"In issue 16, year 1933, we already published a test of the Standard Superior for our readers, in which we gave a lot of space to the interesting construction of the frame. The example made available to us at the time was one of the first test vehicles. The fact that our test of this vehicle came off so well may be seen as special proof of the efficiency of the design, which has meanwhile been considerably improved. The Standard Superior is the smallest automobile in Germany, but despite its small size os probably the most advanced in its design. The central tubular frame, which has a two-stroke engine mounted in a way that is as original as it is ingenious. A transmission is mounted on the other side [of the frame], to full swing axles and is of a clarity and simplicity that can hardly be surpassed in its construction. It may be that in the construction (Dipl. Ingenieur Ganz) the Tatra wagon was the inspiration here and there for the overall structure. In the details, however, and especially in the most vital details, the Standard has its own, partly new ideas.
For the first time, a rear-engine car is not only sufficient, but, to put it frankly, is far ahead. That with a construction like the Standard Superior, average speeds of 60 km/h can be acheived perfectly, is an achievement that deserves attention, but the fact that these average speeds do not cause any feeling of insecurity when driving and no signs of fatigue are noticeable is an advantage that one dares not to expect from such a small vehicle.
Compared to the first examples, the [new production-ready variant] Standard Superior has a new and very pleasing body, which is just as modern in its lines as the technical structure of the vehicle. It is streamlined, wide and spacious, with swing axles for the series production [variant]. In its [fuel] consumption as well as in its performance, it meets all the requirements that one is used to placing on such a small vehicle. [The body provides] reliable protection against rain and dust and yet has the great advantage in its unity of concept for its aesthetic appeal, so that the viewer does not even wish that it could dare look different. From a technical point of view, the improvements that have been made here are fortunate. Whereas a three-speed gearbox with reverse gear was previously provided, the vehicle now has four forward gears and one reverse gear. In addition, the latest Solex carburettor with starting device was installed. A Bosch lighting system and a separate Bosch starter were provided, and doors and windows were designed with bevels at the front together with the windscreen to enable easy boarding, even for tall people. A small air catcher has been placed over the cooler at the rear, which fits very harmoniously into the even better designed end section of the rear wall. Two innovations that the Standard Superior has received and which may seem important to experienced motorists, although they concern small details, are an electric windscreen wiper and a more favorable gearing of the handbrake brake lock. Furthermore, all sorts of small amenities are added to the standard car, which really predestine it to be a vehicle with which you can also make longer trips without hesitation.
The engine of the Standard Superior is still a horizontal, water-cooled 400 or 500 cc two-cylinder two-stroke engine with an extraordinarily strong performance, which is particularly noticeable due to the great relationship between weight and engine power in this small vehicle. The motor construction is simple and robust. The steering is a one-wheel steering system with a split tie rod and is completely responsive. It automatically goes back out of the middle position after the impact has taken place. The full swing axles are represented by two powerful semi-elliptical springs, one on top of the other, and give the vehicle really amazing road holding.
The driving test
When you climb into the Standard Superior, you immediately get the feeling that you shouldn't put too much credit in this car. So, you drive gently and carefully and hesitantly give it a little gas. This is where the first surprise comes in. If you suspected that the vehicle would react sluggishly, you are pleasantly disappointed. Soon you have the comforting feeling that you have the little car completely in your hands, and you drive faster and maybe a little more daringly than at the beginning. It is actually the case that this car is so safe for the driver despite its small size and reacts responsively to all the little things in hand - bad roads, railroad crossings, sharper curves and even slippery and wet asphalt, no longer cause concern. One might wish that the engine would operate a little more quietly at top speed, but this is a perception that, while initially disturbing, the ear easily gets used to. The extraordinarily comfortable and wide seats allow two people to travel without any hindrance, having space next to each other even on long journeys.
If one really wants to appreciate the Standard Superior critically, one must first take as a basis the fact that a car has been created here which, thanks to its surprisingly clean structure and the clever use of the latest findings in automobile technology, is at an optimum for its price and operating costs. It is wrong not to want to let this small car go as a [full-size] four-wheeled automobile, but it would be just as wrong to compare it in terms of its characteristics, for example, with a 2-litre Mercedes car that costs three times as much. The relationship between price and performance must always play a major role in the appreciation of an automobile if it is to be fair, and in this respect one can safely say that the small Standard Superior, in its class, offers properties that were previously unavailable on the German vehicle market."
History of the Standard Superior: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2015/07/standard-superior.html
It's interesting that this May 1933 technical and driving review of the Standard Superior recognises that Tatra was a clear influence on Ganz' design and that other technical features of the car are 'partly new.' This is the opposite of recent claims that Ganz was an under-appreciated pioneer.
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