Alvis Archive

New photos from the past

We always appreciate receiving old photographs of Alvis cars when they were new and not so new which help complete their history. Some interesting ones have come our way recently.

We also like viewers who appreciate seeing the photos we post and make contact with us. Mike Newbery who joined the AOC in 1965 spotted a Crested Eagle he owned and after exchanging a few emails he sent some period shots of 12893 Crested Eagle which in part ended up in a special, and some photos of the other cars he owned. 12893 Alvery – see comment from Charles Mackonochie

12082 Speed 20 Lancefield which was of interest to the current owner

Mike also owned 14426, a Speed 25 now in chassis form with an AOC member, 14639 the well known, ex Ken Day, Speed 25 FLP 75 currently for sale and TA21 24919, MON 647 which may have been scrapped but was offered for sale in 1997.

Andrew Wisdom kindly sent this picture of the plate on his Silver Eagle

W.E. Challice was the Alvis agent in Cannington, Somerset. His daughter, Wendy Lamacraft who owns a TD21 and a 12/50, sent TD21 Model Secretary Jonathan Huggett several photos from her personal album of post-war cars when they were new.

LYD 995 “1951 North Hill, Minehead, Somerset. Me with father.”

Eileen Goddin confirms that the photo showing a maroon Fourteen Saloon is of chassis 23763, which left the Factory 23/05/1950, one of the later Mulliners, Body number M1739, delivered to W.E. Challice. The first owner shown was Kraft Productions of Cornborough Place, Bridgewater, Somerset, wicker product manufacturers. Where is it now?

“KDU 439 Cannington Somerset. Outside Father’s garage W. E. Challice Ltd.”

Malcolm Kindell says “This is a great piece of Alvis history. The second production car, which I believe was one of the cars sent to Geneva Motor Show in 1950 as either the show car or the demonstration car. Later used for road test reports in motoring magazines in the 1950s.”Note the spare wheel tray on this early model.

Wendy had been browsing on the Francis Frith online database of historic photos and discovered a TD21 on this image

W. E. Challice is recorded as the agent to whom the TD21 chassis 26741 (8279 RW) was delivered. Interestingly it had previously spent about nine months as a works car and appeared in publicity material. Last heard of with the late Ted Halliday it has not been licensed since 2006. Where is it now?

Lastly, FVC 897D is a 1966 TF21 chassis 27375…..

“W. E. Challice My father with the hat on”

Could the man of the left be Rowland Simmons?

Last heard of in the Netherlands in 1994, where is it now?

Newby Hall pictures

One of the north’s biggest gathering of classic cars included a wide range of Alvis from 1924 to 1967 entered from several clubs at Newby Hall, North Yorkshire…

8436 12/50 8251 Silver Eagle and 2931 12/50 racer

9425 Speed 20 SA – Chris Taylor explains the niceties of the early Speed to Hugh Westlake

Continental rallying news

The 24th Pays de Fougères international rally on 25-28 May 2018 brought together 180 crews from a dozen-odd European countries, as well as an entrant all the way from Thailand. For the first time, the rally was chosen by FIVA (the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens or international federation of historic vehicles) as one of the 10 venues where a FIVA Best Preserved Vehicle award is presented. Paul Chasney scooped the FIVA Best Preserved Vehicle award with his remarkable Alvis TF21 Graber Super from 1966, one of the last six bodies made by the famous Swiss coachbuilder Hermann Graber. However, the judges (veteran FIVA steward Rainer Hindrischedt and FIVA VP Communications Gautam Sen) were hard-pushed to choose between the Alvis and the superb 1959 Lancia Flaminia saloon of Claude-Michel Perseil, which was the close runner-up. Picture: 1966 Alvis TF21 Graber Super; photos courtesy of Guillaume Nédélec; backdrop is the Château des Rochers-Sévigné, the XVIIth Century home of the Marquess of Sévigné, a woman famous for her letters to her daughter, Countess de Grignan, with gossip from the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King

The following weekend the 2018 Graber Treffen was held in the Valais region of Switzerland, for some photos click GT 2018

The same weekend four Alvis took part in the 22ème NEUCHATEL CLASSIC du 2 juin au 7 juin 2018 La route de la « Grande Bourgogne » led by Daniel Fischlin in his Speed 20

Some historic pictures have been added to the site of the 1975 International Alvis Day when the Swiss invaded with Grabers and cheese, click 1975

Alvis Days

The 2018 International will be reported in the upcoming AOC Bulletin.

Sixty years ago a full report was written up in the Bulletin but there were no photographs. With the benefit of the extensive photo archives we hold we can now bring you the report with photos and extracts from the programme. Click on 1958 National Alvis Day.

We also have several albums of Section Alvis Days.

For a report on the Midland Section day held in Trentham Gardens click on 1991 Midland Alvis Day

We cannot always recognise the cars and location in the photos we have – can you help with this one?

None of this would be possible without photographers ….

Alvis entries in the Tulip Rally

The first Tulip rally was in 1949 and during the 1950s there were some Alvis entries. In 1954, Lincolnshire farmer J W E (Bill) Banks drove a TC21/100 saloon, 25385 registered MTM 1 to 6th place. Mr Banks was notable for becoming the UK distributor for the Dutch shock absorber manufacturer, Koni, fitted as standard by Mr Graber for his creations.

In 1955 Trevor Boothroyd with “Young Ron” Walton on board managed 83rd place in MLY 913 which survives in the custody of Peter Milne. The story of the search for “Emily” is told in AOC Bulletin 455, January 1999 and also appears in the 50th Anniversary Collection by Newby and Fletcher.

24312 MLY 913 Tulip — 24312 – Peter Milne’s TA21 Tickford DHC enjoyed a past life as a Rally car in the Tulip Rally, evidenced by the extra windscreen mounted light and holes in the rear bumper where extra reversing lights were fitted.

1955 Tulip Rally Number 52 – photo Trevor Boothroyd via Peter Milne

In 1956 it was entered once again

1956 Photos by Trevor Boothroyd via Peter Milne

Our Netherlands correspondent reports five Alvis among the Alfas, Volvos, Porsches etc. in the 65th Tulip Rally of 2018 see https://www.tulpenrallye.nl/competitors2018/?lang=en which starts on May 7th in the south of France

Racing drivers and innovations

Much new material has been added this month with articles on Major Harvey, Sammy Davis, innovations of the 1930s, and the 1999 Brooklands Exhibition.Photo galleries have been added for each item so that some previously published black and white photos can now be seen in colour.

The Crested Eagle was first to have ifs and a synchro gearbox. A pristine lubrication chart has been scanned, courtesy of Eric Ody, to add to the data on this model.

And as if there were not enough attractions at Bowcliffe Hall, another new one has flown in….Click on these links to open the new pages…..