I will come back to later in this story.

Imported in 1937

My father was a car mechanic. He was only 18 when he joined the first formal car mechanic school in Oslo, Norway. His first car was a Willys Overland Tourer from around 1920, and he worked on Auburn, Cord and of course Willys in those days. Later he was a Volvo truck mechanic.

He told me he bought the Standard Big Twelve (B12) in 1938. What I have learned is that the car was imported to Norway from England in 1937 together with four other Standards. I know this because some time in the 70s I went with my father to visit the guy who imported them.

Me and the Big Twelve

The fact is that I was almost born in the car. Well, my father brought newborn me and my mother home in it from the clinic.

It is strange to know that my father by then had owned the B12 for 12 or 13 years – the same as an ordinary car’s estimated life before it is scrapped.

My first memories of the car are not all positive. Soon I was old enough to realize that our family car was an old one. And the speed it managed left something to be desired!

We have some roads up steep hills, and the queue we collected was long.

Because of my traumatic teenage years, I have had an urge for cars that a certain speed potential. I therefore acquired this one and restored it:

And then later, these two:

My interest in Triumph TRs was not intentional. It was because I thought the Triumph TR2 was a classic sportscar that had been used extensively for ice racing in the mid 50’ies by a number of people. I later learned that Standard had close links to Triumph, and that parts I bought for the TR was marked “Stanpart”. Interesting! (Webmaster – Triumph, of course, was wholly owned by Standard)

Nowadays, I enjoy historic racing (The engine is Triumph TR2):

Around 1966, my father finally realized the Standard Big Twelve was not suitable for everyday traffic.

As he was working on Volvos, he bought a Volvo Duett. Fortunately, the Big12 was put away in a barn. As my father got retired, I helped him collect the Big12 at the barn and he started renovating it. I say renovating, because it was in such a good state that some minor repairs and new paint was mostly what was done. But he was clever. I admire the floor carpets he made on my mother’s sewing machine.

Here I have just towed my father and the Big12 to the paint shop at his previous job:

The Big12 was finished and ready for use by around 1982, and my father used it for veteran car rallies and had the car exhibited at veteran car shows until his death in 1999.

The B12 is now called "Edgar" after my fathers middle name. Posing with it after the finished job.

Neither my brother nor me had space or resources to care for it, so it was sold to a keen enthusiast in year 2000. We were satisfied with that.

After a couple of years, I visited the man to check up on the Big12, and it was looking good.

Then the years went by and one day in 2022, my wife and me were not too far away from the “new” owner and we decided to visit him again.

He greeted us when we came, he said: “You can buy it back!” He stated he was too old now and had got rid of all his cars except the Big12. A small crack in the engine block was a problem. I gave him a tip about using Wonderweld and my wife expressed clearly: “We have enough cars!” We said goodbye and good luck.

Next week my wife went away for a week on a girl’s trip – and guess what? I came to an agreement with the owner and bought it! But my wife’s reaction when she came home, I’ll spare the readers of.

Wonderweld was not enough

There was no doubt; the engine had to come out. To make a long story short, I asked Mr Rallycross, six times European champion in Rallycross, Martin Schanche, to help me. And he did!

He found not only one crack in the block, but a lot of cracks. All evidently made by someone tightening the center head bolt far, far too tight. Martin welded the cracks and made two beautiful cylinder liners. I used the time purchasing oversize pistons, valves, head gasket and valve guides from the club shop. It took its time, and Martin was a little annoyed, but it was sorted out eventually.

The engine was then bored out, the top was straightened, the valve guides inserted and valve seats grinded. Martin discovered that all the copper oil tubes along the rods in the engine had fallen off, and two of the rods were bent. Obviously, a result of some bad rebuilding of the engine (not by my father) in the 50’ies.

Martin then put the engine together and rebuilt the original oil filter box making it possible to use a modern oil filter. Finally, I could collect the engine:

"Mr. Rallycross" showing me one of the beautiful cylinder liners he made.

Martin enjoyed working on the 90-year-old engine! Notice the laurels on the wall. Now a little paint on the engine is needed.

When I started the engine, I realized why my father fell in love with the car: The quality of the interior and the magnificent sound of the six-cylinder engine. Only 1500 cc, but it sounds like a potent 3-litre.

After installing the engine with the correct BSF bolts here and there things are getting better. Recently I have changed brake linings, bought new from the club shop.

What I need is a few original bits and pieces. As the car is very original and almost untouched, I like it to stay that way. I found the original tool roll in one of the hidden boxes under the floor. Much of the original tools I found in my father’s toolboxes that I have taken care of.

Anyway, I am looking forward to trundling along at slow speed in the car my father bought 87 years ago and owned for 63 years. And who knows – maybe I’ll bring it over to UK for one of the meetings?

Here are some modern shots of the car: