Alvis Archive

In September 2000 the largest touring group of Alvis cars invaded the east coast of America for three weeks, led by Robin Bendall.

A video of the event can be seen on YouTube, click An American Alvis Adventure

Robin was also in the Chair for the International Alvis Weekend in 2002. Our DVD of Programmes omitted the one for this event which was quite special as it had OXR 1 in pride of place following being recommissioned by Robin.

We have now digitised it and include it here to be  downloaded. Click

2002 IAD Programme

If you have not yet acquired the Trust’s DVD of AOC Bulletins 1951-2014 which includes most of the Alvis Day Programmes you can order one here.

The Routledge special features frequently in our Albums and it paid a visit to Bowcliffe this week to add a new name in our visitors book for September. Will Wiggins has known the car most of his life as his father John acquired the special from its builder Norman Routledge who ran a garage in Leeds. Based on a Firefly chassis and with a Crested Eagle 20 engine and Speed 20 SA crash box, it sounds wonderful and revs willingly to over 5000rpm.

Will took it Classic Silverstone 2019, 65 years since its last visit, and came home with the Yokohama Trophy for the Club Car of the Show.

TWX 266 was built in May 1957, using a highly perforated Firefly chassis – hence the nickname of Tea Bag. Norman had raced it at Crystal Palace and other venues in the late 1950’s. It came into John Wiggins ownership in 1966 and he raced it at Rufforth and Croft, also hill-climbing at Harewood and Oliver’s Mount. Later it appeared regularly on such local events as the Eskdale Run and similar club outings. Everywhere it went it left behind the lovely smell of Castrol R hanging in the air. John kept it as Norman had made it. It was at Brooklands, with an assembly of racing Alvis, for
International Day in June 1998 and made several spirited ascents of the famous test hill.  For more on this car click here

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An album of photos has also been created recording some of the Alvis cars attending the 2020 Hampton Court Concours

Our sister website alvis14  has a new post and a tribute to Ken Day .

A timely new article of interest to Fourteen owners can be found here

Continuing our series of Julian Collins AOC Bulletins from 2000 is this one containing 85 pages of articles and photos:Click BULLETIN 465 SEPT 2000 to download it to your device

Twenty years earlier, the original monthly Bulletin had been reduced to a quarterly publication and had about a quarter of the content, but a good read

Click BULLETIN 314 October 1980 to download it to your device

From Paul Bamford , a period advert . . .

. . . from down under!

 

 

A digital version of this TJ handbook from our archives is now available to 12/50 owners.

Click Handbooks

We were delighted to receive ten further handbooks and spares catalogues – click donations

 

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Our first visitors to Bowcliffe since March joined us for a celebration lunch in remembrance of Hermann Graber who died fifty years ago.

We were pleased to welcome David Withers, Chief Executive of the StarterMotor Historic Car Charity and hear of the work being done to encourage a new generation of old car enthusiasts.

Links:   Brownies                  startermotor

 

Robin Morgan sent this photo which unfortunately does not show the full registration number – it being  ?B 3953, enquiring about his late father’s Alvis, known as Liz to the family who lived in Bushey, Herts in 1959.

Read more of this story on Where are they now?

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The Pantheon in Basel opened an exhibition last October which includes several Graber Alvis and because of Covid is still running. For more information and photographs, click here.

 

 

 

 

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Among many of the tributes to Ken Day was one from Coen van der Weiden, click  The history of the first Alvis books.

 

 

 

We are sad to report the passing of Ken Day, the saviour and President Emeritus of the Alvis Owner Club, official historian of the Alvis company and passionate researcher into the life of T G John.

Ken’s own account of his Alvis life can be found in The K R Day Archive

The AOC obituary can be found here.

Several other tributes have been left as comments and if you wish to add your own, please do so below in the Reply Box.