Alvis Archive

By its nature the Alvis Register Bulletin tends to hark back to a century ago but it is refreshing to see a young(ish) professional journalist in the Editor’s seat with experience of all eras of Alvis motoring. Nigel Boothman will have had the advantage of the paternal 4.3, TD21, Silver Eagle and the 12/50 as well as other marques of distinction. We were very pleased to see Greg Wrapson making good use of the archive photos in his latest piece and as ever, adding to the history among the 50 pages of articles and photos.

The latest June edition of Octane (228) has another piece on Alvis penned by Karl Ludvigsen opining that the TB14 may have been designed by a Swiss who also designed the beautiful Alfa 12C prototipo that is the cover feature. He goes on to explain how AP Metalcraft came about (see also www.alvis14.com and chassis 21908).

Some more older photos have had the digital treatment and raise the question, where are you now?

This article from 2004 by a previous owner, Peter Nops, gives a taste of motoring in the early 60s, in Malta.

From the early 1990s, two Speed 20s offered for sale by Plus 4 Motors.

This Arthur Mulliner saloon on the 3.5 litre chassis was last heard in the USA.

Mark Dixon was given the exclusive opportunity to test drive the new Graber Super.

His nine page report appears in issue 227 of Octane magazine (May 2022) which is on sale on 23rd March.

Nick Simpson has spotted another YouTube film featuring Alvis which is well worth watching. The link has been added to the Rowland Simmons page as it is about the Pirelli Marathon Rally. You can also access it on the ALFLIX page or simply go there by clicking here

After three days of exposure at the NEC Practical Classics Restoration Show, over 500 votes were cast as to whether Betsy should be preserved or restored.

A number of 12/50 owners came and had a chat including one looking for an original saloon body to mount on the chassis he owns.

The voting was consistent over the three days – for every one who wanted to restore the car to as new, three wanted to preserve it as it is.

For the opportunity to buy something to restore there are three TA14 Mulliners up for auction in Goole on 26th March – details on http://www.alvis14.com

The TA14 in the NEC sale KLE 19 on Saturday sold for £9,900.

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.