Friends
I found out yesterday that Vic Hammond, The Chief Stylist of Standard
Triumph from 1956 to 1960 passed away last Wednesday.
This was an enormous shock to me personally, because I had only spoken to
dear Vic a couple of days before he passed away. Vic was born in Coventry
in 1918 and was gifted with the most wonderful artistic talent. His
connection with the Standard Motor Company started with war work when he
became a detail draughtsman on jig, tool and gauge design for the
production of the Bristol Hercules aero engine at the Aero 2 Shadow Factory
at Banner lane. In 1942 he was transferred to another shadow factory in
Worcester where he oversaw jig and tool design, again for the production of
Hercules engine. He returned to The Standard Motor Company in 1945 to Aero
1 at Canley, just as production was finishing on the Mosquito fighter
bomber. Walter Belgrove invited Vic to join the new Standard Motor Company
styling department in January 1946.
Vic designed the production jigs for the Triumph Roadster and had
considerable input on its styling, together with that of the Renown,
Vanguard and Mayflower. He was responsible for the complete styling of the
Standard Eight which was released in 1953, and was involved with the
styling of the first TR2. Thereafter, Vic was involved with the styling of
every car the company produced up until 1960 when he left Standard Triumph
to join the Volvo Company in Sweden.
Vic was a close friend of the Richardson family, and I regularly popped in
to see him about every six weeks on my trips to the Midlands. I enjoyed
every minute of his company and loved him dearly. As well as
enthusiastically providing me with many taped interviews on company
history, he also provided all twelve of the superb free hand front cover
car sketches for Triumph Over Triumph magazine. I will make sure Vic's
story is told and will prepare a resume of his life for the VTR magazine.
Vic was a delightful human being and one I was proud to call a friend. His
funeral is tomorrow and I will naturally pass on a message of condolence
from the Friends of Triumph group to his daughters Jackie and Jane.
Paul
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