A recent addition to YouTube about the Alvis collection of Chris Prince will fascinate those who have never ventured into Shropshire to source parts for their Three Litre or Fourteen.
Martin Wickham writes “A fascinating film that I recall seeing in the Apprentice School back in the dark ages demonstrates the effective performance of Stalwart, on land, and in the water, and especially important, getting in and out of the water (the weak point of most amphibious vehicles)in Sweden.
I am reasonably sure that the success of that particular trial led to excessive celebration in the mess and the decision to have an unscheduled play with the vehicle after that. When it started to sink it was realised that the hull drain plugs had not been refitted. The Chief Engineer was recalled to Coventry and sacked. That led to Mike Dunn’s appointment soon thereafter. “
This photo of PV1 is “the Beastie”. PV stands for Private Venture – if you would like to know more click on Sweden and the Stalwart to view the film.
The Stalwart also featured in this Bulletin from 1999
Some new photos been added to several pages and new pages created.
All posts and pages have links that you can click on and open a new tab. If you click on The Acorn you will discover what this Alvis is.
We have a growing archive on fighting vehicles and new pages have been created for the Stalwart – including one by Brian Hartley confirming the superiority of Alvis engineering in his article Two Men’s Alvis. Complementing this is a chapter from the late Roy Probert’s book “One Man’s Alvis”.
An owner has been trying to track down a photograph of the 1962 Alvis stand at the Earls Court Motor Show which displayed his TD21 Series II drophead. We haven’t found one, has someone somewhere got one?
Meanwhile in South Carolina the Alvis marque has found favour with Scott and Natalie Bluestein who have sent photos of their TD21 and Speed 25 at this recent event.
Scott wrote to Wayne: Natalie was written up in the program for the recent Hilton Head Concours. I thought I would pass it along for the Alvis archives. The car won best British Sports Car and was asked to be in the Chairman’s Parade. The following day we showed the Speed 25. While we did not place, we had a lot of fun with the car but did win the best couples costume contest. We are trying to fly the Alvis flag. Only 1 out of 4 people asked if it was an Elvis!!
The Speed 25 photos have been added to the gallery on Speed 25
John Worrell has sent in details and photos of his Firefly “the Carpenter Special” which have been added to the gallery on Firefly
Bruce Gorie sent this photo for identification…..
Greg Wrapson writes “ Alvis TJ 12-50 C&E 4-seater de luxe was despatched to Galts of Glasgow on 6th December 1930. Fawn with red leather and black hood. New to Capt. G S Rawstorne MC of the Seaforth Highlanders who had a distinguished military career in both World Wars, and served as Lord Lieutenant of Sutherland from 1950 until his death in 1962. The car (which survives) was in the ownership of Reginald C Linton (Alvis Register member 624) from 1936 until some time in the 1970s, and as it would appear that he also served in the Merchant Navy, it must be likely that he is the driver of the Alvis in the photo.”
Bruce then found Reginald Charles Linton died in St Austell in the last quarter of 1971. “I am still on the search for information on the background to the Alvis TJ 12-50 C&E 4-seater de luxe in the photo of my uncle. I have been in correspondence with Capt., later Brig., G S Rawstorne’s daughter and she sent a photograph, attached, of him standing by the car with its hood up and windows in place. What is fairly clear in that picture is the mascot of what appears to be a hare sitting on its hind legs – an interesting and curious mascot. I wonder if this has stayed with the car? As an aside, I note that the wing mirror on the driver’s side, at least, has changed from round to rectangular.“
Are you by any chance able to throw any light on the mascot?
“Claire Stewart Rawstorne gave me a link to the Rogart Heritage Society’s Facebook page where three or so years ago a Tom Johnston spoke about making a visit to Rogart in his Alvis. I sent him a message but have heard nothing from him. Are you able to say if he might be the present owner?“
John King enquired about the availability of the 2001 International video, clips of which have appeared on YouTube. We do have a collection of films on VHS and DVD and available to members to borrow. In due course a list will be published on ALFLIX. If you, or someone you know, would be interested in collating our collection, digitising them and creating new videos from them for the website please contact us.
Dick Wilkinson’s book The Vintage Silver Eagle is selling well and copies are still available. If someone you know deserves one for Christmas, order it now from Dick
Greg Wrapson sent some photos which were amongst a batch kindly sent to him a while ago by former Register member and Silver Eagle owner Geoff Burdett. It includes this one of a Woodie owned by Adam Gilchrist who has donated the Fourteen now in “barn” condition to the Heritage Skills Academy in Brooklands, see here
Taken in 1970 at Stoneleigh Park – TA14 chassis 21018
Michael Reeves sent some Alvis photographs from the 1950s mostly of Basil Chevell with his Alvis and his father (Gordon Reeves) with his Alvis, a Speed 20 KLL 99. Where are they now?
By coincidence this photo was among the Geoff Burdett collection – the Chevell special later raced by Tony Charnock
KLL 99 Speed 20SB 11325 Vanden Plas – where is it now?
One hundred years ago Major Harvey won the 200 miles Race at Brooklands in a 12-50. Twenty five years ago Harvey’s grave was discovered in Cornwall and Alvis enthusiasts will once again commemorate his life and achievement on 11th October. The October 1998 AOC Bulletin article by Julian Collins describes the events. The pages Major Harvey describe the discovery of his grave and subsequent gatherings.
Hermann Graber, the Swiss coachbuilder, was the saviour of Alvis cars with his elegant designs for the Three Litre. Two years after his death in 1972 the first Graber Treffen was held in Interlaken attended by Madame Graber and many owners who had bought their cars from the Graber garage in Wichtrach. It was decided there should be no formal club or organisation and that each year someone would volunteer to organise a meeting for the Graber Freunde.
Covid prevented the annual meetings continuing until this September, now reported in Swiss Meetings
Five years since the Alvis Archive Trust became an independent charity this is the 300th post on the website designed to showcase the accumulated photographic collection. Enthusiasts of the Alvis recorded numbers, wrote about them and photographed them. Because of obsessions with numbers, registers were published in the 1980s of the Alvis cars produced and have since been kept updated. The website now extends coverage to all Alvis products, including aero engines and fighting vehicles which you can find in QUICK INDEX.
You can find the answers to many questions within the website, use the Search box, and if it is not there ASK A QUESTION
You can help maintain the activities of the Trust and become involved, just click MEMBERSHIP
We endeavour to identify each photo with a chassis number which appears first in the caption. Click on any of the blue underlined links to find the source information. September news…..
26605 at Hampton Court – Ken Swanstrom’s 1961 TD21 Graber Special coupe – photo Edmund Waterhouse14557 – Jim Sprague’s Speed 25 Offord at Blenheim Palace – photo Paul Chasney14330 – 4.3 Vanden Plas short chassis tourer in the Gooding & Co auction at Hampton Court – sold post sale to a Midland’s collector – photo Edmund Waterhouse2931 – 1924 12/50 200 mile Racing Car at Hampton Court – not sold in the auction – photo Edmund Waterhouse
There are several auctions in September including Brightwells offering this:
25717 – Grey Lady Tickford
There are five Alvis from 12/60 to TA21 Tickford on 20th September at H & H including:
Another Speed 20 is at auction next month in Switzerland – details on the newly reintroduced page Cars seeking new custodians
Further additions have been made to the page on TD21 : 1958-1963 to include this newly restored car in Switzerland
26088 – a left hand drive car sold new to IllinoisA few of these posters produced a very long time ago are available to visitors to Bowcliffe or by post to members
New old photos have occupied our time recently with questions to answer. A note from Tim Hart asks for details of his father’s Crested Eagle. “1937 Alvis Crested Eagle Chassis No 13756, Engine No 14115, Reg No MG5065. My father, Alan Hart (a passionate motoring “man”) passed away last year, aged 96 and whilst we have located a level of documentation evidencing his close involvement with and ownership of the car, we know very little about the car’s history etc. and/or its current whereabouts and, following in my Fathers footsteps I am interested to find out as much as I can as I am trying to piece together my fathers involvement in motor sport and motoring generally over many decades.“
The car is on the DVLA database – where is it now?
One car we know does exist is this 1930 12-50 Cross & Ellis tourer SC 8910
Bruce Gorie asks “Given the registration number is an Edinburgh one, this picture was probably taken in Scotland before the Second World War. The name of the gentleman on the left is not known. Equally, the dog’s name is unknown! The man on the right is my uncle, George A Swanson, First Officer of the SS Tinhow, who was lost in April 1941 when his ship was torpedoed off Mozambique. Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
The last post about Diana Russell generated some interest from another charity www.maggies.org wanting some pictures of Diana and her racing career. They are currently creating a video on the legacy of Diana Russell. Jim Gregory was able to help and came up with more photos which are shown below. We are not sure of the dates or places and some of the people but if you know do please leave a comment.
This one shows Diana with Rowland Simmons probably at Alvis in Coventry when he was Service Director and getting his hands dirtyProbably at Vintage Racing Cars in Northampton with two known TE21s and two unknown peopleWho is Diana talking to?Is that F C Brown at Alvis? Caption Competition please!Who is driving 38, what is it, where and when?Who is driving what, where and when?This 1934 Firefly AYY 754 was once owned by T D Basher (really!) who lived in Northampton. Bulletins 425, 426 and 455 chronicle its history and last heard of in Italy with a man called Alvise.Who, what, when and where?
If you can add any information to these photos, please leave a comment
Thanks to a donation from Martin Wickham we are expanding our pages on Fighting Vehicles to include some of the hundreds of photos and documents which he has catalogued. This photo taken in the month the last Alvis car was delivered shows how the Company treated its potential customers for the Stalwart.
Thanks to the generosity of some Register members we have a complete set of pristine Bulletins and Circulars from 1948 and various documents, such as….
Alvis Archive 