For the first time in over a decade of writing for NZ Classic Car I was presented with a full pot of fresh bush and Manuka honey for my efforts. No, the editor wasn’t trying to be a honey and help me stave off winter ills so as to do more classic car photo shoots — it was a case of Wanganui car enthusiast and apiarist, Neil Farrer, thanking me for a pleasurable afternoon perambulating around the historic sites of the river city in his everyday driver, a 1954 Standard Vanguard Spacemaster.

Friend of the bees and Vanguard driver, Neil has a passion for cars that extends to a small collection of Rootes Group classics including the superb ground-up restoration of a Humber Hawk he has in progress, and a handful of Austin and Standard classics. I first spotted Neil and Jennie Farrer on the 2005 Maunga Moana car rally, negotiating the undulating Taranaki countryside in their everyday classic Vanguard. It instantly kindled family memories of my uncles Jim and Bob Jones, who used to run a two-car Vanguard rally team in the arduous North Island motor rallies of the ’50s, forerunners of today’s annual International Rally of New Zealand. Neil and Jennie Farrer not only use their Standard Vanguard as an everyday runabout, but also to complete some long distance rallies. Next year they are driving the Vanguard from Wanganui down to Invercargill for an event!

The Standard Vanguard came about in the post-war climate of 1948 with trans-Atlantic styling initiated by director Sir John Black

“We’ve had a class win in a post-war section,” Neil says, “but we don’t go into these rallies to win. It’s all about the fun of exploring old roads, meeting people and getting lost!”
Not only through vintage rallies, but across the North Island, the Farrer’s Vanguard has a had a long working life since 1954, seemingly having started out as a government vehicle as evidenced by the stencilled and sprayed numbers evident on the engine bay firewall. The car spent much of the 1960s in Otahuhu before going to new ownership in the Taupo area, and then on down to the ’paraparas to a life in Wanganui, with Standard Vanguard identity Stan Goodgame.

Space saver

Neil purchased the Spacemaster Phase II from Stan back in 2002. Before this, Neil was doing much of his classic rallying in a small Austin A35, which he still owns and runs. While in Wanganui for a day, I thought I had better hover around the apiarists’ Standard form of transport and hopefully cadge a lift around the tourist sights and up to the twin towers of the Wanganui skyline. As usual the riverside city was a bustling hive of activity, and I would soon see how the Vanguard negotiated modern traffic.

I don’t need to wax about the background history of the Vanguard, as it has been well documented over the years in various tomes, but to quickly get readers up to speed, the Standard Vanguard came about in the post-war climate of 1948 with trans-Atlantic styling initiated by director Sir John Black. These initial Vanguards had curved backs and were thus known fondly as Beetlebacks, although the less generous swapped the name about and called the cars Guardsvans after an upright piece of railway carriage.

Losing the curvaceous rear, the Phase II Vanguard Spacemaster became a saloon car with a standard boot or trunk. Both the Phase I and II Vanguards and early versions of the later Phase III, along with some of the Standard-Triumph sports cars and the Swallow Doretti, among others, were powered by versions of the Ferguson tractor petrol engine.
“I’m quite happy that the Vanguard engine is based on a tractor’s,” Neil says. “I could go down town and buy an oil filter from a car specialist and pay over 20 bucks — or I can whip around to the farm place and pick one up for just $13!”

The Ferguson unit powered the bigger Standards up until the advent of the new (non-tractor related) six of 1961, which eventually found its way into the Triumph 2000. Triumph owners still get stung by bush experts kindly telling them at car shows that the Triumph sixes were derived from tractor ‘donks’, without knowing their Standard-Triumph history — but such is life.
On the road, the old Spacemaster cruises amiably and gets about Wanganui in an unfussy manner, even climbing some of the steep hills to the towers without bother, such is the good torque derived from the 2088cc overhead valve four-cylinder unit, breathing freely through a single Solex carburettor.

The Vanguards, despite being well remembered, were less sought after and still command mostly entry level prices for would-be classic car owners

Gutsy and solid, the Vanguards gained fame for their reliability in the notorious Redex Round Australia rallies of the ’50s, but they don’t break many speed records. However, Neil ably demonstrated the nifty manoeuvrability of the car in both traffic and through crowded bridge roundabouts, at times with a single finger, while I rode alongside in good comfort from large seats and more than ample legroom. Rear passengers, I’ve been told, weren’t always quite as well served — with the rear seats mounted over the rear axle, they gain a bit of bounce from the semi-elliptics.

Inner space

As a child, I thought Vanguard Spacemasters were named after some sort of British space satellite programme — too much Dr Who or Thunderbirds on my part, perhaps. In fact the nomenclature derives from the extra boot space and good internal ergonomic space of the bulky body shape. Rain peppered my photo shoot of the Standard Vanguard and at times I feared getting wet sleeves, but in the end a series of photographs was achieved around some of the old riverside offices near where Mayor Michael Laws was possibly berating some poor council worker, or taking aim at the city’s grand old art gallery.

Outside the tall Durie hill tower the old Vanguard seemed to relish being a part of history, and a middle-aged gent at the tower yelled out, “Look over there, that’s a classic! It’s a Vanguard!” Gesturing towards the car for a group of Kiwi and Japanese tourists, who were abuzz with excitement as Neil calmly selected gear in the Spacemaster and we alighted from the tower’s base platform. Bakelite, metal, vinyl and rubber are the mainstays of Vanguard construction and decor, reflecting the era in which it was built. Along with this comes the scent of old motoring that only classic car owners know intimately. One honeybee resting on the rear inside C-pillar certainly thought so.

Some outer parts of the Vanguard are now getting difficult to procure, such as the beehive-shaped tail lights (no pun intended this time!), and although the chrome work is made of solid stuff, the cost of rechroming can sometimes outweigh the street value of the cars.

Buying a Vanguard

While Ford Zephyrs and Vauxhall Veloxes in the era were the market competitors of the Standard Vanguard and have been saved in much larger numbers, the Vanguards, despite being well remembered, were less sought after and still command mostly entry level prices for would-be classic car owners.

However, a pristine Vanguard will still fetch a good asking price. Neil thinks his Vanguard is a bit thirsty, but has no plans to sell it on, and has plenty of Spacemaster missions planned for the future. “It’s just a great old classic and a genuine runabout. You just jump in and drive it — it’s very reliable old girl.” After learning about the variegations of creamy clover honey and a grand old cream-coloured Vanguard, I couldn’t agree more!

Standard Vanguard Phase II Spacemaster

Years built: 1953-’55
Engine: Four-cylinder 2088cc ohv, bore 85mm, stroke 92mm
Power: 51kW (68bhp) at 4200rpm
Carburetion: Single Solex
Suspension: Front: independent coil, rear: semi-elliptical
Top gear ratio: 4.62
Tyre size: 6×16

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 2410mm (7ft, 10 inches)
Track: 1385mm (4ft, 6 inches)
Length: 4282mm (13ft, 11 inches)
Width: 1769mm (5ft, 9 inches)

PEFORMANCE

Max speed: 129kph (80mph)
0-80kph: 13.6 secs (31.6, diesel estate version)
Standing 1/4 mile: 21.6 secs
Fuel consumption: 12.02l/100km (23.5mpg)