alvisarchive

Is this the lowest mileage Alvis?

24831 This photo was sent in by Ron Dustow who owns this Freeman Sanders Diesel. "I am the third owner Mr Sanders Mr Lister and me for many years. The car has covered 14000 mls yes 14000 mls dry stored from new runs well. I live in Hayle Cwll." — 24831 – this photo was sent in by Ron Dustow who owns this Freeman Sanders Diesel.
“I am the third owner Mr Sanders Mr Lister and me for many years.
The car has covered 14000 mls, yes 14000 mls
dry stored from new runs well. I live in Hayle Cornwall.”

This was an an opportunity to test the search facility of the now digitised AOC Bulletins to see what has been written about this unique car before. In Reader’s Write in January 1975 Bulletin 252 there is a short history of the car.

If you would like one of these send a Comment.

During the weekend of 21/22 June the AOC visited Pembroke Dock – the press release is here Alvis Owner Club return to Pembroke Dock. My excuse for non-attendance was a long standing commitment to arrange suitable conveyances for our Swiss friends. Since wedding photos are not normally published in the Bulletin I’m happy to include this elegant trio….

Daniel Fischlin, proud father, giving away daughter Joanne in Bishopton on 22nd June - bridal car TA21 Tickford Special Edition chauffererd by Peter Martin. — Daniel Fischlin, proud father, giving away daughter Joanne in Bishopton on 22nd June – bridal car TA21 Tickford Special Equipment chauffeured by Peter Martin.

43 Castles in Argovia

Not a lot of people know that the canton of Aargau in Switzerland has no fewer than 43 castles and the Graber Freunde visited three of them over the weekend May 31-June 1 during their 2014 Treffen! A report on the goings-on can be found on the Swiss Tours page.

Dave Culshaw has been busy again Probing and Solving and some obscure connections with mountaineering and music appear on the PPS page.

12/50 owner Adrian Padfield has been clearing his shed “I’ve had a front spring wrapped in sacking with Alvis labels for 40+ years. A Register member was interested but it’s wider than a 12/50 spring: 45mm v. 38mm, so we think it’s for a post vintage 4 cylinder Alvis” If you can give this a good home make a comment below.

IAW 2014 has attracted so many entries that if you want your Alvis to be in the main display area you need to send in your entry form right away. There are (or were) 9 spaces left. But there is an Annexe Alvis Car Park so still send in your form so as not to miss the event of the year. More information: www.alvisevents.wordpress.com

Contrary to what is reported in Bulletin 547, Graham Keighley has not digitised the Car Records but has restored and collated the record cards and put them in Lever Arch files by Model for reference purposes. Digital copies of these cards will not be available to members.

The Joy of Alvis Motoring

We have received some inspiring photos from Chris Chilcott ….

“My 12/50 TG 4/5 seat De-lux tourer by Cross & Ellis, Car 9910, chassis 4575, Dispatched Sept 1926, pictured before restoration (it was my everyday car!) on the Frazer Nash Section of the VSCC trial in May 1974 driven by Dick Smith (his Anzani Nash having not been repaired in time). I have owned this car since I was 19!”

Many more vintage era photos have been identified by Chris on the Albums page.

4575 1926 12/50 TG Cross & Ellis RW 8738

RW taken on the Ratagain Pass, with Loch Duich and the Five Sisters of Kintail mountain range in the background, while en route to the Outer Hebrides August 2012 celebrating over 40 years of ownership

Steve Tillyer sent us this cartoon…….from March 3-9 Friends are sampling the delights of Champagne, Alsace, Mulhouse and Basel Museums and the Geneva Motor Show. Join us next year perhaps?

With a history of Alvis Tours to Switzerland the organiser of the FIVA World Rally in 2015, our good friend Daniel Fischlin, has given advance notice of the programme with some familiar venues. Contact Daniel on danielfiva@yahoo.fr for entry forms.

The April Edition of Classic and Sports Car features Alvis Racing Cars at Bicester Heritage

Last but not least, a new PPS article “War and Peace” appears on the page PPS by Dave Culshaw.

Alvis in the Netherlands

Dear Alvis-friends, from Coen van der Weiden

Here is an overview of the Dutch Alvis importers over the years.

Many thanks go to my great-uncle Frans Vrijaldenhoven who provided copies of all the Alvis advertisements on the Dutch Conam site from his personal archives.

1924 – 1929

Auto Import Handelsonderneming, Rijnstraat 86, Arnhem

Moved later to: Nieuwe Kraan in Arnhem

Their advertisements at the time can be found here

——————————————

Around 1935

NV de Greve & Co, Parkstraat 14

in Den Haag (The Hague)

(Not much known about this company)

——————————————

1935 and 1939: No mention of an import company.

(We are still searching.)

——————————————

1948 – 1953

De Nederlandse Motoren Mij. NV, Waalhaven O.Z 1

in Rotterdam

Their advertisements at the time can be found here
——————————————

1954 – 1968

Fa H.C.L. Sieberg, Stadhouderskade 143

in Amsterdam

Their advertisements at the time can be found here

Kind regards,

Coen

and for the rest of continental europe

Parting with an Alvis

One day your Alvis will find a new home and the archivists would like to keep track of its continuing history. While you may remember to tell us, you may forget or not be able to. We have devised a form for you to print out, fill in and put inside your V5C or log book so whoever fills in the form on change of owner has a reminder to let us know. Here it is, just click on Owner change form to download a pdf version to print out.

Our first video has been posted on the Speed Models page and stars a Speed 20 SA which changed hands recently. It may not be to BBC standard but hopefully is informative and entertaining.

We realised that there is a lot of material on the Fourteen ‘page’ alone (almost 100 pages worth) so Eileen has agreed to host a new separate blog alongside this one dedicated solely to the Fourteen. It will make following comments and replies easier while retaining core information on this site. Why not log on and become a Follower –

http://www.alvisfourteen.wordpress.com

Dan Geoghegan and Bicester Heritage have rescued some aero engine records from - from their Twitter feed @BicesterH — Dan Geoghegan and Bicester Heritage have rescued some aero engine records – from their Twitter feed @BicesterH

Since the last post which mentioned the trustees’ Bourne Museum visit we came across an Alvis link to ERA and BRM. Harry Mundy was an apprentice at Alvis and mentions his involvement in the gearbox design of the 12/70 and 3 litre gearbox in an article in Autocar in 1958, when he was Technical Editor.

Thanks to Wikipedia…..

Harry Mundy (1915 – 1988) was educated at King Henry VIII School in Coventry and went on to serve his apprenticeship with Alvis. He left them in 1936 to join English Racing Automobiles (ERA) in Bourne, Lincolnshire as a draughtsman. Also at ERA was Walter Hassan who became a lifelong friend and the two would work together later at Jaguar on engine development.

He left ERA in 1939 and returned to Coventry to work at the Morris Engines factory.

After World War II he moved to British Racing Motors (BRM) in 1946 as head of the design office, being involved in the design of the BRM V16 Formula One engine, before moving on again in 1950 to Coventry Climax engines as chief designer working on the FWA engine.

His career then took a change in direction and he moved into journalism becoming Technical Editor of The Autocar magazine in 1955 but while there he also worked on the design of the Ford based twin-cam engine for Lotus.

Mike Dunn recalls “I used to meet Harry every month at the Thursday Club. He was humorous and we exchanged many good stories.

He told me that Colin Chapman said that he would either pay Harry £200 for all of his design work on the twin cam version of the Ford 4-cylinder engine or he would pay him £1 for each engine that was produced. Harry was sad that he had chosen the first option without guessing that the engine would be used in a production car – the Lotus Cortina”

However, following Jaguar’s purchase of Coventry Climax in 1963. Walter Hassan persuaded Mundy to return to engineering where he and Walter Hassan developed the Jaguar V12 engine. Harry Mundy would stay with Jaguar until his retirement in 1980 after which he still did some consultancy work. He was the uncle of presenter Johnny Vaughan.

VSCC Cadwell Race meeting

Guy Plante's Speed 25/4.3 special from Jersey — Guy Plante’s Speed 25/4.3 special from Jersey

Getting ready for the Uk's mini Nurburgring — Getting ready for the UK’s mini Nurburgring

Chief Marshal Ray Edge's Silver Eagle special — Chief Marshal Ray Edge’s Silver Eagle special

Brian Maile's 1935 Speed 25 special, 2012 winner of the Melville Troiphy — Brian Maile’s 1935 Speed 25 special, 2012 winner of the Melville Trophy

The view seen by most of the competition

Brian achieves a creditable 4th place, held up by a Bentley

Chris Jackson's Firefly 4.3 special — Chris Jackson’s Firefly 4.3 special

If you were hoping to be reading a Bulletin and pinkun today but have not received it yet, these pictures should keep you in mind of Alvis activity. Four Alvis competed today at Cadwell and six Alvis came to spectate including two TD21s. Thanks to Hugh Westlake for organising Alvis parking.