Warning!!! Do not look at the sale prices for Aston Martin DB4s. Long term TA 14 owners would be ill advised to look too closely at Dealer prices for TA 14s in 1977. A 1948 Saloon was up for £1495, the same price as for a 1964 Aston Martin!

7 TA and TB 14s are up for sale this month on carandclassic.co.uk so a good selection out of the 81 Alvis Cars for sale. Ebay continues to have a good range of spares.

The TB 14 mentioned in the last Post was sold for £43050 plus buyer’s premium of 5%, slightly below the lower estimate. Still a good solid price for these increasingly valuable models. The Article about the car is now in the Section Articles on this site. Just try and glaze over the ‘F’ word!

Again referring to the last Post, the attractive blue Carbodies is in need of carpets. The hood should be completed in the next few months to keep out the rain. Does anyone have plans of the Carbodies carpet or an old one that can be borrowed for copying?
Totally different carpet system to the Tickford.

Worblaufen were not a well known name in TA 14 bodybuilders but what they lacked in numbers they certainly made up for in style. Interesting to note they have not followed the ‘suicide’ door style of the Carbodies and Tickford models.

A bodybuilder who also kept the ‘suicide doors’ was Richard Mead as the lovely early photograph shows. The car is chassis 20566 and has an aluminium body with steel wings.

We now have copies of original brochures for TA 14s in Dutch, French and Portuguese and these are now in the ‘Brochures and Publications’ Section of this site.

With Christmas coming it is worth looking at the website for Holden Vintage and Classic. Lots of tempting goodies for owners and cars and hints for prezzies. The website is good but the Printed Motoring Catalogue is a very pleasant read and costs approx. £6. The mechanics stethoscope at £20.69, the remote thermometer at £28.74, a bright red metallic wing cover and for the grandchildren a realistic model of an internal combustion engine that may add to their interest in our cars, catch em young!

A delightful Carbodies, chassis 22858, was auctioned recently and fetched £16748 including buyer’s premium. Someone got a very good deal. The car had been stored in a centrally heated garage since 1970 and started on a regular basis. Last MOT was 1970 showing 30392 miles on the clock!

Yet another car has popped out of the woodwork, chassis 23678 is sadly without her Mulliners body but she is to be restored as a Special. Some of the Fourteen Specials are very stylish cars and sought after. It is not uncommon now for older Specials to be rebodied when a less than attractive body was first put on. You will be able to follow progress on the restoration by going to the Blog named ‘A Special Builder’s notes’ and follow the progress blow by blow, hopefully not too literally.

Finally as the year starts drawing to an end one can think back to the end of the production run of Fourteen chassis. There was not a smooth ending for chassis numbers. With the start being 23500 the finale began with chassis numbers 23800, 23801, 23802 and then ?
23803 was the chassis number given to the first 3 litre production car, JWK 290. This car was owned by W.Dunn of Alvis and was used as a promotional car. With a nod to the American market she had whitewall tyres and a white steering wheel. Good to know that the car is still going strong and in the hands of a long term Alvis Owner. The car is now bodied as a TC 21/100 but that is another story.

The latter photo has recently come to light in a box of TA 14 papers. For more on these very desirable successors to the Fourteens look on the main Alvis Archive site alvisarchive.com and click on the index TA 21.

There were also the 3 prototype 3 litres who will have used some of the in between chassis numbers but only ever allocated 3L1, 3L2 plus 3L3 as mentioned in the last Post.

That was not the end of TA 14s as there was a flurry of Mulliners chassis numbers 23821-23830 and then that as they say was that. The end of a golden era.

Finally as Advent begins the run up to Christmas may we wish a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to our readers from all over the world. At the last count you are from Great Britain, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Uruguay and Turkey.

Eileen, Terry and Aunty May (chassis 21830).