Having covered the less expensive 1930s models in the last two posts it is now the turn of the most expensive introduced in 1936 as a bespoke model, the 3½ Litre with model designation SA25.63.
Alvis turned to coachbuilders Freestone & Webb and commissioned four cars to be given the full publicity treatment. The result is covered on two new pages – click on Freestone & Webb and 3½ Litre
If you have any information on Alvis with Freestone & Webb coachwork we would like to hear from you.
On 23rd May 1917, T. G. John registered his own company with £3000 of his own money. He was the Managing Director with E. F. Peirson, an accountant, as Chairman, W. Maddocks, a solicitor and C. H. White, a gentleman of independent means from Criccieth, as other Directors. John’s brother-in-law, a successful businessman in the Pembroke area, held the first share. (Source: K R Day 4th Edition Alvis – The Story of the Red Triangle)
On 23rd May 1967, one of the last Alvis cars was despatched from the works to Sleaford dealer W. P. Maidens and sold to a Lincolnshire farmer, R P Watts – a TF21 saloon with automatic transmission – to be “F” registered LCT 329F in August
This TF was owned for almost thirty years by the English rugby player R.W.D. Marques (1932-2010) who was a serial Alvis owner having previously owned a Speed 25 and a TD21. David Marques wrote in Bulletin 293 of July 1978 “… our family had a 1939 Sp 25 Alvis saloon GPU 146 which I believe was owned before the war by Billy Cotton. We bought it about 1947 and gave it away to be raffled at a Harlequin Football Club ball in about 1958 – how short sighted could we be!”
Martin Boothman wrote in Bulletin 527 about David Marques and John Currie who played together in the English second row a record 22 times in succession during a wonderful period for English rugby. David also wrote in Bulletin 313 of July 1980:
“In 1957 I was using a Speed 25 and if the car had been left for any time the sound of the petrol pumps ticking away on starting to refill the three carburettors, used to hurt me, so I fitted a switch to the petrol pumps on the dashboard so that I could turn off the petrol approximately 1½ miles from home so that when I next started the car I had used the petrol in the carburettor instead of having it evaporated – in those days it worked out at a price of a bar of chocolate!
The sequel to my meanness was on one occasion asking a friend to drive the car into London from Twickenham. He arrived two hours later in a harassed state, the car having broken down 1 ½ miles from the ground and he could find no way of starting it and in desperation had come in by taxi – the explanation was simple. As he got in his large duffle coat wrapped round his knees had switched off the petrol pumps – the cost of the taxis on that one night outweighed all the savings I had ever made by a long, long way!
Yours etc
David.”
On 23rd May 2017 the Alvis Archive Trust starts its tenancy at Bowcliffe Hall. With luck, someone will be remembering that in 2067.
On 7th May the Alvis Owner Club published the Technical Compendia compiled by Nick Simpson on the AOC website and members can download them. This is a great resource for owners of Alvis cars pulling together the writings of owners and others since the cars were built. http://www.alvisoc.org/t/Members%20Only
Today, following agreement with and funding from the Alvis Owner Club, Neil Millington signed a lease on behalf of the Trust at Bowcliffe Hall, between Leeds and York, as the new home of the archives. Bowcliffe Hall was once the home of Robert Blackburn, pioneer aviator and serial Alvis owner. Later this year it will be possible to visit us, by prior appointment only.
During the course of the next twelve months we shall be applying for charitable status and we would like to thank those who have provided their advice and guidance during the process so far.
Robert Blackburn, pioneer aviator and serial Alvis Speed 20 owner.
End Polio Now – the fight to end Polio Exhibition. We were pleased to be able to provide background information and photos of Capt G T Smith-Clarke whose iron lung innovation features in an exhibition in Bewdley Museum from May 12 until 16 July 2017. GTSC was born in Bewdley and his story is told in some detail in Ken Day’s fourth edition of Alvis – the Story of the Red Triangle. http://www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/page.php?PgID=633389&ClubID=1684
On 14 May 2012 www.alvisarchive.com was launched.
On 23 May 1917 the company that was to become Alvis was established – T G John Limited. This name was used on Alvis engines 
(photo by Roger McDonald from “The Vintage Alvis”)
On 23 May 2017 our tenancy at Bowcliffe commences.
We like Discoveries, not just that bewildering array of Jaguar Land Rover products, but Alvis products that turn up from the past. In the last couple of weeks the Inbox contained details of a Speed 20 unknown for forty years and the new owner, Club member, knew more about it than we did. 
Sadly another chopped Charlesworth saloon to make a tourer. If owners don’t join the Club or use Alvis for their servicing and spares, their cars fall into the category of LHO (last heard of) a long time ago, state unknown.
We were also delighted to receive a photo of another TC108G Graber which hadn’t been heard of for a very long time, the history is coming our way shortly but probably falls into the category of long term family ownership. As all Grabers differ in detail the side profile is interesting, given it was completed in 1957.
Another surprise was a request from Nigel Smith who is writing a book on Lancefield and wanted confirmation of the Alvis products which he had carefully researched in the VSCC library. We were able to confirm that seventeen Alvis are known to have been made but only two currently survive in the hands of Club members. A new page under the Coachwork section will appear shortly but if you have details of the history of any Lancefield Alvis, we and Nigel would be pleased to hear from you.
Do you own a 1927 SD 12/50 Carbodies Beetleback registered NF 6195? If so, an enquirer has some documentation for you dating back before 1982. Leave a comment if it is you or you know who owns it.
The trustees are meeting this weekend to review the past year and more importantly to determine what happens next. Sunday is St George’s Day and Drive-It Day and we shall be taking a few Alvis friends to the east coast to visit the Model Car Museum at Mumby, near Alford, and then take the sea air at Huttoft Car Terrace, the nearest you can get an uninterrupted view of the sea by car.
We have just acquired some 1970 films of National Alvis Day. They are in Standard 8mm format and to see what they contained we have rerecorded them digitally without attempting to clean them up.
These can be viewed on a new page ALFLIX together with a couple of new additions to our film library.
Alvis Archive 