Well, this is my first ever attempt at blogging, and I decided to dedicate this page to the Standard Herald, a vintage automobile from the 1960s that was assembled in India by the Standard Motor Products of India Ltd., Madras (now Chennai), in Southern India between 1961 and 1972. And if you are an enthusiast of British classic cars, you'd have come across (or maybe even owned) one of these in the UK, albeit under the name Triumph Herald. And since I'm a diehard enthusiast of these cars (and vintage/classic automobiles in general), I thought I'd create a blog dedicated to this relatively lesser-known marque.
A bit of a personal introduction here- I'm Shyam, an English language professional and a consultant technical writer from Hyderabad, India. I've been mad about cars since my childhood, but grew to like only those that had already become obsolete by the time I grew old enough to drive!
The Standard Herald happens to be my personal favourite, as are its older and younger siblings, the Standard 10, Pennant, Gazel etc. In fact, my late father owned a 1974 Standard Gazel for years, bought even before I was born, and sold in 2010, which is what kindled in me the passion for these cars! I liked the Herald all the more because of its crisp styling originally by the Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti for Standard-Triumph, UK. The Herald that was introduced to the Indian market, however, underwent a few changes in its external styling by the end of the decade, including a 4-door version exclusively for the Indian market, before it was shelved in the 70s to make way for an indigenously designed (but less appealing) car- the Standard Gazel.
Over the years, I've owned quite a few Heralds in succession, the current one- and longest owned- being a 1964 Standard Herald mk1 that I bought from the family of the first owner in September 2010.
Originally painted Sebring white with red upholstery (which is still intact!) and having undergone a couple of colour changes over the decades until I reverted to its original white exterior with a black stripe added, this is a very original car that has been very well-cared for throughout its life so far.
I'll be further updating this page with more info as time permits. That's all for now!
