January sees the start of the New Year and many of us have been making resolutions and our cars will hope that some of these have included them.
Good resolutions to delight Fourteens could include:

1.Always carry a working in date fire extinguisher, know how to operate the extinguisher without glasses or reading glasses! Carry a fire blanket.

2. Acquire the DVD from The Alvis Archive Trust giving access to all all Alvis Owner Club Bulletins since the early 1950s and their technical articles. Probably needs the power of a desk top computer to operate efficiently.

3. Write an Article about cars previously and currently owned for submission to The Alvis Owner Club or The Alvis Archive Trust.

4. Check the age of tyres. They may have plenty of tread but be at risk of failing due to age.

5. Ensure copies of old photographs are sent to the Alvis Archive Trust. Ensure there is at least one photograph of the owner with the car.

6.Supply The Alvis Archive Trust with information about any old car/chassis etc. you might have scrapped.

Anything for the Club/Trust can be emailed to the address below.

After that exhausting list, what has come up over the last month.
The beautiful red TB 14, chassis 23577 that is incorporated in the banner heading of the Fourteen site has now moved to a new owner in Germany near Lake Constance close to the Italian Border. Sorry to see her go as amongst other things, she was the feature car at International Alvis Weekend. Plenty of other Fourteens or chassis still available via The Alvis Owner Club or the Internet.
The Front cover of the latest Alvis Owner Club Magazine has caused quite a stir, around the world of Alvis cars, depicting the beautiful mahogany TA 14 Special, chassis 23206.

Following on the link to the cleverest Society, Mensa, we have a link to the Nation’s most stylish retailer Fortnum and Mason. Chassis No. 23467 was owned by the Company. She was Mulliners Saloon, body no.  M1513. KXN 872. Currently her whereabouts are unknown.
Previous reports of speedy Fourteens are added to by Bill Cooper’s 1964 comments on his 1949 Tickford Dhc, chassis 23163. The TA 14 goes magnificently and has just returned from Land’s End, storming up Porlock on the way down without even raising the water temperature.’
Those who know Porlock Hill will be somewhat impressed by that achievement.
Anyone currently involved with Health and Saftey had better stop reading now! In. 1965 a Fourteen owner wrote in asking if anyone had details of making up a weather shield. Tacked on was the following query
‘what is the best way to pack three small kids (ages 6,3,1), into the back of the same car so they can sleep while my wife and I share the driving overnight to a distant holiday destination? The problem is where to put the baby and I am thinking of some sort of hammock slung close to the roof.’!

Our Alvis Owner Club President Emeritus, Ken Day was General Secretary of The Club in 1965 and was moved to remark on the growing popularity of Fourteens then. ‘Interesting to watch the rising esteem about the TA 14. A thoroughly sound piece of motoring engineering in the proper tradition, the time has come when a really good example will never drop below the £150-£200 mark.’ Today you might get one good quality new cross ply for the money!
Cautionary tale from the mid sixties demonstrated the ‘folly’ of lending an immaculate Carbodies Dhc, chassis 22470 to a friend for a skid pan test. The said friend ‘gaily oversteered it into a nearby tractor tyre.’!
Some more photos have been added onto to The Gallery including more for Doris, a lovely Mulliners, great credit to Paul, her owner, for the beautiful shiny polish she has.
The Fourteen seventieth birthday party is on track for 2016 and details of date and venue may be available, for the next post.
Additions have been made to the Articles and Snippets columns and hopefully the historic For Sale entries will soon have their own separate column.
Brooklands are proposing to try and recreate part of the 1948 Motor Show so if anyone with a Fourteen is interested in being considered for the Stand, please contact me, address at the end. Event takes place Saturday May 16th this year. Google Brooklands Museum May 2015 for more information about the Forties event.
Finally a plea for anyone who has, or has had a TB 14, probably originally red, that was owned by a Mr Kenneth Clegg, of Portland near Weymouth, in the late 1950s. We are trying to reunite the car with the three young ladies who were pictured in her in 1958. We have found the ladies but so far not the car!

Happy Motoring.
eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.co.uk