Standard standards

The Standard Vanguard III was issued in 1957. You could have two finishes initially: a very pale green with a red roof or yellow for the M version with a friction motor. There are more variations, though, to look out for in this range which many will have thought was just the three models, including the 352 RAF Staff Car edition.

The first thing to look for are the 207 models with shaped wheels. Still fixed, though. These are not uncommon although definitely scarcer. These can, I think, also be identified by the extent of the red paint on the roof. Whereas before the paint covered the pillars as well, the later edition has just the roof painted red. Now, whether there are smooth wheel editions with the red roof only or shaped wheels with red pillars I don't know! I suppose either may be possible but they would be quite a find.

The second thing you need to do is look at the base of the cars. The 207 started with a black base in the thicker style rather than the thin metal of most others issued previously. It has the rear axle differential bulge, but not the same as the bulge for the gear on the 207M. The words British and made appear either side of TOYS and there is no text on the 207 front axle section. The 207M has patent pending  on the front axle section.

Still with smooth wheels, the 207 gets a grey base later in production. The British made text has gone with Made in Gt. Britain now on the front axle section. This text carries on through the introctsion of shaped wheels.

The 352 RAF Staff Car has yet another variation. Early issues in 1958 have a black base but with the same text layout as the grey base on the 207 and this continues when the base changes to grey for the 352 too.

I have not seen a 352 with shaped wheels although, as it stayed in production through to 1962 in parallel with 207 so they may well exist and would be a little special to find one day.

I am also aware that on some M models with friction motors there have been two versions - with or without an oil hole. Whether both exist on 207M in particular I have yet to discover. I am going to assume they do, being a standard-looking chunk of metal that I imagine would have been distributed across the factory for the whole range of friction motor models. All that I ahve seen to date, though, have had the oil hole.

So the Standard is not quite as 'standard' as you might have thought! Not many sellers are aware of the differences so you should be able to collect the scarcer variations without having to spend too much.