In Memory of David Richardson 1940-2026

We are sad to report on the passing of a founding member of the Standard Motor Club, David Richardson. We pay tribute here and offer our condolances to his family and friends. Details of funeral arrangements can be found at the bottom of this article.

Written by his friend Clive Brown.

I first met David Richardson at the Standard Register National Rally at Packington Park, near Coventry, in 1967. At that time he was part-way through rebuilding a rare 1934 Standard Ten with a pre-selector gearbox. When he had finished that he acquired a very derelict 1929 fabric-bodied Teignmouth on which he did an amazing restoration job. David was very skilled at woodwork, and at that time he earned his living as a carpenter.

During the latter part of 1968 he became a founder member and first secretary of the South Hants Vehicle Preservation Society, a local all-makes club, and went on to fill various other committee posts over the next few years.

He had a liking for Standard cars and over the next couple of decades owned quite a few including a 1924 Warwick, 1931 Big Nine, 1932 Little Nine, 1934 Ten Open Tourer, 1931 Sixteen Ensign, 1935 Sixteen, 1939 Flying Eight and a 1935 10/12 Avon Coupé. For several years his regular transport was a 1956 Standard Ten, later replaced by a Series 3 Vanguard Estate.

David had supported Standard Register events for several years, but by the mid 1970s there was a general feeling that a source of Spares was required, together with a regular Members magazine. In 1973, David, together with fellow founder Members, David Hanson and Sid Sparkes, launched the Standard Register Trust. In 1974 this was renamed at the Standard Motor Club

Around that time, David changed his job to become an instructor at a local training centre for young adults with learning difficulties where he taught them woodworking and gardening skills. Several years later, David and his wife Nancy converted their home into a care home for such young adults. This of course became very much a full-time job and left no time for the old car hobby. So the cars had to go and David returned to an earlier interest of amateur radio in the little free time that he had.

When they felt it was time to retire, David and Nancy sold the care home and moved into a bungalow with a large garden on the outskirts of Denmead village. There David built himself a garden workshop to continue with his woodworking projects. They also kept hens.

Around four years ago Nancy was found to have the early stages of dementia and not long after that they moved to a smaller, more modern, bungalow in the centre of Denmead. Sadly David was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, which led to him being admitted to hospital last year. The meant Nancy going into a care home as she could no longer look after herself. David appeared to be making a good recovery, and he very much enjoyed a visit to the Standard Motor Club Rally in Daventry last June. He was also seriously thinking about acquiring another Standard. Sadly his health began to deteriorate towards the end of last year, with another spell in hospital, followed by a couple of weeks in the care home to recover before returning home. This pattern was repeated over the Christmas and New Year period and David sadly passed peacefully away in the care home on the 19th January at the age of 85.

David is survived by his wife Nancy, daughters Ann and Louise and three granddaughters.

A Standard car enthusiast through and through, he will be very much missed by his family and all his many friends.

David with his 1935 Standard 16

Footnote added by Phil Homer

When I joined the SMC in 1976, David was the“go-to” Source for Standard Club spares, having gathered together thousands of New Old Stock parts for the Club, from all manner of sources. Many of these spares are still providing the basis of the stock that the Club is still providing today, some 50 years later.

Funeral Arrangements

Friday 20th Feb – 10.00am All Saints Church, Denmead PO7 6NN, followed by a gathering of friends at the Harvest Home, Denmead. PO7 6LB.

David with his Little 9

David in his Standard Warwick

David with his family

David and Nancy