ON PARADE: AN RAF SPECIFICATION STANDARD VANGUARD VIGNALE

In the 1950s and well into the 1960s, the Vanguard was associated with the Royal Air Force. So from Brize Norton, Malta and Aden to Gan, Akrotiri, and Gibraltar, you would find highly polished Standards bearing RAF roundels. And today, the Vignale Estate, owned by the social media Influencer ‘Mrcarstagram’, is a reminder of the sort of car you might see in a black and white British Pathé newsreel.

The original Vanguard Phase I debuted in 1947. Six years later the Phase II featured three-box styling, and by 1955 the Phase III featured an all-new monocoque body. Unfortunately for Standard, rivals models from Longbridge, Dagenham and Luton boasted six-cylinder engines. By contrast, the latest Vanguard still favoured the 2,088cc ‘Big Four” unit.

Standard expanded the range in 1957 with the cheaper 1,670cc Ensign, and at the 1958 London Motor Show, they unveiled the ‘Vanguard Vignale’. Collaborating with Giovanni Michelotti, the Italian stylist successfully transformed the Phase III with larger windows, a new grille and taillights, and a higher roofline.

Such alternations resulted in a rather pleasant looking car. The Vignale was undoubtedly not as overtly flamboyant as the Ford Zodiac Mk. II or Vauxhall Cresta PA but possessed a definite presence. Standard claimed, in very 1958 words, that “The smooth lines of the Vignale Vanguard will appeal instantly to the feminine eye”. Furthermore, “there is an air of graciousness about the Vignale Vanguard she will find irresistible”. No comment.

Canley intended the Vignale as a stopgap model until they could launch a new model codenamed ‘Zebu’. As it happened, Standard’s major financial problems meant the project never entered production. Instead, by the end of 1960, the Vanguard gained a six-cylinder power plant at long last. The Triumph 2000 replaced the ‘Luxury Six’ in 1963, the two cars having a 1,998cc engine in common but very little else.

The introduction of the new Triumph also marked the demise of the Standard badge after sixty years. Today, the marque is a name that was much as an aspect of post-war Britain as Edgar Lustgarten or the BBC Home Service. The RAF Cotswold Blue/Grey Vignale left the factory in 1959 for A.A. Clark of Windsor and was registered on the 1st of January 1960. The fittings include the optional four-speed floor gear change and a ‘Newmatic Roadmaster’ radio.

Mrcarstagram bought the Vanguard ‘from a Silverstone auction about two years ago. I’m just storing it until I get the clutch sorted’ His Estate is a fascinating reminder of a lost world of National Service and the War Office. And to have an idea of the Standard in RAF service, here is its Ensign sister model on duty with Bomber Command in 19.

With Thanks To: Mrcarstagram