Classic cars possess a unique ability to transport us back in time, evoking memories and the distinct atmosphere of bygone eras. While many are drawn to the allure of classic sports cars like the Jaguar XK120, Triumph TR2, or MGA, it’s often the more humble saloon cars that played a far more significant role in the everyday lives of most people. For those who lived through the 1950s, these were the vehicles that ferried them to school, the local shops, or on family holidays. It is precisely these ordinary family saloons, the cars that rarely sparked widespread excitement, that grow more fascinating with each passing year.
These vehicles, less celebrated and seldom preserved or restored, possess a captivating blend of ordinariness and rarity. Take, for instance, the Austin Hereford and the Standard Vanguard presented here. These bulbous and burbling saloons are prime examples of the ‘car as a time machine’ concept. They are now considerably older than the veteran cars of the film Genevieve were in their day, yet they lack the rustic charm of their pre-war predecessors or the distinctive two-tone, coffee-bar aesthetic of a ‘shoebox’ Ford Zephyr. Instead, they stand as semi-forgotten relics of early 1950s British popular motoring.
Priced at under £700 (approximately £33,000 in today’s currency, in an era predating readily available credit) and capable of around 80mph with 68bhp, the Hereford and Vanguard competed fiercely for the favour of middle-class buyers in both British and colonial markets. Their appeal lay in their family-oriented practicality rather than sporting prowess, although their relatively robust engines would later find fame in sports cars. They conjure images of an idealised post-war Britain, with dimly lit parlours and radiograms humming softly. While they exuded no particular sex appeal or glamour, they were important models that sold in significant numbers. Between 1948 and 1952, for example, 184,799 Phase 1 and 1A Vanguards found owners.
These were cars built for simpler times. Even the colour palette was limited, with the Austin A70 offering just five or six options, such as red, blue, cream, or green. However, in the collective memory, such cars were often painted in austerity black. Similarly, there were no distinct trim levels, and extras were few, if any. Nevertheless, official alternative versions did exist. Vanguard ‘utes’ were popular with the Royal Air Force, and a van variant with windows, essentially an estate car, was also produced. Austin offered a drophead coupé version of the A70, built by Carbodies, though it only attracted 266 buyers. They also produced a woodie station wagon. The three-box, Phase 2 Vanguard would go on to be the first British car to offer a diesel engine option.
A Blend of Old and New
Although both the Austin and Standard brands are now long gone, they represented trusted, sensible choices in the 1950s. They were designed for buyers seeking a spacious, reliable saloon in the emerging post-war idiom. Features such as overhead valves, heaters, and fully hydraulic brakes were becoming standard rather than exceptions. Independent front suspension, with lever-arm dampers doubling as top wishbones, and solid rear axles with semi-elliptic leaf springs were also becoming commonplace. These technical details were thoroughly elaborated upon in the brochures for the Standard Vanguard and Austin A70.
A certain level of technical understanding was assumed on the part of the buyer, and the use of colourful artwork often depicted occupants as small figures to enhance the impression of spaciousness. These wonderfully evocative documents sometimes offered rather unflattering portrayals of the vehicles; one early Vanguard pamphlet depicted the car so distortedly that one might question if the artist had ever actually seen one. In both cases, the copywriters were keen to highlight that these saloons were spacious enough for the whole family but not so large that they would struggle to fit into an average domestic garage. This was an era when people still carefully parked their cars at night and meticulously washed them on Sundays.
While they appeared contemporary, both the Austin A70 and the Standard Vanguard retained elements of older engineering. Beneath their modern, full-width bodies, they clung to separate, box-section chassis construction and long-stroke, low-compression, yet relatively large, four-cylinder engines. The latter was designed to cope with the low-octane fuels of the time, while the former was a production expediency that favoured the adaptability of body-on-frame construction for assembling knocked-down kits for crucial export markets.
Introduced in 1947 (for export-only production starting in May 1948), the humpbacked, Canley-built Standard Vanguard caused a significant stir at the first post-war motor show, rivalling the impact of the Morris Minor and Jaguar XK120.
The Vanguard, marketed as ‘Made in Britain, designed for the world,’ was conceived towards the end of the war by Sir John Black of Standard. His primary motivation was export, as car manufacturers were allocated steel only if they shipped 90% of their production overseas. The Vanguard was designed with 8 inches of ground clearance, intended to be equally at home on the smooth highways of America or Canada as it was on the rutted tracks of Australia or Africa, and equally suitable for parking in an English market town. However, Vanguards were not commonly seen in the UK before 1951 or 1952. If you managed to purchase one, you had to agree not to sell it for at least two years to curb black-market profiteering.
British buyers placing orders in 1948 were quoted delivery times of up to six years. Cars were exported to 75 countries, and for a considerable period, you were more likely to encounter one in Germany, where it was a top-selling model in the early post-war years. Vanguards also proved popular in Sweden, Belgium, and Australia, where they were assembled from kits.
Named after a renowned Royal Navy battleship, the Vanguard was one of the first entirely new British post-war cars. It featured a new, wet-liner 2088cc engine of legendary robustness, eliminating the need for rebores and incorporating modern, replaceable thin-wall bearing shells. This engine also found its way into Triumph’s TR sports cars and the ‘little grey’ Ferguson tractor.
This engine was paired with a three-speed, all-synchromesh column change, which moved from the right to the left of the steering wheel in 1950. Around the same time, the Vanguard became the first car to offer Laycock overdrive, engaging on second and third gears. The American-inspired styling was no coincidence. Sir John Black had dispatched his stylist, Walter Belgrove, to London to sketch and draw inspiration from the 1941 Plymouths parked in Grosvenor Square, near the US Embassy. The car’s shell was built by Fisher and Ludlow and updated to Phase 1A specification in 1952 with a lower bonnet line, a chunkier grille, and a wider rear windscreen, as depicted here.
The Hereford’s Challenge
The fact that Austin sold only 50,000 Herefords needs to be considered in light of Austin’s broader production strategy. While Standard maintained a strict one-model policy with the 500-a-day Vanguard, Longbridge was producing an entire range of cars, from the A30 to the A135 Princess. Nevertheless, the Vanguard’s success significantly irked Sir Leonard Lord of Austin. In reality, the 1950 Hereford represented his second attempt to compete with the Vanguard in the large-car market.
The 1948 Hampshire, its predecessor, utilised the 2199cc overhead-valve four-cylinder engine from the 1945 16hp saloon it replaced. It featured a beefed-up A40 Devon chassis cloaked in a six-light body that lacked adequate rear legroom, a deficiency that deterred buyers. Furthermore, its styling was too obviously derived from the smaller car. The A70 Hereford and A40 Somerset arguably compounded this issue by being almost indistinguishable from each other at a distance, even sharing door pressings. When the A30 was introduced in 1952, some unkind commentators quipped that the Austin range now resembled a perfect family of matching Toby jugs.
However, by increasing the wheelbase by 6½ inches, the A70 Hereford at least gained decent rear passenger space. Wider front and rear tracks, along with fully hydraulic brakes (the Hampshire had mechanically operated rear brakes), improved its roadholding. As before, the styling was the work of Dick Burzi, an Italian who had joined Austin from Lancia in the 1920s. The rumour that the lines of the BMW 501 were inspired by his A70 Hampshire is both flattering and plausible.
Sitting high and narrow on 16-inch wheels, with hardly a straight edge in sight on their all-enveloping flanks, these cuddly six-seaters appear somewhat unreal. They resemble giant tin toys for playing with, rather than vehicles in which people actually travelled. Yet, they were the everyday road furniture of 70 years ago, a time when most people did not own a refrigerator, a television, or even a home telephone line.
Distinguishing Features and Interior Charm
Unlike modern cars, these two are remarkably easy to tell apart. The Hereford, with its ‘Flying A’ bonnet mascot, upright grille, and bustle tail, presents a more distinctly British appearance, even featuring an ‘Austin of England’ script on either side of its bonnet. The Standard Vanguard, conversely, with its tall, domed roof and bullnose bonnet, exhibits a less compromising shape. Walter Belgrove was reportedly unhappy with the short wheelbase; the body tapers away so abruptly at the rear that, in profile, it could be mistaken for one of Dr Kamm’s experimental 1930s BMWs. The effect, particularly to modern eyes, is quite bizarre.
One is struck by how small the brake and indicator lights appear on the large, rounded rear ends of both cars. The Austin boasts a larger boot, but, curiously, its lid is bottom-hinged. Inside, what might have once seemed luxurious now appears stark. The seats are flat and unsupportive, door cards are plain, and the modest instruments are set into unyielding metal dashboards. These are likely among the first British cars to feature column changes and bench front seats, enabling them to carry six people in a pinch. Headroom is also generous, accommodating hats for all occupants. The Austin’s central dashboard layout, housing its circular 90mph speedometer, rectangular minor gauges, and Bakelite switchgear, facilitates left- or right-hand drive conversion. Similarly, the Standard’s instrument pack could be easily swapped to the left for export markets.
Both cars feature separate starter buttons and oil-pressure gauges, along with trafficator switches mounted on the steering wheel’s centre boss. The Austin offers more rear passenger room. Looking out over the high scuttles and rounded bonnets of these classic cars, one notices the diminutive size of their windscreen wipers. The Standard retained its distinctive split windscreen until the introduction of the Phase 2 model in 1953.
The driving positions in both the Standard Vanguard and the Austin Hereford are essentially ‘one size fits all,’ with floor-hinged pedals and no backrest adjustment. The transmission humps in both cars are prominent, and one must sit close to the large steering wheels to exert the necessary leverage when parking. The Standard has a tighter turning circle, though its gearing is lower.
Driving Experience and Performance
Despite their bulky appearances, neither the A70 nor the Vanguard was considered heavy to handle by the standards of their day. Today, these cars impress primarily through their sense of spaciousness, combined with a comfortable, loping ride provided by soft dampers and tall, skinny tyres. The Austin exhibits less body roll than the Standard and dips its front end more under braking. Both cars are set up to understeer moderately but persistently. The short-wheelbase Vanguard feels the least composed when driven hard, and its brakes are less reassuring.
Torquey engines and low overall gearing minimise the need for frequent gear changes, and it’s routinely possible to pull away in second gear in both. First gear in the A70 is a ‘crash’ gear, and in their prime, third gear would have propelled the cars to nearly 60mph. However, one primarily drives in top gear, and it’s only when accelerating from low speeds that the engine’s four-cylinder nature becomes apparent, rather than the smoothness of a six. The A70 was considered reasonably brisk for its time, capable of cruising at 70mph, accelerating from 30-50mph in 9 seconds, and tackling a 1-in-20 gradient at 65mph in top gear. The Autocar justifiably described the A70 as a ‘goer’.
The Vanguard engine is similarly sweet-sounding, offering strong mid-range pull that complements its gearing. The philosophy is to engage top gear and maintain it for as long as possible. The Vanguard boasts a neater gearchange, whereas the Austin Hereford’s linkage can sometimes feel sloppy, leading to missed gears.
In some respects, the success of the Standard Vanguard can be attributed to the lack of credible rivals at that time. This situation changed dramatically in 1950 when Ford introduced the first Zephyr, featuring a lightweight monocoque body, MacPherson-strut front suspension, and a short-stroke straight-six engine. BMC countered the Ford’s success effectively with its monocoque Cambridge and Westminster models (from the mid-1950s onwards), but the monocoque Vanguards never recaptured the success of the earlier models.
Neither of these cars set the automotive world alight even when new, yet they possess too much period charm to be dismissed today as mere ‘grey porridge.’ Let’s refer to them as austerity saloons: cars from the Festival of Britain era, embodying a time somewhere between Sir Stafford Cripps’ ‘export or die’ mantra and the Suez Crisis. It was a now-distant, pre-motorway era of smog, steam trains, and capital punishment, when few men ventured out without a hat, everyone smoked, foul language was confined to the saloon bar of the local pub, and rationing remained an everyday reality. At the very least, the Standard Vanguard and Austin A70 Hereford were rugged and fit for purpose within the context of their era.
Technical Specifications:
Standard Vanguard Phase 1A
- Sold/number built: 1948-’52 / 184,799 (all Phase 1s)
- Construction: Steel body and separate chassis
- Engine: All-iron, ohv 2088cc ‘four’, single Solex carburettor
- Max power: 68bhp @ 4200rpm
- Max torque: 108lb ft @ 2000rpm
- Transmission: Three-speed manual with overdrive, RWD
- Suspension:
- Front: Independent, by wishbones, coil springs
- Rear: Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs; anti-roll bar, lever-arm dampers f/r
- Steering: Cam and roller
- Brakes: Drums
- Length: 13ft 7in (4140mm)
- Width: 5ft 8½in (1740mm)
- Height: 5ft 3¼in (1607mm)
- Wheelbase: 7ft 10in (2388mm)
- Weight: 2800lb (1270kg)
- 0-60mph: 24 seconds
- Top speed: 81mph
- Mpg: 26
- Price new: £630
- Price now: £7000*
Austin A70 Hereford
- Sold/number built: 1950-’54 / 48,640 (saloons)
- Construction: Steel body and separate chassis
- Engine: All-iron, ohv 2199cc ‘four’, single Zenith carburettor
- Max power: 68bhp @ 3800rpm
- Max torque: 116lb ft @ 1700rpm
- Transmission: Four-speed manual, RWD
- Suspension:
- Front: Independent, by wishbones, coil springs
- Rear: Live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs; lever-arm dampers f/r
- Steering: Cam and peg
- Brakes: Drums
- Length: 13ft 11½in (4255mm)
- Width: 5ft 9⅔in (4818mm)
- Height: 5ft 5⅔in (1668mm)
- Wheelbase: 8ft 3in (2515mm)
- Weight: 2825lb (1281kg)
- 0-60mph: 21 seconds
- Top speed: 81mph
- Mpg: 22
- Price new: £668
- Price now: £7000*
*Prices correct at date of original publication.
