Standard · 1936–1940
Standard Flying Nine
The Flying Nine was a small family car produced by the British Standard Motor Company between July 1936 and 1940. It was the smallest of several relatively streamlined cars with which the company, in common with several UK mass market competitors, broadened and updated its range in the later 1930s. The Flying Standard series began with the Flying Twelve, Sixteen, and Twenty in October 1935, with smaller versions ranging down to 8HP added in the following years.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All Standard Flying Nine data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Design
Behind the stylish rearward sloping radiator grille was a 1,131 cc side-valve engine, with a relatively long 100 mm (3.9 in) stroke and a 60 mm (2.4 in) bore. The long stroke maximised the engine capacity available in the 9 HP tax class which, in the UK at that time, categorised cars and set annual car tax according to the diameter (bore) of the engine's cylinders. Maximum output was 30 bhp (22 kW) at the time of introduction. The side-valve engine received an aluminium head, a single Zenith carburettor, and thermo-siphon cooling. Power was delivered to the rear wheels via a four-speed gearbox with synchronization on the top three gears. By 1939, maximum power output had climbed to 33 bhp (25 kW) at 4,000 rpm. The two-door, four-light body was all-steel and featured a standard sliding sunroof. The Flying Nine was somewhat of a departure from the existing Flying Standard range; being only available as a two-door, lacking outside access to the luggage compartment, having an externally mounted spare wheel, and featuring running boards. The 1939 Nine Super (9CB) finally received a rear bootlid and a slight notchback style, while the short 1940 model year's production benefitted from independent front suspension. Earlier models had rigid, H-section front axles suspended by longitudinally-mounted leaf springs. Models. Standard offered a basic model and a DeLuxe model, with various additional equipment such as a dome light, wind down rear side windows, and a body-coloured cover for the spare wheel. While the DeLuxe received leather upholstery, the base Saloon had to make do with something called "leather cloth". A minor facelift in time for the 1937 London Motor Show (and the 1938 model year) involved a change to the radiator grille which, while still rearward leaning, now bec
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 Flying Nine
- Manufacturer
- Standard Motor Company
- Production
- 1936-1940
- Predecessor
- Standard Little Nine
- Body style
- 2-door saloon
- Engine
- 1,131 cc Nine sv I4
- Transmission
- Four speed manual with synchromesh
- Length
- 139 in
- Width
- 56 in
- Kerb weight
- 17 long cwt
- Wheelbase
- 85 in
- Successor
- Standard Eight
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7598236CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Flying_NineCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1375303495 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Standard_Nine_Castle_Hedingham_1056cc_reg_10_june_1938_06.JPGCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: Charles01 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.