The hoped for 200 entries for the competition have not yet arrived so if you were planning to send some, the expected cold dark evenings are the perfect excuse to get them emailed. The closing date is 30th November 2015. However, a keen photographer has been out taking pictures at Christchurch Park, Ipswich this weekend….
8219 1930 Silver Eagle SD16.95 CF 9882
11494 Firefly Cross and Ellis saloon – AOC Bulletin 520, November/December 2009, Page 77, article by Brian V Aket, Catching up with a long lost friend. In was in the Spring of this year when I received a letter from a lady in Somerset who I had never met or spoken to previously. In fact I didn’t even recognize the writing on the envelope which is quite unusual.
The intrigue was settled when I sat down and read the letter. By asking questions at an ‘old car’ rally in her local area, she had discovered that I was the owner of an Alvis Firefly Six Light saloon, registration number PI 6714. It turned out that her father, who was a priest, had owned the car for many years, in the 50s, 60s and early 70s, and that she had many fond memories of the car, both as a childhood passenger and as a young driver. The letter asked all about the car and its more recent history. Fascinated by this unexpected correspondence, I replied immediately and sent her some very recent photographs of the car. It was not long before I had a response, both from Mary and also from Helen, her sister who also lives in Somerset. Both letters contained other interesting snippets of information about the car and more particularly about their father who died some years ago. The car had previously been owned in Ireland by their grandfather who had passed it on to his son. It was also revealed that the family’s pet name for the car was’ Judy Ann’. Coupled with this information was a request to come to Suffolk to see the car and have a ride out.
By mid August their plans came to fruition and they both made the long journey from Somerset to see the car. Having been well and truly spruced up for its big day, the car was gleaming as they arrived. There followed much pleasure and many reminiscences as they looked over and inspected the car. My favourite story was about the annual holiday from the Midlands to South Wales to stay with an aunt. Each year this seemed to happen and always with a bag of potatoes tied on to one wing and a bag of assorted vegetables strapped to the other. I must try it some- time!
A ride out in the car and an opportunity for Mary to drive the car once again, interspersed with lunch, ensured a very happy occasion and one which was thoroughly enjoyable for all concerned.
11910 1934 Speed 20 SC BKN 622
13061 1935 Speed 20 SD CHU 721
14655 1939 Speed 25 SC Charlesworth BPN 205
21331 1947 TA14 Duncan JAT 39
24077 1951 TA21 CMM 828
TC21/100 224 UYM
25642 1955 TC21 100 PKV 166
Clover Special TD21 180KDH
27429 1967 TF21 JRW 446E
27465 1967 TF21 KHO 999E
1967 TF21 GEY 285E 27450
Nick Simpson writes: “Here are two more pictures for comment re identity and location….”
The vintage car is HP6161, Racing Car Number One photographed in a Coventry street in the 1920’s.
If you haven’t visited the AOC website lately you will find that it has changed and now has regular news updates – visit http://alvisoc.org and Red Triangle have some videos you might enjoy http://www.redtriangle.co.uk/index.asp
Hershey, Pennsylvania is the home of chocolate and the biggest antique car meeting in America, a four day event held in October. If you don’t know a Marmon from a Pierce-Arrow then this is the place to visit. Countless trade stands and private enthusiasts gather to buy and sell car stuff and socialise. RM Auctions were selling some fabulous cars on two evenings. On Saturday morning a big field of cars of all ages congregated in fourteen long avenues for the Concours.
The Alvis stand in Chocolate Field South, row CZ 24-6
Every year the AOC is represented by Wayne Brooks, wearing his Alvis hat so everyone knows to offer parts and information whenever they see him. Alvis cars are rare in America but we found two there and another advertised for sale. One in particular is worthy of several photos as it almost certainly unique. It looks like a Lagonda body but can anyone tell us more?
– Would you like to volunteer to be an ambassador of the Alvis Owner Club and the Archive Trust, knowledgeable about the marque, particularly the last TE/TF models? We are exhibiting in Hall 3, stand 250 and invite members who are committed to the stand for a scheduled morning or afternoon stint, with free access to the show for the rest of the day. If you opt doing a morning session, you need to be there early, before the show opens. If you are interested please leave a comment below saying which day(s) and time(s) for stand duty you prefer.
There is no Bulletin this month so here are two from years gone by to click on and download. In 1975 we had been to Stratford as well and the topics discussed are much as today. In 1985 the style had changed.
Nick Simpson has sent five photos from the late 1960s…your comments invited.
This is the Clinkard 4.3 single seater special with Clink at the wheel. The car was still supercharged at this stage. I believe the blower has now been removed and it has conventional SU carburation. It would be interesting to know more of the parts used for its construction. The front suspension bottom arms are standard prewar Alvis with coil spring supports added.This was a 4.3 special seen a number of times in the 1960’s sprint events. I seem to remember it was driven by Rhodes and Collis? Pretty crude special with a crude ‘cut-and-shut’ chassis and hastily constructed body. Does anyone know what the original car was? The bonnet is from a saloon. I could not find ACR164 in any of the registers. See comment below from DC…..A 12/50 taken at a Vintage Silverstone meeting. The body looks so new it is probably one of the first Wilkinson replica bodies.This is/was the Works Front Wheel Drive taken at a display at Coombe Abbey, near Coventry. Car is carrying the Works General Trade plates. This car was restored by the Works apprentices in the 1960’s.This is Midland Alvis Day, possibly 1968. XG9405 is a Speed Twenty with Lancefield coachwork. Maybe an SB, at the time it belonged to Olaf Lund who was the proprietor of Tillingham Street Garage in Birmingham. They were Alvis specialists. It was bought by an Austrian. The special behind was a beautifully finished Speed 25 of the late Bill Symons.
SHP 642 celebrating 60 years at the 60th Alvis day
The forecast weather only dampened the driving test competitors on Sunday but the whole weekend was otherwise enjoyed in glorious summer weather.
The fabulous newly restored 4.3 Bertelli
One of the many beautifully restored Tickford bodied 3-litres attending the weekend.The Rich Goodwin airshowSHP in the dining room for the Gala dinner for her 60th birthday at the 60th Alvis Day. SHP was at the first Alvis Day in 1956 when the company’s demonstrator.25858 TC21/100 Graber and 6071 10/30 BO 2481 at Heston 3-85-1
A couple of recent questions about Alvis cars for sale remind us that careful enquiries about provenance are often readily answered by Model Secretaries and the published Model Registers.
The Registers record the original coachbuilder and configuration. As long as you have reliable numbers to work on you can verify if a tourer or drophead was originally a saloon. A devious seller may provide documentation to support originality, or even alter numbers. The fact that Alvis themselves also altered numbers adds to the doubts that might surround a particular car. The advice is therefore to do your research before you buy, especially if originality is what you seek.
The copy build sheet shows someone added the words Tourer. Suspicion was aroused because of the different type face. The Register shows the car was a saloon.
Photos have been added to the Speed Models page to record the current bodies on two original saloons, 14626 and 13687.
Meanwhile as an update of these desirable Cross & Ellis tourers, one of the four Edinburgh Police cars (BSC 307-310) has now been imported to the UK by Richard Proctor from an Australian restoration and reunited with its BSC 310 identity.
The vintage and post vintage cars are often restored with new bodies – here is one recent example….
Fellow alumni Dave Culshaw (1961) writes of the car: This is a TJ model chassis 9226, car 14101 first delivered as a Cross and Ellis saloon on 11th December 1931 to a Brighton customer and registered there as UF 8638. A good history from new of this car and nice to see it preserved in a style similar to a 12/60 Beetleback.
The later cars are also subject to alteration or decapitation. For those needing to know how the original hoods should look here are the Park Ward archive pictures of their construction.
More entries have been added to the Photo Competition page and more are welcome. A few new photos have been included on other pages.
Alvis Archive 