Standard, Triumph & related car companies

Argon, Slim. Just watched the Standard film. As you will see, cars were made on the floor and assembled where they stood, parts brought to them on small, flat trolleys, all through from the twenties to the fifties. A group of top men got together at the Standard-Triumph, "Why don't we put them on a rolling track and bring the parts to the men on overhead chains?" and so the idea was born. There were an awful lot of snags - the electricians said, "We can control the speed of flow if we put the shells on skis". That became skids, but each station of men needed different lengths of time to fix parts, and by trial and error they came up with the shunting shed above the track. To explain it better, if you draw a central line, then place a number of sticks off that line on either side and off each stick a row of four either side, you now have a number of bays, each one a car shell - by an electric panel below that floor with a plan of the shunting shed, so you could shunt any car back onto the central track and down to the end of the line, where it was dropped onto the building track. Still by the panel at what speed you wanted, but different stations of men needed different times - to overcome this the shells had to be dropped in sequence. You couldn't have two disc brake shells after each other or two Heralds, it all had to be worked out by the guys on the electrical panel, and they had to work out the sequence on that central line to bring the shell bodies in line. One mistake and the shell was fitted with the wrong parts. The typists had to print out the order of the shells and within seconds send to the stores and all concerned to place overhead the parts in order to meet the shells - everything was timed to the second, otherwise the track was stopped, costing thousands of pounds. I was one of the operators on the control panel. This was a completely Coventry idea and practise, and revolutionised car building, and the head engineers and people from all over the world came to see it. Hope this helps - any questions, ask.

Well except Ford were doing that in USA by 1920

busman, really I had no idea. The manager and engineer of General Motors Detroit asked me questions about the system, even offered me work in their factory, and they were from Detroit - could it be because of different models and types, or did they build differently and not from shells, and fed parts from overhead? We were told it was the first in the world. Would love to see pictures of their track method.

busman. Just found it on Google - brilliant. Like I said, I had no idea back in the fifties, haven't bothered about it since. Yes, obviously the idea came from there - we live and learn. Thank you.

Ford was years ahead of the game and wasted nothing. Even the wooden crates that components were delivered in were heavily specified. He disassembled them and used them in his cars.

These photos are for auction Wednesday at Warwick Auctions. They are of the "first Standard factory in Much Park Street" - didn't even know that's where they started. It shows the basic building. Maybe someone could recapture the images properly.

moriarty - there is this small plaque on the side of the courts building marking the works. It's Lot 628. I'd love them!

Who is bidding on this one?

Thanks NY. Wow! someone's been splashing the cash! The air grills adjacent are more impressive. I mentioned the auction was this Wednesday, viewing Tuesday. I didn't check if it was this week, I'm not interested myself, but it's an online auction, you have to register, £2 starting bid, it's a bit like eBay. Anyone interested in perhaps their ancestors who worked there in 1900, the photo's look nice and sharp. I looked around for a map of the workshop but couldn't find anything suitable, I would regularly walk down MPS to the famous R.E.P. on Saturdays when at school (radio experimental products) to look at all the ex-army junk! I mean fascinating electrical gismos I couldn't afford. It's the first time I saw a transistor (red spot) in their window, it was of course all thermionic valves in radios up until then. But again cannot recall the Standard building, just the Greyhound pub on that side.

I don't think they were there long moriarty - certainly not post-war. I'm interested more to see if there were any images towards the rear of the works by the old garden behind Little Palace Yard. BTW where did you get sight of the collection?

BTW There's an umbrella organisation which deals with all these auction houses for their online auctions (at the moment of course everything or all are on line!) You can put in a tab for things that interest you, so in this case I've just tabbed in COVENTRY.

Neil, this should work. https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/warwick-auctions-of-covent....

NY. Sorry to butt in again, looks like it starts at number 1 at 10 am, if there are no gaps - it was about 120 an hour at a regular auction, maybe on line it's quicker but that's a long wait! Perhaps 1 or 2 pm? Bye.

At my time of life I'm trying to "get rid of stuff" accumulated over the years - if it was 10 or 20 years ago I might have bid for this! I'm hoping, therefore, that perhaps someone on here goes for the lot - and wins it - because.... My dad's on the photo of the Standard Tennis Club

While we are waiting for Neil to buy the lot... This is the best photo I can get from the site, not sure if I am allowed to post it here though? I do like it, do we think this is Much Park Street?