While the US emerged from World War II with a strong and vibrant economy, many European nations struggled to recover, with Britain being amongst those that were hardest hit. In a bid to get the country mobile once again, the majority of the country’s car manufacturers put their heads down and produced some remarkable vehicles. With fuel rationing still very much in place, these cars needed to be small and efficient but still had to be capable of transporting a family of four or more as needed. It was against this backdrop that Standard produced the 8, a 4-cylinder 4-door sedan that was capable of seating four people in relative comfort, or five people at a pinch. This particular Standard 8 is a 1955 model and was found hidden away in a barn. It looks as though it had been parked since around 1986, but the owner has put a lot of effort into returning it to a roadworthy and reliable state, and it is now ready to be enjoyed by some lucky buyer. It is located in Queensville, Ontario, Canada, and has been listed for sale here on Barn Finds classifieds. The owner has set the asking price for the little British classic at $12,000.

This little Standard is a great car, and it still wears its original Grey paint. This has worn through to the original red undercoat in a number of places, and the next owner does have the choice of treating the car to a repaint. Personally, I wouldn’t bother. When the owner brought the vehicle out of hiding, he sent it off to a paint restoration specialists. There it was treated to a wet sand, and then to multiple stages of polish. It now has a wonderful wet look about it, and really shouldn’t be prone to any further significant deterioration. The majority of the external trim and chrome is present and remains very presentable. One hubcap does appear to be missing, so it could potentially come down to an eBay search to source a replacement. There are other hubcaps that could be substituted, so this might be an option to consider if the next owner can’t find the correct item. The more observant of you will probably have noticed a lack of an opening trunk lid on the little 8. This isn’t a problem, because the split rear seat folds down to allow access to this area. The split/fold rear seat really didn’t become prominent in regular vehicle production until the early 1980s, so this feature has made the Standard a ground-breaking car of sorts.

The interior of the Standard is showing its age, but it does remain quite presentable. The owner admits that the headliner is beyond help and that the canvas covers on the back sides of the seats are in about the same shape. The seats are upholstered in leather, and this has also become quite dry and cracked. However, the interior does remain serviceable, and in its current state, it does possess a certain amount of character and charm. I guess that the positive news is that if the next owner wants to undertake a full restoration, then it is possible that the existing items could serve as a template to have an upholsterer produce replacement parts. I have to say that it would be tempting to follow this path, although part of me also feels that it would be right and fitting to leave it untouched to reflect its status as an original survivor.

When the Standard 8 was first introduced in 1953, it truly was a new car from top to bottom. Virtually nothing was carried over from its predecessors, and this included the 803cc OHV 4-cylinder engine. This pumped out 26hp, which found its way to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission. The low power output meant that this was not a fast car by modern standards, with a certified top speed of 60mph. However, with fuel rationing still in place in Britain when this car rolled off the production line, the question of efficiency was far more important. This was the 8’s trump card, because it had no problems achieving consumption figures of 35mpg, while 40mpg was within the reach of any driver who could be light with their right foot. After this Standard 8 was dragged out of hiding, the owner set to work returning it to a roadworthy state once again. This entailed the fitting of new tires and new brakes, along with a number of other components. The effort was worthwhile, as the little British classic now starts easily, and is said to run and drive really nicely.

If you were going to sit down and list ten classic British cars that you would like to park in your garage, I would be willing to bet that a Standard 8 probably wouldn’t be on that list. And you know what? That would be a mistake. While more than 136,000 examples rolled off the production line between 1953 and 1959, the only cars to make it to the USA were privately imported. It isn’t clear what sort of numbers we are talking about here, but an accurate figure would be somewhere around “not very many.” That makes this an interesting and rare vehicle in the US, and if you bought this one and rocked up to your next Cars and Coffee, I can almost guarantee that you would have the only Standard 8 in the place. You would almost certainly also have plenty of people wanting to have a good old chat with you about this little British classic. It’s rare and it’s quirky, and that has to make it a tempting proposition for any enthusiast looking for something a bit special in their next classic car.