Tickford DHC, chassis 22204, KGC 539 was the winner of the Post War Driving Tests this year at East Anglian Alvis Day. Less obvious to Spectators is that she is virtually certain to have been the cherished car of the Assistant Director of the Solar Physics Observatory, Cambridge, German Professor Dr Harald von Klueber and his wife. Dr von Klueber had been a student of Einstein. After the arrival of the Russians in Potsdam Dr and Mrs von Klueber escaped to the West taking only items they could carry in their suitcases. His specialization was solar physics, quite topical recently. Notable was his success in obtaining Fabry-Perot interferograms of the solar corona at eclipses in the light of individual coronal lines. This was something that had defeated previous investigators. The car was very reluctantly advertised for sale on the 1st October 1970 before they returned to Germany. His obituary in 1978 stated. ‘Always interested in motor cars his especial pride in Cambridge was an open tourer which he and Mrs von Klueber treated with loving care.

The TA 14 racing car, chassis 20528 is only ever depicted in Black and White photographs. In reality looking at the photos in Gallery 1 you should imagine the car in it’s true colour of yellow for Belgian racing drivers.

Finland Car, 22035. Maroon with a Fawn Hood HDU 880 now AA 711. Showed up in a photo around 2015. She left the Factory 16/07/1948 and is LHD. Her claim to fame was that she was the only Fourteen Factory delivered to Finland.
After her original owner we show her as being owned by Mr von Namers, Helsinki, then Mr A. Laitenen.
One of the most heavily specified Carbodies ever produced. She left for Finland in 1948 with an Alvis Chain Tensioner fitted (as many were at that time), 8 bladed fan, kilometre speedometer, continental lighting, 2 Vokers rectifiers, twin carburettors, laminated screen, heater and defroster, fog lamp, spot lamp to be controlled from the Driver’s seat, Kaigors Windscreen Wipers, 1 extra spare wheel, loose spare wheel fitted. She was ordered by Mr Sven Sandholm who must have been well off to have a Fourteen delivered as new.
In 1979, the then owner in Helsinki was advertising for headlamps, rear numberplate box, fog lamps, horn trumpets and information about Body mounting details.

We are looking for a car last seen in the 1960s in Hertfordshire.
Chassis 21470, a Black Saloon. In the 1960s her owner could not find a suitable replacement so sent her back to Alvis for a complete refit. Then passed her to his son and then his son. Is she still with the family? She was taxed this summer.

An essential for any Fourteen owner is the Catalogue of Spare Parts, copies still sold by Red Triangle.
Less known are the Amendments that make interesting reading!

Amendment No.1 shows prices.

Part No. C2170: Cylinder block and crankcase with studs, bearing caps and core plugs-for engines up to 21699- £68 10s 0d

As above but for engines from 21700, same price.

A copy of the 6 page document can now be found under Technical Data.

A very original white TB 14 is coming up for sale chassis 23582. This car was at the International Alvis Weekend 2016. Offers are invited over £30k and this Model is increasingly being sort after all over the world. I can pass enquiries onto the owner.

I now have a copy of the small supplementary TB 14 Manual and this can be sent out electronically or as a paper copy. Not very large but very useful in highlighting differences from the TA 14s

When looking through books about Classic Cars in a bookshop, you never know what you may find. Imagine 2 photos falling from a book and them being of a TB 14! Even better, the finder then making the effort to contact us with copies of the photos. The car is chassis 23559, MFM 563 and lived at 1 Shrewsbury House, Cheyne Walk, London S.W.3. For those in the know this was Chelsea in the Swinging Sixties! It appears that these photos were taken there at the Mansion block. The car was last heard of in California in Huntington Beach in 2004 and was to be restored.
An added bonus is that the finder specializes in Classic Oils plus polishes and details can be found under the new Category in Suppliers and Services, Oils and Lubricants.

30% of Alvis fourteens were sold as chassis only. The TA 14 was the last model produced that could be purchased in chassis form only.
Possibly some of the bodies produced by less experienced ‘Coachbuilders’ played a part in this decision. Also there was not the difficulty in keeping up with chassis production and fitting appropriate bodies.

Following last month’s contribution to save on the costs of exhaust replacement we now have information to keep the costs down when replacing a bottom hose.

‘My local car accessory shop had a selection of hose, which comes in 1 metre lengths – which is obviously much more than anyone would need, but they’re willing to sell you a length and refund you for what you bring back!
As near as I could gauge it, the original was 2″ exterior, but of course all modern hose is (a) metric size and (b) sold on the Internal diameter, which I had no way of assessing.
Anyway, I took a guess and was spot on first time! What TA owners need is marked ’47 x 38′, which is the external x internal diameter measurement in mm. – and I needed a mighty 4″/100mm. of it, for which I was charged a mighty £1.20!
The car is now Continent again and leak free. The old hose was properly perished and disintegrated under a bit of screwdriver leverage!’ What a bargain.

Chassis 21905, JYF 58 has a very sad photo of her demise in Gallery 1. Smashed into by a ‘Senior Service’ cigarette delivery lorry, that came off worse. She is the only known TA 14 to have worked for the Ambulance Service. The information can be seen on the driver’s door where a panel has been ripped off. She was a W.H.Gaze and Sons woodie.

Straying slightly off message but a happy ending story.
This TB 21 has been stored under an Australian House for 47 years following an accident. The good news is that it has now been acquired by an ace TB14/TB 21 restorer and is to be restored.

For those that are Google eyed locate the site – pricecat.co.uk – and then search ‘Alvis  TA 14’ to find an interesting choice of items for sale. As an example this month includes the following:

2 wheels with old Crossply tyres. £10.

Radiator Grill Insert, £35 plus £12 p&p.

Front Bumper £7

Front wing, nearside ££99 plus £20 p&p.

Spare Wheel Cover £120 plus £30 p&p.

Original style Driver’s Manual £140 plus £4.50 p&p.

J&M Models, quite a selection of individual Models, Mulliners and Duncans. Price circa £100.

Ken Day’s Definitive reference book on Alvis, 1st Edition £75 plus £4.50 p&p.

Various other items including Books, Articles, Photos, smaller spare parts.

Now something of motoring history, maybe for the next Pub Quiz. Do you know the identity of the person who has the unfortunate claim to be the first person killed in the world in a motoring accident? Not a young man racing at speed but an acclaimed female academic, Mary Ward, grandmother to the 7th Viscount Bangor. In 1869 she was thrown from her cousin’s experimental steam driven car and died at the scene. The link to Alvis is that her grandson drove a borrowed TB 14 around America.

Happy Motoring.

Postscript

Sadly I must report that we have lost giant in the Alvis World.
Bo Henrysson and his late wife Gerd were Mr and Mrs Alvis of Sweden. First line of his address was given as ‘Alvis Hill’. Sadly Bo passed away on the 3rd August.
His passion for Alvis Cars enthused his family. He owned a 12/50, Speed 25, TA 14, 2 TB 14s, TA 21, TB 21 and 2 TDs. His dynasty linked to Alvis has continued through to Ronny who is an AOC Member and his son David who at the age of 21 is the Chairman of the Swedish Alvis Club.

Our thoughts are with Ronny and the family at this sad time.

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com