Standard N.R.A. Products / Standard Cycle Products - Origins of the company.

Submitted by anyOldBicycle on Sat, 04/29/2023 - 18:47

Standard N.R.A. Products, Canada, Limited was incorporated in 1933.

A subsidiary of Standard Products of Cleveland, Ohio which I believe was founded in 1930. Standard Products was founded to produce products for the automative industry.  Standard Products had a manufacturing branch in London, England.

The N.R.A. probably stands for National Recovery Administration  which was established by the National Industrial Recovery Act of June 16, 1933 by the USA federal governmet. The act was struck down by the US Supreme Court in May,1935.

Standard NRA was to manufacture automotive parts and  assemble and finish a bicycle of a English make.  Assembly of a British motorcycle was to be added to the operation.

A 1934 Toronto directory has Standard N R A Products Canada Ltd at 9 Davies Ave.   The company is listed in two sections: Automobile Accessories, Supplies and Bicycle Manufacturers.   The company is not listed in the Motorcycles section.

This information is from:
Industrial Canada, September 1933.  A publication of the Canadian Manufacturers Association.
Toronto Centennial City Directory 1934, Might Directories Limited.
The Pickering News, Sept. 8, 1933.

 

2 Comments

Submitted by T-Mar on Sun, 04/30/2023 - 10:51.

Some more information:

The automotive manufacturing was dropped for 1936, with the company being re-named Standard Cycle Products. After a couple of moves, the company built a factory at 600 Victoria Park Road, with an annual capacity of 30,000 bicycles. The company was acquired by CCM, circa 1946-1947 and operated as a subsidiary until it was closed down, circa 1962-1963. CCM continued to market the SCP brand through 1973, discontinuing it for  the 1974 model year. The models were typically budget versions of CCM models 

Submitted by anyOldBicycle on Sun, 04/30/2023 - 14:09.

Part Two of the origins of Standard Cycle Products:

Backstay Welt Company,  Union City, Indiana, founded in 1899 had a subsidiary in Windsor, Ontario.
One of their principle lines of business was manufacturing automobile parts.

In November 1934 the Canadian subsidiary changed its name from Backstay Welt to Backstay Standard.  This appears to be a joint venture or a merger of the Canadian operations of Backstay Welt of Union City and Standard Products of Cleveland.

This company continued operations in Windsor, Ontario.   Backstay Standard sponsered a hockey team in Windsor in the 1935-36 season.

 During World War II Backstay Standard made the helmet harnesses for Canadian Army helmets.

Apperently Standard Products of Cleveland after announcing its Canadian subsidiary in 1933 began to reorganize the operation from 1934 to 1936.

In 1936 the Canadian company name Standard Cycle Products (formerly N.R.A.) is used.  Standard Cycle Products is a subsidiary of Backstay Standard.  The advertisements for Standard Cycle Products still lists the manufacture of automotive parts.

In 1936, new address for Standard Cycle Products: 407 Logan Avenue, Toronto.   Possibly the original leased space at 9 Davies Avenue was too large after the apperent reorganization.