Alvis Archive

Most Alvis cars and their owners are over seventy and have happy memories of when both were not quite so old. These two seventy year olds remain happy to transport their slightly older owners back in time.

1954 saw the start of the transition from prewar styling to modern elegance.

Apsley’s art has captured the styles over the decades combined with humour and perception of the conduct of their custodians in his cartoons.

The Trust now holds much of Tony’s original art work. A new page dedicated to his work has been added under APSLEY

The Classic Car Show at the NEC featured Alvis again this year and Steve Horne has provided a photographic record for the NEC Classic Car Shows page.

Brian Hartley has donated a copy of a Used Car Price Guide from 1961 which makes fascinating reading.

If you were in the market for a one year old TD21 that cost £2,827 new, you might expect to pay £2,290.

A Bristol 406 was £4,244 new and £3,350 at a year old.

An Aston Martin DB4 was £3,967 but no year old price was quoted.

A Bentley Continental Mulliner two door was £8,522 new. No year old price quoted but your £2,290 would buy you a less than pristine eight year old version. You could of course take your choice from any new Jaguar.

Spend a little more and you could have commisioned this.

Our websites – Vehicles, Fourteen, 4.3 and events

Thanks to the initiative of our Stalwart enthusiast, Mark Ellis, we are pleased to announce a new sister website on the WordPress platform which is dedicated to Alvis Vehicles other than the cars.

With the help of Martin Wickham, who donated and catalogued much of the material, Mark has spent many hours digitising and captioning over 700 photos which are now available to view on Alvis Vehicles.

Two Trust members also act as “Model Secretaries” for the Alvis Owner Club.

Following the inception of this Archive Trust website in 2012, another project started in 2013 was the “Fourteen” website, hosted by Eileen Goddin and supported by husband Terry. After eleven years of posting data, articles, photos and regular news updates www.alvis14.com is essential viewing for anyone interested the most accessible model in the Alvis range of cars.

It includes a database which is updated as new information is received.

In 2014, Wayne Brooks, 4.3 and TB21 Model Secretary, hosted another new website, Alvisfourpoint3 dedicated to the 4.3 with the same aim.

This website covers all the other models, and includes registers of cars in pdf format prepared by Wayne, published in 2021, and which can be downloaded. Thousands have already been downloaded including over 3,000 for the TD21.

We completed the project of digitising the AOC Bulletins in 2014, following the example of the Register. This was made available on DVD and also on memory stick. Another ten years of Bulletins have since been published and some of the newer ones are available on the AOC website, members only section, as well as those from 1953 to 1968. AOC members can download the 2019 to date issues from the AOC website here.

If you purchased the DVD or stick and would like the later Bulletins in pdf format, we can now send them to you by WeTransfer. If you would like the DVD contents sent to you click Publications

The AOC held its AGM remotely on “Teams” on 20^th October.

Ann Bradnum was elected as the new Chairman, and Tim Brown was co-opted as Vice Chairman.

Treasurer, Lucy Davies, General Secretary, Gary Pellow, and International Director, Jan-Peter Eichhorn, were re-elected.

Mike Davies was awarded the Shenton Cup for his work during the year on the Members Survey and taking the editorial helm of the Bulletin.

As there was no Graber Treffen in Switzerland this year, some Graber Alvis convened at Graber House on 17^th October to welcome a new arrival to the UK, a TD21 Special coupe now in the custody of AOC member 9500. During recent years three UK resident Grabers have returned to Switzerland. See also Cars seeking new custodians

During 2025 we shall be organising some events and details will be posted on our website, Alvis Events  first used for IAW in 2014. You can subscribe to that website separately to be kept informed of the details as they are announced.

If you would like to be added now, just leave a comment below.

….and what to buy in 2024? On September 11th at Brightwells, four cars for auction also on carandclassic, and elsewhere. More information on all the models can be found by clicking the links or from the Index, Speed 25, Crested Eagle, TE21 and TD21

Thirty-five years ago Alvis invited car owners to attend an event at the Works to mark the closing of the old factory at Holyhead after seventy years. Clive Taylor was there to capture the images, some of which appeared in the Bulletin. A comprehensive selection is now in a new gallery on the page 1989 – Coventry and Duxford together with the contemporary Bulletin report.

From the Roy Probert Collection a new gallery of the photos recording the building of the aero engine facility completed in 1956 can be found on the new page Baginton.

A Handley Page Herald fitted with Leonides engines in 1954.

On Yorkshire Day, 1st August, the National Motor Museum went on the road for the first time and partnered with the Bowcliffe Drivers Club to showcase the work and aspirations of the oldest and best known car museum established by Lord Montagu.

The Masters of Motoring 2024 Concours included many unique and rare cars and Alvis was represented. Being shown for the very first time was the “Gloworm Special” based on a Firefly.

Owner Thomas Martin discusses the finer details of the project with Gary Pellow – Trevor Hirst, Tim Walker, Bicester Heritage apprentices and Richard Geater were all involved with a custom design and a Speed 20 engine.

Three other Alvis complemented the Firefly and the gallery below includes some of the other entrants. Click photos for full resolution.

The completion of a restoration is an achievement but often often takes longer than anticipated. When it is of a rare car it is all the more satisfying to see the result.

Graber built cars to order and the client for this one preferred a traditional wooden dashboard to the usual continental painted metal. For a gallery of photos of this car click Graber.

Two Park Ward TD21s are offered for sale, one partially restored and another preserved in one family for over fifty years, click Cars seeking new custodians for more details.

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Ron Walton, a Life Member of the Trust. His Alvis life is recorded in his book.

See also The Cape Engineering Company.