Author: alvisarchive

Two Cross & Ellis Firefly tourers are in the news at the moment – the March 2022 edition of The Automobile carries a four page article ( p 70-73 ) about AOF 777 and next Sunday Silverstone Auctions include AXA 580 which featured in the March 1997 edition of The Bulletin twenty five years ago

A recent visit from André Hillebrand – Secretaris Alvis Owner Club Nederland – prompted some research into a model that was introduced and then quietly mutated into another one. The Firefly 12 was supplemented by the Firefly 16 by fitting a six cylinder engine and duly announced in the press and road tested as the Sixteen.

Then it quietly became regarded as a Silver Eagle model. All this is already well documented in Simon Fisher’s excellent book “The Firefly” which is a fine example of Model Register with almost everything you need to know – and available from the AOC on line shop, first published in 2007 in A4 format on quality paper.

André brought some albums and brochures he has collected for a book he is writing for the 40th Anniverary of the Dutch club this year and we were able to show him the original photo albums we keep and other Firefly photos.

His own Firefly, owned since 1973 is under restoration….

He also has this photo …

More photos are on Firefly

(In case you missed it) head over to ALFLIX for a new film you must see.

Good news this month has come from Germany, Holland and Switzerland of cars being restored and changing hands that had been not heard of for some years. It was good to be able to provide some of their histories which are not always passed on by a seller. We don’t always have a full history and often the new owner adds clues to a car’s past. One example is an early TD21 (the ninth saloon) which is now in Germany to be restored, last heard of in a french scrap yard. A photo has been added to the revamped TD21 : 1958-1963 page which is now in gallery format.

Sad news received is that the seventh TD21 saloon suffered conflagration alongside a neighbouring Crewe product which had burst into flames and could not be saved. A salutary reminder to keep fire extinguishers ready to use at all times.

Further sadness was news that our Swiss Graber Friend, Christian Merz, had died peacefully in his sleep. He leaves his wife Barbara and sons Philipp and Gerhard. He had been an AOC member since 1975 when he and several other Grabers, including Madame Graber herself, visited the first International Alvis Day at Knebworth. See 1975 – Knebworth. We last met at the Graber Treffen in 2018.

Christian lived and worked in Bern as an architect, not far from the Graber garage. He had owned his TD21 cabriolet since the 1970s, and later added a four door TE21 Graber saloon and a Fourteen Woodie.

His sons will keep the cars.

Spanning both the vintage and post-vintage periods the six cylinder models spawned the Speed models and continued alongside them. A fine photo, taken in 1938 of a 1929 model came our way via Robin Gilbert and some research by Greg Wrapson identified the car.

The photo came not from a motoring magazine but from a London County Council Estates and Valuation department which just happened to feature the TA 16.95 Atlantic Saloon. Dated 18th January 1938, the subject was Neate Street, Cobourg Road, London SE5 which was later cleared of slums to become Burgess Park. Martin Taylor has kindly donated the original print to the Trust, having rescued it many years ago. Identified as chassis 7756, car 12563, the registration UV 4874 had not previously being recorded.

This photo and another sent in by Ian Hardaker are now included in a much expanded gallery of over 100 photos on the Silver Eagle page, together with three Model Registers of the cars as they left the factory.

Hugh Stirling sent in more green themed photos and in the process uncovered another gap in our knowledge.

If you have any period or current photos you would like included in the model galleries, email them to alvisarchive@btinternet.com

If your preference is for a Speed 20, take a look at our expanded gallery of over 100 photos of the SA model, click Speed 20 SA, download a Model Register and then follow on with the later Speeds.

Another 1930s photo has come our way with a suitably wintry European landscape featuring a well known Firefly. This had been added to the Firefly gallery which has also been expanded to over fifty images including the same car in later life. Click on Firefly

Another cover photo used more than once is this one which adorns the December 1996 Bulletin, which you can download and read.