They don’t make em like they used to!
The next time you debate whether The Alvis should go and attend an event perhaps take inspiration from past stalwarts?
2nd February 1967 saw three Alvis Cars attend the popular Noggin and Natter evening at The Shoulder of Mutton, Assington. There would have been a forth but for the following.
‘A notable and sadly missed absentee was member ‘X’ who started out in good time in a 3 litre. This caught fire so he put it out and back and leapt into a TA 14. This gave out a blue flash and went dead in another cloud of blue smoke. A 12/70 was the next carriage and it says much for the older cars in that this one did all of two miles before the petrol pump gave up. By the time ‘X’ had got this home he had been pushing cars for nearly two hours and while had not exhausted the supply of Alvis cars, the lack of remaining time made him call a halt. At least he did try.’
Contained within an Article about the rebuilding and restoration of a 12/70 is the following of interest with regards to TBs,
March 1967
‘The next operation was the cladding, which was done with 18 gauge aluminium obtained at a very reasonable price from a local firm of coach body builders in Godalming; here I met again Mr. Kingsmill, the Boss-man of the metalwork department, and a very good friend he proved to be, not only giving useful technical advice, but also lending many of his own special tools and metal snips which made my task much easier. In the course of our conversation, he showed me photographs of the prototype TB 14 of 1948, and it transpired that he was the man who was responsible for making the very first of the rather revolutionary streamlined bodies for that model, working through the night at the end to get it ready for the Motor Show. After that, the Belgians took over. Incidentally, should any TB 14 owners want information about this body, I can put them in touch.’ Author Mr. C.W.Cooper.
Interesting to note, the early pioneers of Fourteen ownership in The Alvis Owner Club included Member 110, a Miss M. Mason of Nottingham. We believe her car was a 1949 Mulliners Saloon but cannot tie her registration of MPJ 178 to a chassis number, can anyone help? As the first lady Club Member with a TA 14 it would be very interesting to know more.
Some owners have been discussing the inner pipe that was sometimes fitted in the past to increase oil pressure to the engine. Oil pressure has always been a topic of interest. In the early 1950s, W.C. was moved to write a brief poem on the topic.
O.P. By W.C.
‘Oil Pressure at two thousand, hot, is forty pounds or so,
And if it is not forty pounds, Your motor will not go’
So spake the learned Makers in their clever little book,
And so to that small instrument, I rarely dare to look,
Sometimes on biting wintry morn, when bitter frost abides,
The needle climbs to shaky ten and, sleepily subsides,
If villain of the piece I be, My Alvis is the Hero,
Have we not gone ten thousand miles, Oil Pressure, hot, at Zero?
Not sure W.C. was a Fourteen owner or he would have been moved to write the poem about 50 pounds or thereabouts.
A nice ‘new’ Article’ this month in The Articles’ Section. A six year labour of love restoring a Mulliners Saloon, LUA 782, chassis 22782, completed in 1983. Sadly she is not in the same condition now but she has had her day in the sun, photos in The Gallery.
Amazing the links we gain looking into the past of our cars. In 1970 a rather wistful sales advert for a Tickford Dhc. appeared in the AOC Sales Sheet.
‘Present owner, since 1953, Dr. H. von Klueber, formerly of Cambridge University, is compelled to part with TA 14 on his return to Germany. Good home is pre-requisite, price secondary consideration. …view at Cambridge Observatories. Google Dr. H. And you will find that he was a most interesting man who was involved with scientific breakthroughs. In his early years, he studied under Einstein and later on spent time determining the ‘Einstein theory of the deflection of stars near to the sun during a total eclipse. His obituary makes mention of the love he and his wife had for their car ‘Always interested in motor cars, his especial pride in Cambridge was an open tourer which he and Mrs von Klueber treated with loving care. So who has this ‘Celebrity Tickford’ now and are they aware of it’s history?
There is now a separate heading on this site for ‘Historic For Sale’ advertisements. This enables the checking of old adverts and in a lot of instances the chassis numbers of the individual cars are known, just do not weep at the prices! As with Snippets and the Articles index these Sections are continuos works in progress. More details can be cross checked against the Alvis Archive stick/ disc available from the Alvis Archive Trust at alvisarchive.com for about £25.
One of the articles on the stick/disc is about the location of numbers. Bulletin 375, 01/07/1989, pages 8-9 gives a guide to the locations of all numbers. As a reminder for 14s,
Body number. Plate on firewall, under bonnet (hood).
Chassis number. Tubular cross member Off Side in front of radiator.
Engine number. Top of timing case housing or crankcase Off side, sometimes obscured by gunge!
For this with other Alvis, their details are in the article.
We are the invited featured centre piece for 2018 international
Alvis Day. A new banner heading will be installed above so there is a central location for all the information for next year’s 70th Anniversary Celebrations and International Alvis weekend.
The name is withheld as the gentleman is still a Club Member.
‘On a cold and wet night on the A1 returning from Crystal Palace
Lady Passenger ‘May we have the hood up Darling?’
John ‘Good Lord, No, you’ve got a hood on your duffle coat Woman-put that up.” Ahhh, romance was alive and well.
The DVLA have a new ‘simpler’ Web site for checking your car’s basic details. Sadly Alvis seem to be a make that they are having problems with. Go to http://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk and when the page comes up put in your registration and then ALVIS TA 14. In the likely event it then says not recognized, phone the helpline and they will sort it out. Be aware that once you can get it to work so can anyone else, it is up to you. The FBHVC are also working to sort out the problems
Also trying to sort things out you may have seen the flash notice that appeared on the top of the Home page and is now below this month’s Post. We are trying to identify if followers are receiving alerts to new material as happens on the main site. In the event that you have already replied, as did the author, confirming you saw this, it is only if the alert came to you by email that you should reply yes to that question, not yes that you saw it on the home page, mea culpa also!
Finally, still time to enter the Photo Competition on the main Alvis Archive site, there are already one or two Fourteen entries including ‘Hot Lips’ so dig out some nice photos and enter, good prizes. In the event that you cannot scan the photos please send them to John Fox, TC 108/Graber Model Secretary, address in The Bulletin, they will be scanned and returned, good luck.
Alvis Fourteen 