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Standard · 1958–1980

Standard Atlas

Standard Atlas
Photo: Charles01 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source ↗

The Standard Atlas is a light van which was produced and sold under various names between 1958 and 1980, initially in Britain and Europe, and subsequently in India.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Morris Commercial J4

All Standard Atlas data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Standard Atlas, Standard Atlas Major and Standard 15/20 (1958–1968)

In 1958 Standard presented the Atlas, their contender in the growing but (in Britain) increasingly crowded small van sector. It was a competitor for BMCs venerable J-Type and the much more modern Morris J2, as well as for the Ford Thames 400E, Commer FC and the market leading Bedford CA. For some export markets, notably Canada and the U.S. the Standard Atlas was badged as a Triumph, reflecting the value of the brand recognition achieved for the Triumph by their sedans and sports models. Light vans in Britain at the time were commonly identified by their maximum permissible gross payload, and the Atlas was frequently marketed as the Atlas 10 cwt or Atlas 12 cwt, corresponding to allowable load weights (including the driver) of 510 or 610 kg, respectively. In addition to the panel van, a pickup truck variant was available. Customers could choose between hinged or sliding doors, as well as an optional central side door. A small flatbed truck version was also produced, which featured rear hinged doors. Like its competitors, the Atlas shared its engine with a passenger car from its manufacturer's range. In this case the engine in question was firstly the 948 cc (57.9 cu in) petrol engine from the Standard Ten, which was installed under a cowling between the driver and passenger, and delivered power to the rear wheels, although certain parts came from the Standard Vanguard Utility. In this form the van was very slow. That was addressed in 1961 when it became possible to specify the van with a 1,670 cc (102 cu in) petrol. The larger dimensions of this engine meant that the chassis had to be enlarged and the cabin design rearranged. At the same time the smaller engine was enlarged to 1,147 cc (70.0 cu in). Around 1960 new versions with payload limits raised to 15 cwt (760 kg gr

Leyland 15/20 (1962–1968)

In 1963 Standard was acquired by Leyland Motors Limited and for 1964, the van was renamed Leyland 15 / Leyland 20 (according to capacity). In 1968, Leyland merged with the British Motor Corporation to form the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and the van was taken out of production in order to avoid direct competition with a range of vans such as the Morris JU 250, now produced by the same company.

Standard 15/20 in India (1970–1980)

After production of the van in the United Kingdom had ended, the tooling and panel presses were exported to southern India where the van re-emerged, to be produced, between 1970 and 1980 by Standard Motors of Chennai.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name
Standard Atlas
aka
Standard Atlas Major , Standard 15/20 , Leyland 15/20 , Triumph Atlas
Manufacturer
Standard Motor Company, Leyland Motors Limited, British Leyland Motor Corporation Limited (BLMC), Standard Motors India
Production
1958–1980
Assembly
United Kingdom , India: Chennai
Predecessor
Standard Vanguard Utility
Successor
Morris 250 JU
Class
Light van
Related
Standard Pennant, Standard Vanguard Utility

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Standard Atlas
DeFacto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source ↗

Sources

More from Standard

Standard Eight 1938Standard Flying Fourteen 1937Standard Flying Nine 1936Standard Fourteen 1945Standard Nine 1930Standard Six 1909Standard Ten 1914Standard Vanguard 1948Standard Superior 1926Standard 16/20Standard 9.5Standard Ensign