Over 100 years ago, several photographs were taken of my grandfather in this car.

To this day they reside in an ageing family photo Album at the top of the bookcase.
It is an example of how much motoring memorabilia, particularly photographs are tucked away. With the help of a motoring historian the car was identified as a Standard. Quick check on the internet showed a Registrar for early Standard cars with a phone and email address. Quick email with photos brought the response that the car was a 1913 Standard Model S with Rhyl 2 seater bodywork. The engine is a 4 cylinder 1086c.c. side valve which was rated as 9.6 h.p.. So I know what the car was and the Standard Registrar is very pleased to have the photos for his records. Old photo Albums can decay or go missing. An Album with the same grandfather as a young boy in the 19th century was rescued from a tip a few years and only by diligent research by a local historian reunited with the family after a national news item.
So the point of all this is, please check through old family Albums and share relevant photos of old vehicles. Someone somewhere will be delighted to have copies or originals to keep with records. For Alvis Cars, the Alvis Archive Trust with their permanent Museum at Bowcliffe would care for such material. I am always happy to receive photos for scanning and prompt return or retaining the photos with the records.

Our windscreens are pretty standard apart from the ones now fitted to some Specials.
Hens‘ teeth to therefore come across a Woodie built with a curved windscreen. Eye watering to think of the replacement cost. It is possible the car has been rebodied at some stage and the windscreen was from another vehicle.
Said screen is fitted to chassis 20542, a unique Woodie built by Howard’s of Oulton Broad, Norfolk. Oulton Broad was the home of many wooden boat builders so it is probable the body was made by a boatbuilding firm. Hire boats were used as barricades above and below the water during the War and it took time for the Broads to be cleared and opened up for Tourism. Hence a yard would probably have been keen to get any work in 1946/47. So far internet searches has not identified the yard. Finally the good news is that the car still exists and is a candidate for restoration.

New to the Suppliers and Services Section is a very useful Company SVW Services of Hull. Whilst specialising in Tickford bodied cars, many of their Spares and Services are of use to all TA/TB 14s. The Company is long standing and in 1994 made new solid brass pram irons for ‘Aunty May’, still excellent. £252 80 pence. Suspect the price may have gone up a little by now. They can also provide such things as Lucas rear light boxes and undertake work such as lined hoods. Well worth a look at what they do on svwspares.co.uk. We have wooden patterns for the pram irons that are available to loan subject to deposit. Also by kind donation from a Swedish Owner we shall be receiving original specification drawings for the very complicated Tickford Hood. These drawings will be passed to the Alvis Archive Museum at Bowcliffe with copies available.

Good opportunity to acquire a Tickford Drophead has come up in Kent. ‘Beatrice’ is now looking for a new home and is competitively priced at £12500 o.n.o. for one of the rarer dropheads.
Photos are on Gallery 2 for chassis 23632 and the full sale details are on carandclassic.co.uk with reference C983413.

Also on Car and Classic are the details of a good looking Tickford that has been in the Netherlands since 1977. Priced at 37 500 euros she looks like a car with not too much to do.

At the other end of the scale Chris Prince is advertising 2 Mulliners Saloons at £1800 each. Both look in a very sorry state and are probably not candidates for restoration. Probably they will go to people wanting to make Specials as the chassis are staged to be good, otherwise potential spares.

Checking Ebay shows quite a lot of TA 14 spares available. This months’ offerings include both sides of the Bonnet, Wood trim for a Mulliners Saloon, Front Bumper, Rocker Cover and quite a lot more.

Continuing the For Sale topic, ‘3 Litre acquisition with power steering forces sale’!
Actually a general statement but lighter steering was necessary, for the driver.
As a result a good opportunity has come up to acquire a very nice Mulliners Saloon, chassis 23047 with good provenance. She has been seen at Alvis Days.
Photos of the car from International Alvis Day 2014 are on Gallery 2. The car is for sale with The Motor Shed, Bicester, where further details can be found.

Some more information has been entered under Lost Cars so if ever time available have a check and see if you can provide any extra information to Lost and Rogue Cars.

Some updating has taken place to the Suppliers and Services Section . Most firms now have a reasonable website setting out their wares.

The Richard Mead Tickford bodied TA 14, chassis 21852 sold at Auction last month to a TA 14 enthusiast. She has been quite a ‘gad about’ in her time. She has taken former owners touring in Scotland, Wales, Norway, France, Switzerland and more. Richard Mead passed away in 1991 but the new owner will be able to chat to another TA 14 enthusiast who spoke with Richard and can pass on information. We believe there were 9 of the pre war MG Tickford bodies used by Richard Mead. In 2002, two of them were able to meet and compare notes. Chassis 21021 being possibly the only other surviving Mead.

The Mulliners TA 14 advertised last month in the Alvis Owner Club Calendar, chassis 22947 has gone to a new home. She will be used for some Weddings, she has joined some other cars doing the same. When details are available, details will be given in case there is a wedding when she might participate.

The main Alvis Archive site has information about the 1000 mile reliability run. The charming Cream Woodie chassis 21664 is participating and the main site covers progress on alvisarchive.com.

For those who find the performance of our sprightly Fourteens a little sluggish some in the past have carried out modifications. There is an excellent Article in the Alvis Owner Club Bulletin 543, September/October 2013. For those without paper or electronic copies the latter can be obtained from the Archive /Trust via alvisarchive.com.
The before and after photos of chassis 21835, LVK 959 are quite amazing and certainly the super charger under the bonnet is not quite the norm! Hopefully not too many owners will be inspired to follow suit but she is a beautiful restoration of a car that otherwise might not have survived.

We are still looking for a wheel brace, nave plate and traficator switch for a steering wheel. The American TA 14 enthusiast will pay market price and full shipping. Just imagine your are showing your lovely Carbodies at a show and everyone points out you are missing a hub cap.
Also does anyone have a spare cylinder head for an owner in Sweden to purchase?

Well Spring is here, time to get polishing!!!

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com