1950 Triumph Mayflower

Triumph Mayflower (Saloon), 1949-1953

The Triumph Mayflower was in production from 1949 to 1953. Styled in conjunction with Mulliners, it is a front-engine, rear wheel drive family car seating four adults.

The idea behind the Triumph Mayflower was simple; to produce a small car for people who wanted the prestige of a large one. But unlike other such iterations - the Vanden Plas Princess 1100, for instance - Triumph was not successful. Under the skin lay the running gear of the pre-war Standard Flying Ten, but it was housed in Standard-Triumph's first ever unitary shell. At the front were independent coil springs, while there was a live axle with semi-elliptic leaves at the back. The three speed gearbox was borrowed from the larger Standard Vanguard, and had synchromesh on all forward ratios.

The upright styling was designed to appeal to the American market, where the idea of an economy-focused car that looked like a Rolls-Royce should by rights have been a big seller. But at nearly twice the price of a Morris Minor in Britain and more than the cost of an entry level Chevrolet in America, there was almost no market for the car. While it enjoyed some small success in the Antipodes, with a coupe-utility variant produced locally, Triumph admitted defeat in 1952 and said that the Mayflower would be replaced the following year. The next small car from Standard-Triumph, the Standard Eight, could not have been more different. An economy car through and through, it abandoned the efforts toward style and prestige in favour of austerity and value.

True alternatives to the Mayflower are few and far between. The Ford Anglia E494A was similarly upright but far cheaper when new, and more basic. The Standard Eight will appeal to marque fans but in a very different way. The Vanden Plas Princess 1100 will appeal to those who want a little luxury, but it's from a very different era. Arguably the closest you'll find will be something like an MG Y-type - compact and upmarket, but with more humble origins behind the octagonal badge.