Many Tickford owners are aware that their cars were supplied by Brooklands of 103 New Bond Street, Mayfair, London. W.1., one of the premier addresses in England. Well it would be wouldn’t it! Brooklands also commissioned quite a few Shooting Brakes by Coachbuilders such as McMullen, Gaze and Sons, High Elms, Scotney and Jones. What owners may not know is that the blue plaque on the building confirms that Horatio Lord Nelson lived there in 1798. So around 150 years later our Tickfords and Brakes were there too. Perhaps we need a blue plaque decal on the cars to record history! The building now houses the Eden Gallery. On eden-gallery.com you can still see evidence of the building’s construction.

Visiting Southport this year we discovered the location of Barton Motors Ltd, one of the dealers for TB14s. Now the Southport Coaster!!

It is always great when we have a communication from family/friends of a former Alvis owner. Often photo albums and family papers reveal more information about a long lost car or a piece of history that can be seen by a current owner.

Recently we received a communication from the son of one of our past AOC Chairman, Laurie Halliwell who presided in the 1960s. Laurie will be remembered by the longer term Members of The Alvis Owner Club. We received some unseen photos that included one of a Mulliners Saloon chassis 21966, FUS 46 in Mr Halliwell’s ownership. It is most unlikely that we shall see many photos similar to this one with our cars now tucked up comfortably inside in the winter. The snow is reminiscent of the days of the big freeze, 1962/63.

Photo of FUS 46 chassis 21966 in the snow.

In addition to the above we received reminiscences of the then young boy helping his father with work to create an Alvis Special, chassis 22680, FVJ 694. He remembers how heavy the old decrepit Mulliners body was to remove. This Special is still around and was completed by a later owner following the sad early death of Laurie. See Gallery 2 for photo of the car and more information.

The TB 14’s most notable asset has, for many people, been the inclusion of the built in cocktail cabinet in the passenger side door.

It was prominent feature in the prototype shown at the 1948/9 Motor Show in London.

The cocktail cabinet was demonstrated by Norma Raffles and the vanity set in the glove compartment was also shown. It looks like the powder compact is similar to the Guerlain Meteorites style so the lipstick holder and perfume may also be from Guerlain. The Meteorites collection is available to buy on eBay and for anyone who wants to replicate the vanity set in a TB 14 I can help you with the powder compact and lipstick!

The 100 production TB 14s in 1950 had similar door but the cocktail cabinet and vanity set was consigned to history or so we thought. It was not resurrected for the TB 21.

Fast forward to 2023 and many of the TB 14s now display a ‘cocktail’ cabinet but sadly there have been no sightings of the vanity set being recreated.

But but but, do they actually have a cocktail cabinet. The original Motor Show shows a metal cocktail shaker and glasses, reminiscent of the roaring twenties. A white version of the cocktail shaker was shown on Flog It and sold for nearly £400. Adaptations of the door by owners have invariably included a version with one or more decanters for whisky or the like plus cut glass tumblers so a much heavier option but probably more in tune with the Post War times.

There has been some questioning as to where the prototype went after the completion of the Motor Show Circuit. Now we have research showing that the body was purchased by Jaguar in Birmingham to be looked at as the basis for SS 100. An interesting Article appeared in the on line Australian car magazine Country Motor Australia.. This may solve the question coming from the direction of Jaguar and not Alvis. In addition the whole edition of MCA shows this ‘magazine’ to be an excellent general classic car motoring interest.

The Inspector Allen series are now showing on ITV 3 and the car used by Inspector Allen is a rather nice Drophead Bentley. Looks very much as though it is a Tickford bodied car with a replacement Tickford hood. Interesting that the replacement hood is unlined so much cheaper to but but leaves a car without the insulation, soundproofing and neatness of the original design.

Tickford owners have the ability to add some more merchandise to their collection.

This reproduction 9 inch dealer sticker is a bit of fun and not too pricey under £5 on the internet. With the slogan for the Brooklands Dealership being ‘Integrity and Dignity’, what could be better?

A look at the vendor’s website is very worthwhile. ‘I say Ding Dong’ is a real niche market firm with over 10 000 off the shelf stickers and they can do individual commissions and yes they do Alvis triangles for £2.25. No Mulliners or Carbodies decals have yet been found.

The website is isaydingdong.co.uk and the family firm has been going for nearly 20 years. The reviews from satisfied customers are numerous and effusive in praise of the products and service.

A little pricier was this elegant period clock that has now been sold, hopefully to an Alvis owner somewhere.

A unique TA 14 is chassis 21889 bodied by the Benson Motor Body Company Ltd. Nothing special you might think looking at this rather grainy old photo but look again. Take a closer look at the rear wheel and note the detachable wheel covers. The later TA 21 was fitted with similar as standard. Also included on this car were arm rests fitted to the front seats, rollers to stop the windows rattling, the rear number plate built into the body with the spare wheel behind in the boot, another adoption on the TA 21.

Alvis14.com is for the Alvis Fourteen cars but it is interesting to browse the 12/70 and 3 litre sections on the main Alvis Archive Trust site alvisarchive.com. Puts the Fourteen Model into the developmental stages of Alvis and well worth a read. When in alvisarchive .com click on the TA 21. This covers the evolution from TA 14 and the introduction of the TA 21.

A beautiful Mulliners TA 14, chassis 22655 was presented for Auction in Switzerland on the 25th March with an estimate of 30-35 000 Swiss francs ( 1 Swiss franc currently = £0.89. Achieved 21 840 Swiss francs. Imported into Switzerland in 2014 she has been cherished as part of a collection and only 500 miles put on the clock in that time.

Another very nice Mulliners Saloon was auctioned by Anglia Car Auctions recently and achieved a very respectable Auction price of £11 124 including buyer’s premium. This very tidy car was purchased new by Dr Henry Mearns Savery of Evesham, Worcestershire. He used the Alvis for regular visits to hospitals and patients in and around Evesham, driven by his chauffeur ‘Carter’. More and more Mulliners sunroofs are looking good these days as these photos demonstrate and what about the Mascot! Judging by the video she is still no slouch. Photo is of Henry as a young man.

The TB 14 chassis 23598 mentioned in the last Post was sold Post auction and looks to be heading for a new life in Kentucky so quite a change from the Yukon.

PRF 865, Chassis 22548 Carbodies Drophead formerley known as ARB 14 is now on the market and advertised with alvisoc.org. The car owned for many years but Ron Buck still has the picnic table built on the boot, photos on Gallery 2.

Hoping to be able to get confirmation of the chassis number for this TB 14 that has spent life in Australia. Do you recognise her?

Photo of TB 14 and TB 21.

Newnes Motor Repair Manual.

Sometimes available on eBay is a copy of Newnes Motor Repair Manual. that covers TA and TB 14s and many other post war models.

As Members of the Alvis Owner Club were advised in Bulletin 147, page 1, Alvis did not publish a Workshop Manual for the TA/TB 14.

Finally a lovely link across time for Gaze Shooting Brake chassis no. 21301, JYF 57.

The young boy in the driving seat becomes the father of the bride many years later. Of course the bride travelled in the stunning Woodie!

Enjoy the ‘sunshine’. Maybe!!

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com