Alvis cars were produced by the manufacturer
Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd of
CoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham with a population of 300,848...
,
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
from 1919 to 1967. The company also produced aero-engines and military vehicles, the latter continuing long after car production ceased.
Beginnings
The original company, TG John and Co. Ltd., was founded in 1919. Its first products were stationary engines, carburettor bodies and motorscooters. The company's founder T.G. John was approached by Geoffrey de Freville with designs for a 4-cylinder engine with
aluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white and ductile member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al; its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
pistons and pressure lubrication, unusual for the period. Some have suggested that de Freville proposed the name Alvis as a compound of the words "aluminium" and "vis" (meaning "strength" in
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
) although de Freville himself vigorously denied this theory. Perhaps the name was derived from the Norse mythological weaponsmith,
AlvíssAlvíss was a dwarf in Norse mythology.Thor's daughter, Þrúðr, was promised to Alvíss. However, Thor did not want Alviss married to his daughter, so he devised a plan to stop Alvíss from doing so. He told Alvíss that, because of his small height, he had to prove his wisdom. Alvíss agreed. Thor made...
, but the true origin is unknown.
The first car model, the 10/30, using de Freville's design was an instant success and set the reputation for quality and performance for which the company became famous. Following complaints from the
AvroAvro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
aviation company whose logo bore similarities to the original winged green triangle, the more familiar inverted red triangle incorporating the word 'Alvis' evolved. In 1921, the company changed its name and became the Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd. and moved production to Holyhead Road, Coventry where from 1922 to 1923 they also made the
BuckinghamThe Buckingham was an English automobile manufactured by the Buckingham Engineering Company in Coventry from 1914 until 1923. The company had made cars under the Chota name from 1912....
car.
In 1923 Captain GT Smith-Clarke joined from
DaimlerThe Daimler Motor Company was a British motor vehicle manufacturing company, founded in 1896, and based in Coventry. The company became a subsidiary of BSA in 1910, and was acquired by Jaguar Cars in 1960....
as Chief Engineer and Works Manager and was soon joined by WM Dunn as Chief Draughtsman. This partnership lasted for 25 years and was responsible for producing some of the most successful products in the company's history.
The original 10/30 side-valve engine was developed progressively becoming by 1923 the famous overhead-valve 12/50, produced until 1932 and one of the most successful vintage sports cars of all time. Exhilarating performance and rugged reliability meant that around 350 of these 12/50hp cars and 60 of the later (and latterly concurrent) 12/60hp survive today representing some 10 percent of total production.
1927 saw the introduction of the six-cylinder 14.75 h.p. and this engine became the basis for the long line of luxurious six-cylinder Alvis cars produced up to the outbreak of war. Not only were these cars extremely elegant but they were full of technical innovations. Independent front
suspensionSuspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose – contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
and the world's first all-synchromesh gearbox came in 1933 followed by servo assisted brakes. A front wheel drive model was introduced (from 1928 to 1930), a model bristling with innovation with front wheel drive, in-board brakes, overhead camshaft and, as an option, a Roots type supercharger.
Smith-Clarke designed remarkable models during the 1930s and 1940s — including the handsome, low-slung six-cylinder Speed 20, the Speed 25 (considered by many to be one of the finest cars produced in the 1930s) and the 4.3 Litre model. As with many upmarket engineering companies of the time Alvis did not produce their own coachwork relying instead on the many available Midlands coachbuilders such as Cross and Ellis, Charlesworth and
Vanden PlasVanden Plas is the name of a company of coachbuilders for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. It originated in Belgium in 1870 as Carrosserie Vanden Plas.-History:...
. Several cars also survive with quite exotic one-off bodywork from other designers. In 1936, the company name was changed to Alvis Ltd and by the beginning of the war, aero-engine and armoured vehicle divisions had been added to the company.
World War Two
In September 1939 following the outbreak of war car production was suspended, but was later allowed to resume and production of the 12/70, Silver Crest, Speed 25, and 4.3 Litre continued well into 1940. During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the car factory was severely damaged in the German
LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.Schweizer Luftwaffe is also the name of the Swiss Air...
raid on Coventry in 1940 though strangely the armaments factory emerged fairly unscathed. Much valuable gear cutting and other equipment was lost and car production was suspended for the duration of the war only resuming during the latter part of 1946. Despite this, Alvis carried out war production on aero engines (as sub-contractor of
Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce Limited was a British car and, from 1914, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904. In 1971, Rolls-Royce was crippled by the development of the advanced RB211 jet engine, resulting...
) and other aeroplane equipment.
Post war
thumb
Car production resumed with a four-cylinder model, the TA14, based on the pre-war 12/70. A solid, reliable and attractive car the TA14 fitted well the mood of sober austerity in post war Britain but much of the magic attaching to the powerful and sporting pre-war models had gone and life was not easy for a specialist car manufacturer. Not only had Alvis lost their car factory but many of the prewar coachbuilders had not survived either and those that had were quickly acquired by other manufacturers. In fact the post war history of Alvis is dominated by the quest for reliable and reasonably priced coachwork.
Smith-Clarke himself retired in 1950 and Dunn took over as chief engineer. In 1950 a new
chassisA chassis consists of a framework that supports an inanimate object, analogous to an animal's skeleton, for example in a motor vehicle or a firearm.- Examples of use :...
and six-cylinder 3 litre engine was announced and this highly successful engine became the basis of all Alvis models until production ceased in 1967. Saloon bodies for the TA21, as the new model was called, again came from Mulliners of Birmingham as they had for the TA14, with
TickfordTickford is an automobile engineering and testing company with a history of coachbuilding and tuning and is famous for such products as the 140mph Tickford Turbo Capri.-Early Years:...
producing the dropheads. But with the first of these becoming part of Standard Triumph and the second being acquired by
Aston Martin LagondaThe Aston Martin Lagonda was a luxury four-door sedan built by Aston Martin of Newport Pagnell, England, between 1976 and 1989. A total of 645 examples of this model were produced and the average selling price was £150,000...
it was clear by 1954 that new arrangements would have to be made. By this time some of the most original and beautiful designs on the three litre chassis were being produced by master coachbuilder Hermann Graber of
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
and indeed these one-off designed cars are highly sought after today. With a licence in place, from 1955 all Alvis bodies became based on Graber designs. Early examples, the TC108/G, were built by
WillowbrookWillowbrook may refer to some places in the United States:* Willowbrook, California* Willowbrook, DuPage County, Illinois* Willowbrook, Will County, Illinois* Willowbrook, Kansas* Willowbrook, Staten Island, a neighborhood of Staten Island, New York...
of Loughborough but at such a high price that very few were made. Only after 1958 with the launch of the TD21 did something resembling full scale production resume as
Park WardMulliner Park Ward was a coachbuilder based in London UK. The company produced Rolls-Royce Motor cars including the Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Rolls-Royce Corniche...
, coachbuilders for
Rolls-RoyceA Rolls-Royce car may refer to vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
and Bentley, contracted to build the bodies at a much lower price. These cars, the TD21 and its later variants, the TE21 and finally the TF21 are well built, attractive and fast cars. However it was clear by the mid sixties that with a price tag of nearly double that of the mass produced
JaguarJaguar Cars Ltd., better known simply as Jaguar is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Coventry, England. It has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors Ltd...
the end could not be far off.
There were several 'might-have-beens.' From 1952 to 1955
Alec IssigonisSir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis, CBE, FRS was a Greek-British designer of cars, now remembered chiefly for the groundbreaking and influential development of the Mini, launched by the British Motor Corporation in 1959.- Biography :Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis was born into the...
, the creator of the later
MiniThe Mini is a small car that was produced by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered an icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
worked for Alvis and designed a new model with a V8 engine which proved too expensive to produce.
RoverThe Rover Company is a former British car manufacturing company founded as Starley & Sutton Co. of Coventry in 1878. After developing the template for the modern bicycle with its Rover Safety Bicycle of 1885, the company moved into the automotive industry...
took a controlling interest in Alvis in 1965 and a Rover-designed mid-engined V8
coupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
prototype named the P6BS was rumoured to be the new Alvis model but with the takeover by British Leyland this too was shelved. By the time the TF21 was launched in 1966, (available, like its predecessors in both saloon and drophead form and with either manual or automatic gearbox), the model was beginning to show its age despite a top speed of 127mph - the fastest Alvis ever produced. With only 109 sold and with political troubles aplenty in the UK car manufacturing business at that time, production finally ceased in 1967. The Alvis name lived on with armoured fighting vehicle production.
Modern
As part of Rover, Alvis Limited was incorporated into British Leyland but was bought by United Scientific Holdings plc in 1981. Subsequently the company's name changed to
Alvis plcAlvis Ltd. was created when United Scientific Holdings plc acquired the Alvis division of the nationalised vehicle manufacturer British Leyland in 1981. United Scientific maintained its own name until 1992 when the group was renamed Alvis plc. Alvis acquired Vickers Defence Systems from Rolls-Royce...
. In 1998, the armoured vehicle business of GKN plc was taken on and the main UK manufacturing operation moved from
CoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham with a population of 300,848...
to
TelfordTelford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
. The site of the Alvis works in Holyhead Road is now an out-of-town shopping complex, but its name, Alvis Retail Park, reflects the heritage of the site.
In 2002 Alvis group purchased Vickers to form the subsidiary Alvis Vickers Ltd which was subsequently purchased by
BAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in Farnborough, Hampshire, England, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is the world's second-largest defence contractor and the largest in Europe...
in 2004. BAE Systems have ended the use of the Alvis distinctive 'red triangle' trademark.
Alvis Owner Club
The Alvis Owner Club is a club for all Alvis car and military vehicle enthusiasts. It was founded in 1951. They have 1,700 members.
They hold International Weekends each year where owners from the UK and overseas display their cars. In 2009 it will be held at
Polesden LaceyPolesden Lacey is an Edwardian house . It is located on the North Downs at Great Bookham, near Dorking, Surrey, England. It is owned and run by the National Trust and is one of the Trust's most popular properties....
.
Alvis car models
Figures in brackets show those cars that were bodied by Graber out of the number produced. Source
TC108/G flash demonstration
| Model name |
Type |
From |
To |
Number
produced |
| Alvis 10/30 |
|
1920 |
1923 |
603 |
| Alvis 11/40 |
|
1921 |
1923 |
382 |
| Alvis 12/40 |
|
1922 |
1925 |
1552 |
| Alvis 12/50 The Alvis 12/50 was a car introduced by the British Alvis cars company in 1923. It went through a series of versions with the last ones being made in 1932...
|
2 seat sports, drophead coupé, saloon |
1923 |
1933 |
3616 |
| Alvis 14.75 |
|
1927 |
1929 |
492 |
| Alvis 12/75 FWD |
Front Wheel drive; 2 seat sports, 4 seat sports, sports saloon |
1928 |
1931 |
142 |
| Alvis 16.95 Silver Eagle |
2 seat sports, coupé, drophead coupé, saloon |
1928 |
1936 |
1357 |
| Alvis 12/60 |
2 seat sports, 4 seat sports, sports saloon |
1931 |
1932 |
282 |
Alvis Speed 20The Alvis Speed 20 was a British touring car made between 1932 and 1936 by Alvis Ltd in Coventry. It went through four variants coded SA to SD.-Speed 20 SA:...
|
sports tourer, drophead coupé, sports saloon |
1932 |
1936 |
1165 |
| Alvis Firefly 12 |
4 light saloon, 6 light saloon, drophead coupé, sports tourer |
1933 |
1934 |
904 |
| Alvis Crested Eagle |
4 light saloon, 6 light saloon, limousine |
1933 |
1940 |
652 |
Alvis FirebirdThe Alvis Firebird was a British touring car made between 1935 and 1939 by Alvis Ltd in Coventry.Developed from the Alvis Firefly, 449 Firebirds were produced, as a two door Tourer, a 2+2 sports tourer, a two door drophead Coupé, and a four door Saloon....
|
4 light saloon, 6 light saloon, drophead coupé, sports tourer |
1935 |
1936 |
449 |
| Alvis 3 1/2 litre SA |
|
1936 |
1936 |
61 |
| Alvis Silver Crest |
4 light saloon, 6 light saloon, drophead coupé |
1937 |
1940 |
344 |
Alvis Speed 25The Alvis Speed 25 was a British touring car made between 1936 or 1937 and 1940 by Alvis Ltd in Coventry. It replaced the Alvis Speed 20. The earlier car’s four cylinder engine was replaced in the Speed 25 with a six cylinder in-line unit for which am output of 110 PS at 3,800 rpm was claimed,...
|
sports tourer, drophead coupé, sports saloon |
1936 |
1940 |
536 |
| Alvis 4.3 litre |
sports saloon, sports tourer |
1937 |
1940 |
204 |
Alvis 12/70The Alvis 12/70 was introduced by Alvis cars in 1937. It was a 4 cylinder car related to the 6 cylinder Alvis Silver Crest.Alvis designed and manufactured the 4 cylinder 1842 cc pushrod overhead valve engine which was similar to the engine of the Alvis Firebird but was, in fact, a new design...
|
sports tourer, drophead coupé, sports saloon |
1938 |
1940 |
776 |
Alvis TA 14The Alvis TA 14 was the first car to be produced by Alvis cars after World War II. It was made from 1946 until 1950 when it was replaced by the Alvis TA 21....
|
sports saloon, drophead coupé |
1946 |
1950 |
3311 |
| Alvis TB 14 The Alvis TB 14 was a British two seater open car produced by Alvis cars based on the running gear of the TA 14 saloon and made only in 1950....
|
2 seater sports |
1948 |
1950 |
100 |
Alvis TA 21The Alvis TA 21, sometimes called the 3-Litre, was a sporting car produced by Alvis cars between 1950 and 1953. It was the first all new Alvis to be produced after World War II....
|
sports saloon, drophead coupé |
1950 |
1953 |
1316 (9) |
Alvis TB 21The Alvis TB 21 produced by Alvis cars was a two seater open car based on the running gear of the TA 21 saloon and made only in 1951.Alvis had previously contracted AP Metalcraft, a Coventry coachbuilder, to produce the TB 14 two door open car body to fit on the TA 14 chassis...
|
2 seater sports |
1950 |
1953 |
31 |
Alvis TC 21 and TC 21/100 "Grey Lady"The Alvis TC 21 was a British sporting car made by Alvis cars between 1953 and 1955. It was an updated version of the TA 21.The car was available in four door Saloon and drophead versions. The bodies style was essentially the same as the TA 21, one of the differences was the fitting of chrome...
|
sports saloon, drophead coupé |
1953 |
1955 |
757 (23) |
| Alvis TC 108G The Alvis TC 108G was a British sporting car made by Alvis cars between 1955 and 1958. Coachbuilders Graber of Switzerland had produced some bodies for the TC21 that were much more up to date than the standard offering from Mulliners...
|
sports saloon |
1955 |
1958 |
37 |
Alvis TD 21The Alvis TD21 was a British sporting car made by Alvis cars between 1958 and 1963. It was an updated version of the TC 108G with body construction by Park Ward who were better able to supply them to the quantity, quality and price required...
|
2 dr saloon, drophead coupé |
1958 |
1963 |
1073 (51) |
Alvis TE 21The Alvis TE21, also known as the Series III, is an automobile produced by English manufacturer Alvis between 1963 and 1966. It was an updated version of the 1958 TD21.-Product description:...
|
2dr saloon, drophead coupé |
1964 |
1966 |
352 (12) |
Alvis TF 21The Alvis TF21 was the last car produced by Alvis cars. it was made in 1966 and 1967 and was an updated version of the 1963 TE21.Externally the car was identical to the TE21 but there were some changes to the suspension and inside the instruments were better organised.The 2993 cc engine, first...
|
2dr saloon, drophead coupé |
1966 |
1967 |
106 (6) |
Alvis military vehicles
- Alvis Saladin
The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis and used by the British Army. It replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in use during World War II.-History:...
eg FV601 Saladin
- Alvis Saracen
The FV603 Saracen was a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier built by Alvis and used by the British army that became a recognisable vehicle as a result of its part in the policing of Northern Ireland.-History:...
eg FV603 Saracen
- Alvis Stalwart eg FV620 Stalwart
- The CVR(T) series eg FV101 Scorpion
The FV101 Scorpion is a British light tank, part of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance or, CVR family. The full design name is Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Fire Support . Manufactured by Alvis Vickers it was introduced into service with the British Army in 1973 and served until 1994.More than...
- Alvis Stormer
Alvis Stormer is a modern military armoured vehicle manufactured by the British company, Alvis Vickers, now BAE Systems Land Systems, a subsidiary of BAE Systems Land and Armaments....
in service with the British Army as FV4333 Stormer
- Alvis Salamander
The Alvis Salamander is a 6X6 Airport Crash Tender with off-road capabilities, developed in 1956.It shares the same common six-wheel-drive chassis and other components with the FV 601 Saladin armoured car and FV 603 Saracen armoured personnel carrier...
crash tender
Alvis aircraft engines
- Alcides
The Alvis Pelides was an unflown British air-cooled radial aero engine first developed in 1936. The Pelides Major was a projected but unbuilt development as were the Alcides, Alcides Major and the Maeonides Major, the Alvis aircraft engine range taking their names from Greek mythology.-Design and...
- Alcides Major
The Alvis Pelides was an unflown British air-cooled radial aero engine first developed in 1936. The Pelides Major was a projected but unbuilt development as were the Alcides, Alcides Major and the Maeonides Major, the Alvis aircraft engine range taking their names from Greek mythology.-Design and...
- Leonides
The Alvis Leonides and Leonides Major were British air-cooled radial aero engines first developed by Alvis in 1936.-Leonides:Development of the nine-cylinder engine was led by Capt. George Thomas Smith-Clarke. The prototype engine, called 9ARS and which weighed 693lb and developed 450 hp, was run...
- Leonides Major
The Alvis Leonides and Leonides Major were British air-cooled radial aero engines first developed by Alvis in 1936.-Leonides:Development of the nine-cylinder engine was led by Capt. George Thomas Smith-Clarke. The prototype engine, called 9ARS and which weighed 693lb and developed 450 hp, was run...
- Maeonides Major
The Alvis Pelides was an unflown British air-cooled radial aero engine first developed in 1936. The Pelides Major was a projected but unbuilt development as were the Alcides, Alcides Major and the Maeonides Major, the Alvis aircraft engine range taking their names from Greek mythology.-Design and...
- Pelides
The Alvis Pelides was an unflown British air-cooled radial aero engine first developed in 1936. The Pelides Major was a projected but unbuilt development as were the Alcides, Alcides Major and the Maeonides Major, the Alvis aircraft engine range taking their names from Greek mythology.-Design and...
- Pelides Major
The Alvis Pelides was an unflown British air-cooled radial aero engine first developed in 1936. The Pelides Major was a projected but unbuilt development as were the Alcides, Alcides Major and the Maeonides Major, the Alvis aircraft engine range taking their names from Greek mythology.-Design and...
External links