Lost Alvis friends

 

Nicholas Parsons who died today aged 96, pictured last year in Scarborough against an inappropriate sign. A film, TV and radio personality who retained his love of Alvis to the end. Photo Robin Willmott

Not an Alvis but an Atalanta, the last restoration project of Barry Ward, serial 3-litre Park Ward and Graber restorer who died unexpectedly on 20th December at the age of 55. The funeral service is on Friday 31st January at Reepham Church, near Lincoln and afterwards at the Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa. Our condolences to his parents who were to celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary the weekend of his passing.

Monte Carlo Rally – 1953

Amongst some miscellaneous papers a card appeared with this painting commissioned by the late Rod Yeend prompting some research as to why it was chosen. The snowy scene depicts three ladies taking part in the 1953 Monte.

24416 TA21 LWK 226 Monte Carlo Rally Mrs Dorothy Stanley-Turner Nancy Mitchell Rosemary Fotheringham-Parker
The Rallye plate confirms it is the 23rd Monte in 1953

A Pathe News film can be found on YouTube here.

Warning -watching this will lead to other films ….

The actual car survives and is on offer for sale.

 

Alvis on the small screen

If you are the present custodian of the TD21 3969 VT which appeared on the TV Drama The Trial of Christine Keeler, the first owner has a sheaf of early history papers to hand on to you. I had a telephone enquiry after the second episode asking when Alvis made a long wheelbase version of the TD21. Another knowledgeable follower opined that John Profumo actually drove a Jaguar in the 1960s.

The updated Speed 25 Register generated some satisfying feedback including this rather fine picture of a surviving Charlesworth saloon in New Zealand.

13679 Speed 25 Cw saloon
13679 Speed 25 Charlesworth saloon believed to have been a Works car CDU 822 (DU being a Coventry registration) before being depatched to Mumfords of Plymouth. AOC Bulletin 62 September 1958, Page 2:  Our member, V. E. M. May, of Sanford Ranch, Littleton, Colorado (15 miles south of Denver), will be happy to see Alvis owners passing through this region.  Mr. May tells me that when his Speed 25 was taken out to the States his wife drove it 3,000 miles in 5½ days.  The car now operates at an altitude of between 6,300 and 13,000 feet.

These photos were sent in by Jonathan Gill, the other New Zealand owner of a Charlesworth saloon.

13686 FPE 11 J Gill Aus
13686 FPE 11, starting life in Surrey (PE is a Surrey registration), and travelling the world via the USA and now in New Zealand

Both of these cars are in Batch 2.

The Register of Batch 3 of 150 cars is now available to view on the Speed 25 page together with additional photos.

There is also an updated piece on the 39 Cross & Ellis tourers.

The Speed 25 Charlesworth Saloon

Of the 391 Speed 25 models produced from 1936-40 the majority were Charlesworth saloons. Writing in 2002, George Butlin said over one half of the total production survived and that 151 retained their original coachwork, with the remainder becoming specials or rebodied as tourers or drophead coupes. A few Charlesworth saloons have changed custodians recently and one now lives close to Bowcliffe.

14569 ETV 550 Daniel Hardy (left) with his father Trevor (a TA14 owner for 60 years) with Daniel’s new Speed 25.
14569 Speed 25 ETV 550 at Alvis Day 1965, Crystal Palace (ES photo)

 

2019 – how did we do?

Once again we have had more than 20,000 visitors to the site in 2019 and this is where you were from…                                ….and this is what you looked at…                                 The Fourteen site also had visitors..                                …as did the 4.3 siteSo, although this gives us a good idea what you like would you be so kind as to let us know what you would like to read about in 2020? Just leave us your thoughts in the reply box below.

Happy New Year!

 

Last heard of….?

It’s the unexpected emails we receive with news of Alvis cars that have not been heard of for years which give us the greatest pleasure. Someone somewhere has quietly been taking care of a special car, not a member of any of the car clubs, or perhaps was at one time but no longer belongs. If this is you, we look forward to hearing from you with news of your Alvis. Just leave a reply below.

While the emphasis is on the cars the other products and their survival are also of interest. Questions about the uses of the Leonides engine have prompted a new page covering Hovercraft .

Coen van der Weiden has sent photos of the The Louwman exhibition which can be found on  Louwman

The auction sale of a Graber TC108G has prompted an article on Graber with some information not published before, Gstaad Auction.

2020 promises to be a full year of events and a new book is expected, Alvis Society