Standard

The Standard Vanguard was first exhibited to the public at the Brussels Motor Show in February 1948. It was Standard's first newly designed post-World War II car and intended for export around the world. The name of the car recalled the HMS Vanguard, the last of the Royal Navy's battleships, launched in 1944. Permission to use the name involved extensive negotiations with senior Royal Navy personnel. The Vanguard was fitted with a four-cylinder 2,088 cc engine, which was essentially the same as the one made for the Ferguson TE20 tractor, with some changes for automobile use.

The Phase III, released to the market for the mid-October 1955 British International Motor Show, was a radical change with the elimination of the separate chassis. The new body was lower and had an increased glass area, making it look much more modern, and the old two-piece flat windscreen gave way to a one-piece curved design. A basic model, the Standard Ensign, with 1,670 cc engine, was announced in October 1957. The Ensign shared its body with the Vanguard Series III, but had a cheapened specification in various respects, including a mesh front grille and a simplified instrument panel and dashboard. Despite the generally lower specification, the Ensign was the first Vanguard-based car to have a four-speed gearbox. An Ensign De Luxe version followed in 1962 with a larger 2,138 cc engine. Unlike the smaller-engined original version, the De Luxe was also available as a station wagon.

A face-lift of the Vanguard Phase III was designed by Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti and coach-builders Vignale in 1958, and was introduced at the October 1958 Earls Court Motor Show. The windscreen and rear window were deeper, and there was a revised grill and trim. A floor change four-speed manual gearbox was now fitted, and the provision of a three-speed gear box with column change offered as an option. An overdrive was also offered an option, as was an automatic. 

Introduced at the end of 1960, the Vanguard Six featured a six-cylinder 1,998 cc engine; this was the engine subsequently installed in the Triumph 2000. Externally the only differences from the Vignale were the badging but the interior was updated. After Leyland Motors took over Standard-Triumph in 1960, both the Ensign and the Vanguard were replaced by the Triumph 2000 in 1963. After 60 years the Standard name disappeared from the market.