John’s passion is hardly Standard

When John Conder was lucky enough to drive an Austin 7 around Westwood airfield at the age of 10 it was the start of a passion that would continue to the present day, involve many hours work, but many more hours of fun.

John Conder in his 1919 Standard - looking forward to the next rally

John’s father, Joe, who for many years owned Conder’s Garage, Lincoln Road, (which later passed to John until his retirement in 2000), bought the Austin for John, giving it the nickname ‘Rum & Pep’, “because”, says John, “I think he’d had one or two before he bought it.”

Together with his wife, Kate, who shares his enthusiasm, he has taken part in rallies in various countries for many years including the 1998 Gordon Bennett Rally travelling around the Wicklow Mountains and Curragh area in Ireland  and the ‘Norman Conquest’ Rally through Normandy.  The latter is an event for British cars only and John and Kate travelled in the 1919 Standard SLS (pictured), which was the oldest car present.

Asked about what happens in the event of breakdowns, John replied: “We never break down!”

However these events are not totally without mishap. The radiator on the Standard gets extremely hot after only a few miles.  During the Normandy Rally, when John had stopped the Standard for a cool down after about 30 miles, a passing local put his thumb up in admiration, said: “Good!  British!” looking at the Union Flag which tops the rad and slapped his hand down onto the metal. “You could see the print of his hand,” said John.  Luckily the man’s friend had a bottle of wine handy which he poured onto the burnt hand!

The Standard has now been in the Conder household for 15 years.  The cherry red and black bodywork is gleaming and the leather hood in tip-top condition.   Although it was purchased like this, “the mechanics were shot to pieces” so John had to carry out repairs.  He explained that the 11 _ Horse Power Standard is “really a pre-war car”, being built in Coventry after the Standard factory resumed making cars following the war years when production stopped and the workforce turned out aeroplane parts instead.   With no front brakes, cart springing and no shock absorbers, the car was the first with an electric starter, and boasts electric lights and pneumatic tyres.  Safety features include a bulb horn and a claxon horn.  There is a ‘Dicky’ seat at the back, sometimes known as a ‘mother-in-law’ seat.  With three gears, the Standard is capable of reaching 40mph and cruises happily at 35mph.

Kate and John have been members of a group which organises The Standard Register Annual Rally for pre 1930′s Standard cars for 12 years and have missed only one of the annual events in that time. They also belong to the Ford Model A Club of Gt Britain and the 20/49 Club, based in Stamford.

Recalling other cars they have owned, Kate remembers with fondness their black and red Austin Healey, which, like with so many young couples, had to be sacrificed to find the mortgage for their first house.

“It took us 30 years to get another one,” she said ruefully.  Kate also remembers a 1934 Morris 10/4 (10 HP, 4 cylinder),  where she had to put her handbag on the choke to keep it out and  also taking the children to school in a 1927 Clyno when the family lived in Broadway before their move to Helpston in 1999. A 1917 Buick was a favourite and so big that “the kids could walk about in the back!”

The Conders took a little break from old cars and went sailing for a time but in 1998 Kate says she ‘jumped ship’ after a particularly stormy trip and it was back to cars.

With many ‘motoring miles’ behind them, the Conders looks forward to many more, the next rally being in June, taking them over the Yorkshire Moors to Morpeth.

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