Serial numbers Standard Vanguard

[ferguson]

Can anybody tell me how I find type and serial no of my Standard Vanguard Van? I do not know the year of production.

Henrik Nielsen
Denmark

[Ian Leggett]

Hello Henrik, Your van is between 1949 and 1951. Look just below windscreen on left side (looking towards screen from front of van) there should be a plate on the body bulkhead with a commission number and Standard Motor Company plate. This will identify the date within a month or two. You have a rare vehicle there. Regards Ian

[phase2tony]

it should look something like this:

[ferguson]

Hello Ian

Thanks a lot. Yes, I found it, see attached.
The number is: V - 66513 LV
Type is: 20S
But where do I find a list with serial numbers, so I can know when it was produced?
I have googled, and found nothing....
And what does type 20S tell me?

I also found two small plates with the numbers:
x4202
and
479450
see attcached also.
Do you know what this means?

[ferguson]

Trying again, to get the picture with serial number

Henrik

[petefoster]

Hi Henrik. For a small fee of £5 GBP I can supply you with a factory build record sheet giving factory build date original colour etc. I will need your home postal address to send it. Send me a personal e mail on this website if you would like me to supply you with one. Regards Pete Foster

[ferguson]

Hi Pete Foster

Thank you very much for your reply. And yes, please, I would very much like to receive the mentioned record sheet giving factory build date, original color etc.
I´m new here, so I don´t know how to send you a personal mail. I can only see, your mail address is hidden...
My mail is:
[e-mail]

My postal address:
Henrik Nielsen
Danmarks Ferguson Museum
Koebmagervej 1
7130 Juelsminde
Denmark

How do I pay the fee?

Best regards
Henrik Nielsen

[Ian Leggett]

Hello Henrik, Pete Foster report will tell you much more but from the numbers you have supplied:

Your van was built about April1950.
The Letters/Numbers show V for Vanguard. LV means Left hand drive Van.
20s is for 2 litre The very early vehicles were 18s as 1800cc.
The very first vans were actually called a Standard 12cwt not using the Vanguard name.
I have a 1949 brochure for your van (same model)if you would like it.
Regards Ian.

[petefoster]

Hi Henrik. I have the build record & will post it to you early next week. Ian is very close with the build date! Regards Pete

[oldcommercialtin]

Hi Everyone

Love the van Henrik .... I am starting a Classic Van and Pick-up website Jan 1st, at the moment I am working on STANDARD-TRIUMPH, now onto the 12 cwt commercials ( Phase I / II, done Phase III already ), can anyone help me on more spec. cu. ft load capacity for vans and pick-up.

ANYTHING ON THE COMMERCIALS WOULD BE GREAT

If the club wants or will allow, I will post on here a link when it's finished.

Thanks Gary

[oldcommercialtin]

Hello it's me again ....

During research I have found references to the PH1 and PH2 12 cwt Commercials having long and short wheelbase options ?, is this true, I have found a press photo of a pick-up with long straight back and know most shorter pick-ups have curved rear wing sides and shorter backs.
Also that only 200 LWB commercials were sold to businesses, the majority went to the RAF. I have also seen a re-imported PH2 van with long back, but may be this was built in Australia ?.

e-mail ... [e-mail]

Thanks Gary

[plockley]

Hi Gary and Henrik.As the owner of a 1952 phase 1A estate car I have an interest in the Vanguard commercials as the bodies of estates and commercials were built by Mulliners of Bordesley Green,Birmingham and not by Fisher and Ludlow who built the saloon bodies.Mulliners were subsequently taken over by Standard.
There should be a Mulliners plate under the bonnet apporoximately centrally on the bulkhead,or at least that's where it is on mine.I'm also told that whereas saloons were painted black under the bonnet estate cars were body colour.As many commercials were sold painted only in primer I'm unclear as to what colour they would have been under the bonnet.
The paint colour part numbers were however different to saloons in the parts books indicating that painted bodies were delivered directly to Standard.
As for chassis I believe that all commercial chassis were the same save for the rare ambulances and diesels and only the bodies of the later phase 1A and phase 2 pick ups were longer.The chassis were all the same as the saloons as far as I'm aware.The 3 ambulances built,of which 2 are believed to survive,had modified Triumph Renown chassis.The longer pick up back appears to have been introduced during Phase 1A production in 1951 or 52 as I've seen Phase 1As of both types but only short backs on Phase 1s and long backs on Phase 2s. Diesel chassis,from when the Phase2 was introduced in 1954 were also different in being strengthened at the front end.
The imported Phase 2 van with long back appears to be an Australian van body built on a long back pick up.I've only ever seen the recently imported one.
The Belgian Imperia factory seems to have assembled vans and I've come across 2 in Europe now which have windows in the sides identical to the Phase 2 2 door estate. None of the 2 door esates are now known to exist,unless someone on this forum knows differently.This was presumably as a result of differing tax laws.
Of the vans with windows in ,one turned up in Poland a few years ago in extremely ropey condition and its whereabouts are now unknown.The other was found in France or Belgium and is now being restored in Leicestershire by a TR owner.
I hope I've been of help.
Peter Lockley

[oldcommercialtin]

Hi Peter

Many thanks, I can now carry on with my 12 cwt commercial pages. Because so little is written about old commercials it has been a struggle at times, without individual clubs like this it would have been very much harder. When it goes live you will see I have mentioned that I am keen !! but no expert, so I hope the forum I'm putting on will get us more valuable info.
I think it has taken a long time for people to start realise how rare old commercials are now, the prices for good ones are going up and I hear many say 'that's expensive for a van', I always say 'you go and find another in this condition', and with restoration costs no cheaper for a van than a exotic classic you can see why.

My old girls are .... A 1954 5cwt Ford Thames E494C, a Ford Thames 300E 7cwt DeLuxe and a 1967 Austin A60 Pick-up.

I would love a Phase 2 Van, but finding a good one is nearly impossible, I would pay proper cash for a proper van.

Thanks Gary

[oldcommercialtin]

Hi Peter

Forgot to ask ....

Was their a CHASSIS / CAB available, I've not seen any in photos and don't think so ?, was the Diesel lump put in any standard commercial. I know it went in Saloons for a short while but was noisy, smelly and thirsty I read.

Thanks Gary

[Ian Leggett]

I do not believe the 1/1a/2 were offered as a chassis cab, but the Phase 3 was. The diesel engine was fitted to Phase 2 estate cars/pick up and vans in 1954/5. It was also fitted to Phase 3 estates. Regards Ian