Following WW2, the Standard Motor Company adopted a single model policy, leading to the launch of the Standard Vanguard in 1947, named after the famous battleship and designed very much with export sales in mind. The beetle-back design of the Phase 1, by Walter Belgrove, was inspired by the 1942 Plymouth. The engine was a 2088cc four-cylinder OHV unit. Four-door estate car, and two-door 12cwt van and pick-up versions followed, based on the saloon, with panels supplied by Fisher & Ludlow and built by Mulliners.
The grille and bumper design were changed in late 1951, with a bigger rear window on
