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The Vintage Alvis motor car

With the exception of the front-wheel-drive cars all vintage Alvis cars have an obvious affinity. They clearly have a common ancestry, beginning with the 10/30 which first appeared in 1920. The cars are of orthodox design with conventional ladder-type chassis frames built from channel section steel. Suspension is by semi-elliptic leaf springs and friction dampers. The front axle is of the beam axle type, and the cast aluminium rear axle is of fully floating design. The early cars had rear wheel brakes only with four wheel braking being introduced in 1924.

The 10/30, 11/40 and 12/40 cars all have side-valve engines with all subsequent cars having overhead valves. The crankcase and sump are aluminium castings with cast iron being used for the cylinder block and head. The camshaft, dynamo and magneto are driven by a train of gears from the front of the engine.

Sports 12/50s were fitted with a short-stroke big-port engine of 1496 cc (68×103 mm) enabling them to compete in 1500 cc events. Touring 12/50s generally had a long-stroke small-port engine of 1645 cc (69×110 mm). Apart from the difference in stroke, bore and the detail design of the cylinder head the two engines are practically identical with many parts being interchangeable. Production of the 12/50 ceased for a short time between 1929 and 1930, but it was reintroduced as the TJ 12/50 to meet the deepening economic crisis. It retained the familiar 12/50 mechanical components, and a twin SU carburettor sports version, named the 12/60, was introduced early in 1931.

All vintage Alvis cars have four-speed crash gearboxes with a right-hand gate change gear lever. With the exception of the front-wheel-drive cars, the gear box is separate from the engine and driven by a short cardan shaft from the clutch.

What makes the vintage Alvis special is that it is generally regarded as the classic vintage car with its excellent balance of power, road holding and braking. The simplicity of its mechanical design and the strength of its chassis contribute to remarkable durability and reliability. On the road the 12/50 or 12/60 is very satisfying to drive. To quote from The Vintage Motor Car by Clutton and Stanford (Batsford 1954): “we cannot but consider it (the 12/50) one of the classic designs of the time, and it remains of all vintage sports cars the one which needs least apology”.

There are over one hundred six-cylinder Alvises in the Register. Much of what is said of the 12/50 can be said of the 14.75 and the 16.95 Silver Eagle. The 1870 cc 14.75 was the Company's first venture into the six-cylinder market in 1927. The 2148 cc Silver Eagle was introduced in late 1928 as a fast, smooth car capable of 80 mph.

Front-wheel-drive cars were produced from 1928 to 1931. There are some 35 survivors out of a total production of about 150. This model is an out-and-out sports car with a fine competition history. The engine was 1496 cc, overhead cam and available with or without a supercharger. Two cars ran at Le Mans in 1928 and came 6th and 9th overall, a very fine achievement. Maintenance is relatively complicated and the cars were suitable for a specialised market only. They were a very ambitious project for the time and are now highly sought after.

Coachwork

Most cars had standard bodies built by Carbodies or Cross and Ellis. Alvis never made their own. Although Alvis offered a standard range of body colours, purchasers could specify an individual paint colour and extras to suit their own requirements. In a few cases Alvis supplied the chassis only and the customer commissioned a body from a coach-builder of his choice. After the body had been built and trimmed, the car was returned to the factory for checking and road testing before despatch.

A comprehensive range of designs was available. Typically this would include 2/3-seaters, 4-seater tourers, four- and six-light saloons and the 3/4 or Doctor's Coupé. Fabric "Alvista" bodies were made as well as the traditional steel or aluminium panel on ash framed coach-built bodies. Most body styles were offered on both four- and six-cylinder chassis, but the sports models were generally given a polished aluminium "duck's-back" or a painted "beetle-back" two-seater with a small dickey seat in the tail.

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