Alvis Fourteen

Many remember the television advert of the 1960s with an urbane Frenchman offering a sophisticated tipple, Dubonnet. Not many British remember the actor but he was a very famous French comedian and film star called Fernandel. Tucked away in an advertisement for a Mulliners TA 14 with Les Anciennes is a statement that this car is believed to have been owned in the past by Fernandel himself. Dubonnet is one of the few drinks to have received a Royal Warrant as it was part of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite drink, two parts red Dubonnet and one part Gordon’s London Dry Gin.

youtube.com/watch?v=pF2miCuhRTs

The car was exported to Switzerland as a new car, chassis 21171, and never heard of again until this year so nice to find another Mulliners has survived in such good original condition. In the photo she looks very original and well cared for and she is right hand drive from new. Same owner since 1991 and priced at 15 500 euros.

Another ‘lost car’ emerged from many years of storage this summer. Carbodies KYC 401, chassis 22877 is seen here looking remarkably sound as she is hauled out of her dry garage. The family of the late owner intend to undertake a slow recommissioning of the car as she appears to be in quite good condition. The hood looks original, retaining the chrome surround. Amazingly a local Alvis enthusiast spotted the car on the trailer as he went down for his shopping. Not a sight you see every day.

Reunions are a nice part of the old car world and this summer has seen three early owners or family members reunited with the cars of their earlier years. Many times it is sad to confirm that a car is no more or has been lost to our knowledge so all three around has been great. A version of ‘Long Lost Family’ but with cars, move over Davina McCall!

The first one was a former owner of 22077, AVV 207, who owned the car in the 1960s; as mentioned in the last post Slight problem of distance between them between Cumbria and Kent but I hear they had a short natter on the phone lasting nearly an hour.

The second one was a gentleman who remembered his father owning JMB 933, chassis 20691 and having adventures. Driving down to the West Country and back from Bradford was much fun. The car was sold in the 1960s, a low point for many Fourteens. The purchaser was a youth who wrote in white all over the car’s two tone grey paintwork. Fortunately the car survived and has been cherished in the West Country sporting her green paintwork. His father owned a garage near Bradford that prompted memories of National Benzole.

The 3rd and latest one is Tickford Drophead, chassis 21623, JYL 705. A lady made contact with some photos for the current owner. Her father bought the car in the 1950s when the car colour was Burgundy and Silver. She remembers the car being her father’s pride and joy and also that she spent hours polishing the car. JYL 705 is now located in Wales. Once the lady’s email address is obtained we can put her in touch with the current owner who is waiting to hear.

Anglia Car Auctions recently sold an attractive looking Carbodies Drophead by Auction and the sale price was £8 856 including buyer’s premium of 8% + VAT. Our records show that the chassis originally received a Tickford Body but the Alvis works record gives a Carbodies body number. This could have had an impact on the sale price that was somewhat below the estimate of £10 000-£12 000.

Also there is no doubt that most classic car prices have taken a hit in recent years.

JYF 56, the red Special mentioned in the previous post did rather better and achieved £38,350 through an on-line auction with car and classic.

Some cars available but not advertised include the rare Knibbs mentioned above that is looking for a new home after many years with the same family. She is one of only two Knibbs bodied cars known to remain.

Also it is likely that a TB 14 may come to the market in the not too distant future. Arnold Schwarzeneggers need not apply as the car has the benefit of power steering. In good condition and living in the Midlands she is a serious contender for anyone seeking to purchase one of these rare Fourteens.

Already up on carandclassic.com are several very nice Mulliners Saloons and if you wanted a matching pair there are two almost identical in red/cream that would fit the bill.

There is also an elegant Shooting Brake ‘’Tilley’ chassis 21954 now available for an asking price of £4350. A caring restoration would result in a charming car totally evocative of the era and perfect for summer picnics with the check tablecloth and wicker basket.

Over ‘The Pond’ it is always interesting to catch up with cars that are the subject of restoration projects. One such is chassis 21949, originally MNU 652, a Mulliners Saloon that has one of the swankiest full restorations as befits a car living in St. Louis, Missouri. With stone guards, plus custom gauges, blue tooth stereo and back up cameras (all discretely hidden away) she must be one of the techiest Fourteens around. Wonderful to see a Mulliners being the subject of such a restoration and doesn’t she look good.

Another ‘offshore’ Fourteen is currently now living in Luxembourg. Chassis 21020, JGH 536 was formerly a Mulliners TA 14. Eventually becoming in poor condition she has lived to drive another day by being transformed into a sturdy Special that looks like the Mulliners’ performance might have been somewhat increased.

A photo we are struggling to identify is the identification of this fine Tickford residing somewhere overseas at some time. With the registration 12-36 can you help?

This photo of KLT 916 with a rather interesting hood arrangement shows another car we are trying to identify.

We see many examples of pre and post restoration projects but always there are people on the journey to producing the beautifully restored Fourteens that are so admired. One such car is chassis 23486, a Carbodies, stored for over 40 years and emerged back into the light in 2019. Now with restoration well under way we can see how painstaking the work is and what a beautiful car we shall see in the future. To help the project move forward she needs 2 front Carbodies seats, preferably green but not essential, can anyone help?

On the main Alvis Archive site, alvisarchive.com a new photo album for 1989 has been put up showing the event 35 years ago when we were invited to attend the Alvis works in Coventry for a visit prior to the demolition and redevelopment of the site. Several Fourteens attended and you might see your car. Seems like yesterday and I remember a very kind man worked away at a wall and gave me a brick as a memento.

National Benzole is a brand of petroleum that disappeared from garage forecourts many years ago in the 1990s. The decline was probably assisted by the Smurfs campaign. It was the petrol always used by my father in our Tickford, nothing else would do.

National Alvis Day had a trophy donated by the Company and this photo shows Carbodies chassis 22470, JPO 900 being awarded The National Benzole trophy as the award for the best car in the car park. Now living in The Netherlands under the registration DE 12 42.

Enjoyment of our cars in the past is a pleasent rose tinted recollection(for the most part) and below is an amusing recollection of actually how it was and is.

” I bought my first Alvis TA14 DHC in 1973, paying £375 for her; my wife at that time was most underwhelmed, feeling that the money would have been better spent on a carpet. (Looking back, that may have had something to do with us no longer being man and wife, but that’s another story. Oh well). The Alvis was then 25 years old and was often pressed into daily service as an eminently usable second car. She could perform equally as well as most moderns of the time and was fully capable of holding her own on the roads and motorways of those days. Fifty odd years on however, whilst her performance is almost as good as ever, the rest of the world has moved on; nowadays dear old ladies in Nissan Micra’s frequently blow us away and 44 ton juggernauts leave us for dead. That’s progress I guess.

I always had a passion for straight six engines, and my only regret with the Alvis was that she had only four cylinders of just under 2 litres capacity, the 3 litre six cylinder post-war Alvis not appearing until 1950. Many a time I stood over her, tape measure in hand pondering if I could squeeze in the later Alvis lump. Although it is 2 cylinders longer and of 50% greater capacity, it is a modern engine compared to the old four, the design of which dates back to the 1920’s; it is therefore more compact, only some 6” longer and about 40lbs heavier. With a little surgery I could fit the six without making any changes to her outward appearance, which is important to me, since I think she looks just right as she is. When discussing my ideas with Alvis-owning friends and pundits, they often tut-tutted and shook their heads, “You’ll just finish up with a special that’s worthless”, was the verdict. In those days “special” was a term of derision, most of the ones around being dreadful concoctions of doubtful lineage and horrendous aesthetics. But just look at them now; the better ones look superb and can command eye-watering prices.

As the years roll by her engine is getting more and more fragile (I can’t get more than 5,000 miles between blown head gaskets – in period, did cars do that mileage on a head gasket, given that 2000 miles pa was the norm with decokes every 2 years?). The cylinder head is the Achilles heel (it leads a hard life) and the three in my possession are getting more and more porous, and hairline cracked. I bet all 14’s are the same, metal fatigue is an age related process. The rest of the old girl is built like a locomotive and will be good for another 70 odd years, so if she is to stay on the road, a different engine will be the only answer; better an Alvis 3 litre than a BMC ‘B’ series I think. As for her “diminished” re-sale value, that has become academic. After 50+ years the car has become a family heirloom with four successive generations growing to love her and I would never be allowed to sell; the problem of value will therefore become somebody else’s when I am dead. Will I care?

So who knows, this may be yet another project to add to my already lengthy list of “things to do before I die”. With luck, I’ll never have time to cross that threshold. My apologies to the grim reaper.”

When Fourteens were in production we were between the elegant style of the. Victorian/Edwardian periods and today’s rather more pressurised world. These communications remind us of the courteous style of correspondence undertaken in those years.

Most of us have the paper copy TA 14 Drivers’ Manual but there is an electronic copy at the top of the heading Technical Data and Diagrams that can be downloaded.

It has been very sad to hear that Ron Walton passed away at the age of 96. A true gentleman and well known to many as the Author of ‘Young Ron’ An Alvis experience, describing his early years working for Alvis including during the production of Fourteens. He joined Alvis in August 1944 at the age of 16 and later went through the Alvis apprenticeship scheme. A whole chapter of his book is devoted to TA 14s and upon retirement he purchased more than one. His reminiscences of road testing the Fourteen Utilities make good reading particularly about the failings of those made by woodworkers with limited experience of coachwork.

Some of us were privileged to sit down, at the 70th Anniversary of the TA 14 at International Alvis weekend 2016 and hear Ron’s personal reminiscenses of his time at Alvis.

Finally something to look forward to in the next Post.Follow the Scottish trip of an intrepid Carbodies owner up to and around Scotland. Purchased some years back by the son of a former owner, chassis 22695, GVB 143 was then carefully restored over a number of years and emerged as a car that boldly goes where not so many Fourteens now go!

As always for any further information required concerning anything in this Post contact

eileen4.ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

Tucked away in almost every household are the family photograph albums.
Tucked away in those albums are photos of Alvis cars and Alvis people, many of which are unseen by other than family and close friends.
These photos may already have become historic records and it is important that copies including electronic ones are preserved for the future.
The Alvis Archive Trust has a role in bringing together photos and other Alvis material so that they can be preserved for the future and fill in gaps of knowledge. Electronic scans can be received, paper copies can be received and kept or copied and returned. Go to alvisarchive.com to see many of the Albums and material already made available for viewing.
Another good reason is that Alvis people can be seen either with their cars or recorded as their owner in photographic form. What better project for the deck chair this summer than to go through the family albums and send material to alvisarchive@btinternet.com . Items for Fourteens can be sent there or to the email address at the end of this Post.
Just to start the ball rolling, a dive into ancient family albums produced this ‘blast from the past!’

Recently a former Carbodies owner from the 1960s sent a photo of the car to us from his family album and enquired about her whereabouts as he had seen she still existed (DVLA check very useful for this). We were pleased to confirm chassis 22077 was indeed still going strong being with her current owner for over 51 years and much cherished by the whole family including two very enthusiastic great grand daughters.
There was much to talk about when the old and current owners made contact.

Photo from the 1960s

Now

This contact revived memories and an Article written at the time by the current owner below shows how things were before our girls settled into a more gentle lifestyle as befits them in their older years. Reading this took me back to the escapades we had and could almost feel the chill in the bones before the warmth of the extractor fan.

DRIVING IT HOME

Whenever I have bought a classic car (or any other, for that matter) I have always driven it home, no matter how long the journey or impractical the car. To me it is a vital part of the “bonding” process, a bit like the matrimonial nuptials on ones’ wedding night! At the end of it one feels to be thoroughly at one with your new acquisition, having come to terms early with its petty quirks and foibles; if the journey was long and trouble free, you will also have built up a considerable level of confidence in her, such that otherwise may take months of little exploratory runs around your locality to familiarise yourselves with each other.

I bought my 1948 Alvis TA14 in March 1973 from Rochester in Kent, and drove her home almost 300 miles to our home in Lancashire; she never missed a beat but I almost did. I had travelled South by train, carrying a few vital tools in a rucksack and after the necessary transaction, headed back North at around 3.00pm. It was a fine spring day in Kent, sunny and warm.  The vendor had owned the car for some seven years and boasted he had never raised the hood in all that time, and he was right. This was the “Garden of England” however and this Northerner was not over optimistic, so I attempted to raise the hood. Its seven years of dormancy however thwarted all attempts; it would not budge, so I set off alfresco. All was pleasant and well until I joined the M1 near Luton, my which time dusk was approaching, the temperature was plummeting and we were maintaining a steady 60+ mph. I was wearing my old denim jacket and turning up the collar made no difference at all. I took what would be the first of many a coffee and warm-up stop at Watford Gap and had another go at that wretched hood, but to no avail. I cracked on, frozen to the marrow; the only thing keeping me alive was the adrenalin. I reached the M6 and stopped again at Hilton Park, where I stood for 10 minutes in the warm blast of the kitchen extractor exhaust vents. Oh bliss!

Over another coffee I considered my plight. By now it was completely dark, thankfully dry but very chilly, and I was many hours from home. My skeleton tool kit did not contain penetrating oil, and unlike today, motorway service stations sold nothing other than food and drink. Then “ping” I had an idea; I bought a bottle of Coca Cola, the best penetrating fluid known to mankind – heaven knows what it does to your teeth! After a liberal dousing of the hood frame pivots and another coffee whilst it did its work, standing on the rear seat I was able to jiggle and haul the hood into the raised position – YES! The rest of the run (punctuated by more coffee stops, for this car had no heater) was uneventful, finally landing home, hyper on caffeine, sometime in the small hours.

The very next day I invited my underwhelmed wife of that time to inspect our latest treasure. Do you know, after running like a sewing machine all the way home the previous night, she refused to start! It turned out to be a ruptured diaphragm in the SU fuel pump; did it fail as I drove her into the garage, or was I one lucky boy? Whatever, we were thoroughly bonded and have remained so ever since. 

We have another search in progress at present helped by an old photo from the from another family photo Album and would welcome any knowledge to try and find the car or indeed her fate if no longer with us.
She is a Carbodies Drophead Coupe, FKW 903 and the most likely chassis number is 22873, known to have been a 2 tone Grey in colour. A gentleman, for nostalgic reasons, is hoping to find the car’s whereabouts as she was with the family any years ago. He recalls many trips away in the car with his father including Baildon, Yorkshire to Padstow and back, happy memories.
It is believed she may have been put away in storage about 15 years ago prior to restoration and that possibly this was in the Bradford area. Something for the northern sleuths?

Another link between 2 owners has also happened recently with a rather unique twist between the opposite ends of the earth.
An enquiry from ‘Down Under came through relating to a recent TA 14 purchase. Nothing special there except for the fact that there was already a Fourteen owner with the same name (including middle initial) in England who suddenly started to receive emails about his new acquisition! All was sorted to some amusement and wondering what the odds were of that happening amongst the small band of Fourteen owners. Anyway, with kind permission of the owner down under, a reprint of an entertaining Article prepared for the Australian audience.

There have been quite a few new Fourteens coming up on carandclassic.com recently, now up to 8 in number so good choice if you are looking and still somewhat of a buyer’s market. The latest to appear on the site is a Special up for Auction that looks like she will achieve quite good money. Chassis 22096, JYF 56, already bids have reached £19 500 and the Auction finishes 7th July.

Ebay has 2 for sale at present and one is of particular interest being the unique bodied car commissioned by Donald Monro in 1952. A fine looking car in her day and with plenty of oomph, improved performance originally with a 450 lbs. weight reduction from the original body. Although described as a Special she was rebodied in the early 1950s following the destruction of the original Utility body. Now she has the potential to be an excellent restoration project, priced reasonably at £1995.

Not all Fourteens make it to be seen on eBay or Car and Classic. Sometimes European sales occur particularly with high end Fourteens.
24th March this year saw the Old Timer Galleries of Toffen Switzerland auction a delightful Woodie (GSP 98, chassis no. 22391) that had been with the same family since 1975. The car had been discovered in a Sussex barn and shipped to Switzerland in 1975. After another 30 years storage she was then restored and looks a very tidy car. The hammer price was 19 000 Swiss francs, not sure if it was accepted as below estimate, time will tell.

Ebay seem to have tidied up their adverts for spare parts and it is now far less cluttered with non relevant items blanketing every make of car and of no interest to Fourteen owners. Also the seller is clearly identified. Red Triangle have some useful ‘new’ old stock items worth browsing for possible additions to the spares cupboard. Also other vendors are offering 2 spare wheel covers are currently available for £140 or £95, an essential spare to keep tucked away.. Put in Alvis Car parts and Accessories to see the full list.

Hot off the press is a new availability of chromed spare parts in the USA.
Described as chromed to perfection and the asking price is 2000 american dollars to sell as a single lot. Should you wish to contact the vendor direct please use the email below and I can put you in direct touch with the vendor.
Could save a lot of work for a restoration or a very useful set of spares.

So as we start the second half of the year, enjoy the summer and happy Alvising.

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

For most Fourteens the years of the 1940s, 50s and 60s were the days of their prime activity. This Article found in an American Tourist Guide reflects upon the world that was the norm for them and their owners both then and now. It’s another world, as they say the past is a foreign country

The Classic car market has slowed somewhat but as with all markets this may change and should not deter the purchase of a quality Alvis. Quite a few very tasty cars can currently be seen on carandclassic.com. In addition to those on show on that website some others are available elsewhere or are in the pipeline.

The cherished red Mulliners Saloon, chassis 22464 is still available for sale and well worth a look. Not a car that has been hawked around, she has been with the same family since 1971, rare to get a car with such provenance and you never need to save up for a new hood! Details are to be found on the AOC website alvisoc.org or I can put you in touch with the owner.

Another long term family saloon car may soon be available but this time it is not a Mulliners but by Coachbuilder H.Raine and Sons. A very cherished car that retains the original colour black she is believed to be the only remaining Raine built car in existence. Chassis 21865 remained with the family and this is a one off opportunity to acquire such a rare car. Genuine interested parties can let me know and I’ll put you in touch with the owner.

In addition to the above a lady will shortly put up for sale a black Mulliners Saloon in a cheaper price bracket but still a good looking active car, let me know if that might be of interest. Chassis 22964 is sadly for due to bereavement but again she has been with the same family for over 50 years and cherished.

For those wanting the wind in their hair there is a TB 14 likely to become available soon and looks to be a good option for those seeking one of these iconic cars. Chassis 23574 is well worth considering and one of the most fun models bearing the Alvis badge. TB 14s should come with a warning however as they are totally unsuitable for those who like to keep below the radar and have discreet motoring. It is impossible to park up without engaging in conversation with anyone around. ‘What is it?’ being the favourite introduction.

The only time the TB 14 might be outshone could have been if it was parked next to a Paramount with a TA 14 engine. The marketing literature for the book about Paramount cars is somewhat unflattering to the Fourteen as is shown below. Despite being known as The Pig, to some eyes it has a rather charming 1950s blowsiness to the styling and certainly shows what can be done with post war styling.

eBay is increasingly being used to sell classic cars. As well as cars, eBay often has useful spares including sell offs of spares from Red Triangle. At present there is a spare wheel cover and separately a nave plate available although you may have to scroll through some totally unrelated car dross to pick them out. You never know when spares like this may be needed. Also scarce items such as original sales brochures and driver’s manuals are still to be found at present.

Whilst on the subject of car sales, vendors need to be aware of the increasing number of time wasters drawn to cars up for sale on the internet on sites such as carandclassic.com and eBay. Warning signs can be an agreement to purchase without seeing the car or reading the advertisement closely. After loads of questions and time wasting sometimes for weeks they just fade away, it seems like a new hobby. Classic car Auctions do have the benefit of avoiding these people, speaking from experience!

Woodies are a charming example of Fourteens and very much reflect the age they were built. This J & M Classics montage shows 5 of them and how different they look with their different colour combinations.

Rarer than Woodies are the few Commercial Vans that were made.

This Model by J & M Classics brings to life the style that could be achieved in working van. Sadly the actual car, chassis 23236 has not survived.

Tickfords were an option for those with deeper pockets in the 1940s.

This marketing brochure of the time shows that only 4-6 weeks would secure delivery and of course from Mayfair, where else?

Finally at a foreign Motorshow what an elegant Display of Alvis Cars with even a usually staid dark coloured Mulliners Saloon sporting white wall tyres looking slightly racy?

So officially for some it is the first day of summer today. How time flies!

eileen4ta,tb14s@rocketmail.com

This year has flown by as many people got back to the normality of life before Covid. The John Lewis advert is out so Christmas will be with us before we know it.
Alvis related gifts are available from the Alvis Owner Club shop at logothatpolo.co.uk. The Alvis Shop at Red Triangle, redtriangle.co.uk/shop has a selection of items and particularly nice is the bespoke tool kit in canvas roll; or how about this excellent set of car related chocolates.

Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase a copy of the Alvis TA 14 50th Anniversary Collection revised edition from the AOC shop. Packed full of useful information and having just had a limited edition reprint. After they are gone you may have to try and find a second hand copy or rely on a disc. Service notes and the data sheets are just 2 of the tasty inserts that make interesting reading.

Something that is often overlooked is the importance of knowing the implications of your chassis number as highlighted by the extracts below.

The Alvis Archive Trust always has some items for sale to help the Charity’s funds, alvisarchive@btinternet.com will put you in touch to find out what is currently for sale. Items include new books and some items that have been donated to The Trust to raise funds.

Much of the work carried out for The Trust involves researching, collecting and assembling the material so that it is available to assist in the research and provision of information for our cars.
There are 2 ‘P’ words that have come to the fore over the past 2 years relating to classic cars, one is Patina the other Provenance. As the years go by Provenance is of increasing interest to owners and gradually the base knowledge is increasing by various means. The internet has been a godsend to researchers and just by entering Alvis TA 14 it is possible to pull up information to add a few more pieces to Fourteen knowledge.
One such example is a recent random search that pulled up the following Auction Lot from 2011 for Carbodies chassis no. 23264, JAO 508, (subsequently ETB 477 and RBY 919) before moving to New Zealand.

Someone was no doubt clearing out books and papers and thoughtfully put them to Auction. The good thing is that we now show 3 more owners of the car in her early days and can put the 2 pages from the Log Book with our records. Next action is to notify the owner of the car in New Zealand and make sure they are aware of this information.

Most cars are sold with their papers and it is very helpful if copies copies of old books, owners details etc. can be sent through to The Alvis Archive Trust for all Alvis cars and Alvis related matters. In the first instance for material relating to Fourteens use the email address at the end of this Post, other Alvis related items go to the main Alvis Archive Trust site, alvisarchive.com and there is a form. Best to allow some time for this unless you can steel yourself away from the interesting index and all the topics shown. The albums themselves are fascinating and perhaps you may be able to identify an unidentified car. Any original material that related to a car that was sold or scrapped in the past can be placed with the Trust’s records for safekeeping or if required passed on to the current owner if known.

When researching old taxation records The Kithead Trust hold millions of old records and can be found by contacting them at kitheadtrust.org.uk or telephoning 01905 774611 possibly only attended on Wednesdays or Thursdays. A sample of the help they can give is this letter responding to an enquiry relating to the TA 14 Tickford. Useful to get the snippet of information about JFJ 285 & 7 but no record that they were Fourteens or any trace on current DVLA website. Care needs to be taken in the ‘changes’ of owners such as in the case of house moves, marriages, divorces whereby the actual owner stays the same. The records were computerised 1977/78 so from then on it is the DVLA to whom one turns for records.

Sometimes Auction houses have sales that include some Alvis related items and 4 J &M Models have recently sold at Hampsons Auctions for £90 for 2 each, they were not Fourteens. Digressing slightly, that Auction House has a plethora of auctions covering most aspects of antiques, collectables and just about everything else. Can keep you occupied fruitlessly for hours.
Also eBay have a series of shops and one is Adsofold, adsofold.com. Plenty of nostalgic motoring items for sale including an engine plate for chassis 22377, a Tickford that is still around. £65 or offers + £5 p&p, just shows what is out there

There are quite a few models showing on the internet for various versions of Fourteens by J & M classics and they are very attractive models.

For the attention of all TA 14 owners of W.H.Gaze and Sons, Shooting Brakes.
Currently there is a rare opportunity to acquire a full set of door and window glass minus windscreen. The donor car chassis 20628 is becoming a Special having been sold from the Estate of a friend. Would cost a lot to get manufactured but available for £50 to the right car, see Abay heading above. Buyer to collect, Cambridge area.

Fourteens continues to sell and a red Mulliners Saloon chassis 22464 with superb provenance is has come up for sale in Wales. With 2 generations of the same family since 1971 she is an active well known car now looking to move on and find a new home. Priced at £12 000 she is on the road, well worth a serious look and is conveniently sited not too far off the M4 near Cardiff.

Chassis 22957, HAX 816 is another Mulliners looking for a new home and is has an asking price of £18k. On offer by The Motor Shed Ltd., Bicester, Oxfordshire, see vintageandclassiccars.co.uk.The car was off the road between 1972-1996 and has recently been restored.

Red Triangle are also offering a Mulliners Saloon as a restoration project so there are 3 possible presents for Christmas!

Looks like someone had quite a good day with Hampsons Auctioneers on the 1st October when they acquired a TA 14 Special chassis 21525 for the princely sum of £3656 including buyer’s premium. Described as running the car looks to be good fun and something that could be enjoyed.

Turning to more technical matters, with the best will in the world some areas of the Fourteen can be out of sight out of mind until the fateful day it is called upon to deliver service. The reserve tank pick up is one example of such a hidden item. Red Triangle produced a very useful prompt for attention in this area back in 2004 and it is worthy of being viewed again.

Whilst on the subject of fuel, a useful You Tube clip about synthetic fuels has been produced and shows that synthetic fuels may play a part in the future of running classic cars. Worth watching and digesting.

From down under we have a query relating to a ‘dizzy’. On the same abbreviation lines as a ‘tinnie’, this is Australian for a distributor.
Can anyone identify what car this is for as it does not appear to be the correct one for the 12/70 it resides with?
Numbers on the part are DX4A-0, type BU26 also 937 19o 405547 so if anyone can help it would be much appreciated.

In an earlier Post there was reference to the rare Bosisto bodied Fourteen.
We now have a very interesting new Article giving a deeper insight and information about this rare car from Nick Simpson.

Alvis Fourteen, chassis 23474, the Bosisto cabriolet.

This exotic ‘Bosisto’ body is believed to be unique and was constructed on Fourteen Chassis Number 23474 and dispatched from the factory on 11/8/1949. It was first registered in early November 1950 with a Bristol registration plate NHW4. Recently a photograph of this car appeared on the Fourteen website and showed it as a used car for £975, year unknown. That was quite a lot of money for a used car in the early 1950’s so it must have been very special. A report mentions it was owned by Archie Scott-Brown, the racing driver. It was advertised as “1948 chassis, 1950 body” and the image shows it with rear wheel covers. Later 23474 appeared in the Alvis Owner Club with a Member from Harpenden, Herts in circa 1960 and in 1969 it was re-registered with BLH492H, the last time it was heard of and DVLA says it is not licensed and could not be found. Was it exported? (The DVLA also tells us the original plate, NHW4 is attached to a Red Mazda.) A later image shows extra styling extravagances including dummy ‘ports’ on the front wings, extra chrome mouldings along the sides of the body and the rear wheel covers were not present.

Bosisto, resided in the Bristol area and sketched, designed and fabricated racing and exotic car bodies. In 1947 he constructed his own 500cc racing car named ‘Buzzie’, a somewhat crude device; he was a regular competitor in the then popular 500cc formula circuit racing. Bosisto became associated with two other local and well known ‘Special’ racing car constructors and racers from the Bristol area, Joe Fry and Dick Caesar. Bristol had been an innovative centre of engineering; there were Straker-Squire cars, Bristol aero Engines, the curious Fedden car project, Bristol buses, the Brabazon air-liner and later, Rolls-Royce, Bristol Cars and the Concorde.

Bosisto was a member of the ‘500’ Club’s Technical Panel and was a pioneer in 500cc racing. His special was based on a modified Morris ‘Eight’ chassis with Morgan sliding pillar front suspension units and there was swing-axle independent rear suspension fashioned from the front suspension of a pre-war BSA three-wheeler. The engine was a Douglas (a Bristol make) horizontally opposed twin-cylinder motorcycle unit with hemispherical combustion chambers. It came from a 1930’s ‘Dirt Track’ Douglas DT5 driving through a Norton four speed gearbox. The engine being of ‘flat-twin’ layout contributed to the low centre of gravity. Buzzie was typical of the early ‘500’ cars and showed what was possible on limited means, being constructed in three weeks on the very small budget of about £35.

It was not surprising therefore when in 1947 Jim Bosisto, Dick Caesar, Joe Fry (the Fry’s Confectionary family) with help from Malcolm Sayer

(later of Jaguar styling fame), formed a modest car body-building company named the Gordano Car Company. They manufactured advanced and lightweight replacement bodies for production sportscars. This business is believed to have been located in a garage premises in Whiteladies Road in Bristol. Gordano’s first two bodies were mounted on Morgan 4/4 chassis and others were built on Allard, Alvis Fourteen and Speed Twenty chassis. There were also some Iota and Arengo 500 racers made. Bosisto raced an Arengo at Weston, in 1949. The Bosisto Alvis Fourteen body demonstrates the avant-garde and eye-catching style the firm was capable of producing.

A little-known Allard-Special came from the pen of Jim Bosisto, a lightweight body for a ‘K Type’ chassis, consisting of a tubular framework using superleggera principles achieving a weight saving of nearly 100lb over the standard K Type. Sydney Allard although not involved in the project, did support it. It is thought that possibly twelve such rebodied ‘K’ Types were constructed, although none are known to have survived. It was during this period that Bosisto’s exotic Alvis Fourteen body was created and may have been a show-car and demonstrator for the Company; it had been tuned and with twin carburettors and special gear ratios was said to be capable of 90 mph, pretty rapid for a Fourteen. Further, Alvis Speed Twenty’s are mentioned as being re-bodied although details or images of these have so far not appeared.

With success from their specialised coachwork and lightweight cars, Gordano decided to enter the motor manufacturing business to construct and market a new sportscar named The Gordano. It is said two prototypes, an open-sports and a streamlined saloon were designed and constructed in 1948 although it is not clear if the saloon reached completion. The Gordano was a sports car with the concept and chassis by Dick Caesar, an entirely new engine designed by Rodney Gordon Jones. It was a 4cylinder 1.5 litre with Cross rotary valves. The project was financed by Joe Fry while Jim Bosisto and Malcolm Sayer designed and styled the lightweight body. The open sports weighed-in at just over 750 kilograms and was temporarily equipped with a 1548cc MG engine and the saloon was to be equipped with 1767cc Lea Francis engine, presumably also temporarily until the Gordon-Jones engine was ready.

With the firm’s engineering abilities and coachwork knowledge the Gordano appeared promising and could have been a success but disaster struck and the project was abandoned when Gordon-Jones, the engine designer died in 1950 and soon after, Joe Fry, who was financing the project was killed racing at Blandford and the project came to an end.

If anyone has any more details and/or images about the Bosisto Alvises or the Gordano project, it would be great to add them to what we already have.

Nick Simpson

Finally it comes to the time to wish everyone a and that includes ‘the red nosed’ occupants of our garages.

Eileen, Terry and ‘Aunty May’

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

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

Long term Alvis owners will remember the name Ron Buck from the past.

Ron’s Carbodies TA 14 Chassis 22548 ARB 14 at the time, was always immaculately turned as was his wife Hazel. The car almost invariably ran with the hood up, reputedly so that Hazel’s impeccable hairdo stayed in place.

The car is now in the hands of an Alvis enthusiast in East Sussex and sadly due to personal reasons it is time for her to move on. Full details will shortly be available on the AOC website alvisoc.org and she is certainly a car to consider seriously. Current number plate is back to PRF 865.

A TB 14 is currently available on carandclassic.co.uk for £29 950 or offers. Finished in the popular Red with ivory trim it merits a look for anyone in the market for this iconic model. Chassis 23515, MZ 9788 is based in the London area and ready to roll.

Further afield in the Yukon Territory Canada is another is another TB 14 looking for a new home. Go to bringatrailer.com/listing/ 1950-alvis-tb-14-3/?

Auction finishes tomorrow, current best bid 5 500 Canadian dollars!

One of the rarer Tickford Fourteens is currently up with carandclassic.co.ukand looks to be a sound car worth investigating further. Asking price is £23 000 and the car ready to move on. Chassis 21723, JYP 372. Should the numberplate seem familiar there were JYP 371, 372, 373, 376, 377, 378, 379 and 380 registrations all taken by TA 14s.

Red Triangle are currently selling a nice looking Mulliners Saloon in black/ivory, price is POA.

A rather sad looking Carbodies Dhc. Is still available for sale in the Netherlands and also shown on carandclassic. co.uk. The price is still 16 950 euros for this restoration project. Chassis 21913, 508 NUU.

eBay has a nice looking Maroon Mulliners Saloon up for £7750, JOK 606, chassis 22947. Having spent time in long term storage she looks like a good car to consider for tidying up and running. Numberplate has value but would be a shame to split from the car.

Yet another Mulliners available on eBay, this time for sale by Auction that finishes in 2 days. Current highest bid is £1417. GYD 457, chassis no.not known. Could be a bargain. DVLA gives the colour as bronze not blue.

At the bottom end of the TA 14 price range is a sad looking Mulliners saloon also on eBay. Could be a car that is bought for spares although with the purchase of some body parts could be a restoration project or perhaps the basis of a Special. No chassis number currently known.

Finally a wonderful 1990 Ford Granada Scorpio is emerging from long term storage and is up for Auction on eBay. My car since new, all details on eBay.

Happy Motoring.

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

Mulliners TA14 PRE 606 Chassis No. 22002 seeking relocation to a new home. – see full details on carandclassic.co.uk. Priced sensibly and open to offers – must be sold and relocated ASAP – space is needed. been in the same family for 40 years.

Fourteens have taken up residence all over the globe and there is always activity is going on in their worlds.

TB 14 chassis 23579 is quite a traveller having lived in England, then The Netherlands, where as a Grey car she was known as the Grey Whale. She then came back to the West Country and now lives in South Carolina. Having recently crossed the ‘pond’ she was entered into the very prestigious Amelia Island Concours Show, Florida and achieved the Class award. Up against very stiff competition from the likes of Ferrari, Delahaye, Bentley, Alfa Romeo etc.,some with professional polishers and handlers (sounds like Crufts) the award flew the flag for Alvis and was a great achievement. The immaculate presentation resulted from many hours of polishing by her owners including 20 hours on the engine alone and superb human colour coordination with the upholstery!

In Canada a major restoration, by her long term owner draws to a conclusion for Carbodies Drophead chassis 22324. She is going to be a stunning sight on the roads of Canada in the near future.

Jumping down under to New Zealand, there is a Carbodies Drophead chassis 23119 that emigrated from Wales in 1959 with her family. The photo below shows her current owner enjoying time with his father’s car in Wales. The old Jesuit saying slightly modified says ‘Give me the child growing up with the family Alvis and I will give you the future Alvis owner’ is shown to be so true time and again.

Fast forward to 2023 and the small boy is indeed become the owner of the family Alvis. Now based near Wellington, New Zealand the car is undergoing a ground up restoration and should be a magnificent sight once she is back on the road.

Another labour of love is the ongoing restoration of 3L3 based in The Netherlands. Being one of the development cars for the future 3 litre TA 21 she is more complex than a standard Mulliners Saloon and the 3 litre engine reduces the space under the bonnet. A unique car she is the only one of the 3 development cars to have survived.

Many other countries are home to active Fourteens including Ireland, France, Belgium,Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Malta, Pakistan, South Africa, Uruguay, Australia etc..

The Tickford Drophead TA 14 was designed Post War but this photo of a 1939 Rover 14 horse power 3 position Drophead Coupe shows that Tickford was certainly not designing from scratch. The rolling chassis that arrived at the works would already have had the Alvis radiator and front wings so take out the running boards, a few tweaks and you are nearly there. Salmons and Sons were the Coachbuilders before the war and renamed Tickford Ltd in 1943.

Staying with Tickfords, the son of the original owner of chassis 21630, JYF 60 would love to trace the car. We have no records as to what happened to her. Originally Grey with Red trim and Grey Hood, do you know where she is now?

An interesting video on synthetic fuels can be found on Youtube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNrGZC8h4Fg&t=167s

Will this be the future for classic car owners?

On a lighter note a wonderful coffee table book is ‘Salmons & Sons’: The Tickford Coachbuilders by Denis C.Maynard. The book is available from several retailers advertising on the internet and for Tickford owners a nice addition to the library.

Carbodies owners are not left out as they have their Coachbuilder covered in ‘Carbodies The Complete Story’ by Bill Munro.

Bill has also written a book about the Alvis Saracens plus quite a lot of books on other marques.

The new 327 page Holden’s Manual, 12th edition for vintage and classic cars is now published and available. Whilst the web site gives information there is nothing like browsing the paper copy to whet the appetite for future purchases. Holdens is now part of the SNG Barrett Group who are the exclusive manufacturers and global suppliers of the Lucas Classic range of parts for classic cars. The Lucas spare parts even arrive in the iconic Lucas red and black boxes. They are also the exclusive manufacturers of Girling Classic parts for cars. The website is holden.co.uk and phone number +44 (0) 1885 488 488.

Another useful spares/parts company is SVC. They have also recently produced a new edition of their paper catalogue with the usual on line catalogue as well. With the addition of many more new parts it is another very useful catalogue. The website is s-v-c.co.uk and phone number is +44 (0) 1684 219863.

In the event that you have not yet commissioned a bath towel with the photo of your Fourteen as shown in the previous Post then how about this to tempt you. A personalised Yoga mat with the picture of your Fourteen, very useful for getting under the car.

Does anyone knows the whereabouts of Mulliners TA 14, SO 8780, chassis 23026. last heard of in the Tyne and Wear area in 2013.

In 1973 the latest thing was the opportunity to have fibreglass wings. Many of the cars had reached a low point in their value and had time outside in the rain and the cold with the resulting rust creeping across the wings. With the exciting cars such as the Lotus Elan and Daimler Dart having fibreglass bodies that modern material seemed the answer. Few cars are advertised today with fibreglass wings but they probably kept some Fourteens on the road for an extra few years through the lean times.

The J & M Classic models of TA 14s are becoming scarcer to find particularly for certain Models. Even rarer is the one off model of the only TA 14 racing car known as ‘The Tank’. Based on the historic model in the museum at Le Mans it was commissioned for TOGMAC from specialist Model builders BTS Mouldings. TOGMAC was The Old Garage Model Automobile Collection. This was a 50 year collection of model cars telling the history of the automobile and automobile racing. Sadly at the end of 2022/early 2023 the whole collection was put up for sale by Auction with the Excalibur Auction House.

The hand built resin model of The Tank had an auction estimate of £40-£60 but went for £130, a good price for the purchaser as it was not promoted to Alvis enthusiasts.

This compares seems to compare favourably with the model of the tank found in the Le Mans Museum.

When the first completed Mulliners Saloons left the Alvis factory in November 1946 there was an anticipation that these cars would be quickly snapped up and out to enthusiastic new owners. Body number M1 was allocated to Brooklands of Bond Street, Mayfair, London, one of the main Alvis Dealers. She actually stayed with them for a couple of years and after being nudged by Alvis, was only released 2 years later. Her new owner was Richard Henry Brinkley Norton the 6th Baron Grantley and Baron of Markenfield who was described as both hilarious and outrageous, his portrait is in the National Gallery. He was known as ‘The Wicked Uncle of the Film World’ because of his monocle and sinister expression. He was the Managing Director of Pinewood Studios and Chairman of the British Film Producers Association. He had the reputation as a witty raconteur and mixed with the likes of George Bernard Shaw. His wife Jean became the mistress of Lord Beaverbrook for a time. So chassis 20573, Mulliners Saloon Body No. M1, registration JLP 344 must have had a high old time whilst in his ownership. He passed away in 1954 and her whereabouts were lost. DVLA have no record of the numberplate.

Still in the 1950s when TA 14s were everyday cars this poor Mulliners was on the receiving end of her driver’s miscalculation. Stuck by floodwater under Flood Horns Bridge in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Whilst the photo is believed to be from 1955 it could have been the flood of 1958. Does anyone know the identity of the car?

Chassis 20664, NPD 968, Miss Tufnell. Sometimes, when researching material about a car, the eye is caught by the information relating to a nearby chassis number and hence Miss Tufnell’s ownership of a Sedanca Coupe by an unknown Coachbuilder came to notice. She must have been a lady of great motoring taste. Would Google have any information and the answer was yes. Miss Mary Tufnell came from a ‘good’ family as they said in those days being the granddaughter of the 13th Earl of Kellie/11th Earl of Mar. In her younger days she was a breeder of West Highland White Terriers. After the war she owned and lived in Rooksnest, Lambourn Berkshire with 3 other ladies so the Alvis no doubt came in very useful.

As always do keep an eye on the interesting items on the main Alvis Archive site.

alvisarchive.com

Loads to browse through and constant updates. The photograph albums are a wonderful resource and we are still trying to match photos of some cars to their chassis numbers. A good way to pass a few hours.

Don’t forget you can get a Certificate for your car from the AAT for £40 that is a very useful additional piece of provenance.

Finally it was enjoyable to reminisce recently on the ‘good old days with another Fourteen owner. One New Year’s Eve many years ago as a teenager being found by mother applying black protective paint to the underside of the Tickford’s bonnet on the Breakfast room table. I got my come uppance as the fumes made me feel sick and I missed the New Year’s Eve party. This was matched by the tale of boiling up rusty nuts and bolts in phosphoric acid on his mother’s gas cooker and using hot water on the top of the cooker to refill a thermometer bulb with ether. Two things come to mind, how tolerant our mothers were and how did we ever manage without health and safety!

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com.

The joys of owning a Fourteen gives the opportunity to embellish our homes and garages with a wide range of Fourteen related items. Mugs, cushions etc. have long been on offer but now ranges have expanded greatly hence this company offering bath towels and many other products that can be printed up with a picture of your pride and joy. What a delightful opportunity to surprise someone with a bath towel embellished with the photo of your favourite vehicle and what a talking point around the pool. Valentines Day is of course coming up soon.

Yes, this is a towel!! see Pixels.com

There are plenty of Companies offering these services also including full length curtains!

Some historic items come up on a regular basis such as the TA and TB 14 cards from Kelloggs sets. The TB 14 card sold before Christmas for £4.99 + p&p. One now available at Card Hawk for £7. The Carbodies card is still available for the modest price of £1.99 + p&p. Both on eBay. Also up for £7 with Card Hawk, cardhawk.com. A nice thing to add to your collection of Fourteen related ephemera.

Replica historic tax discs are another popular item and useful if you do not have one already, several firms can supply to order. Nice to get one for the original year of your car, again several companies offering these.

Watch faces with your car are another product and several online sites show examples of watches with Alvis cars on the dials or maybe they could put your own photo as the watch face. Standard watch circa £22.

Books come into the frame too with these samples. Chance to get the grandchildren involved

Longstone tyres have long been a popular provider of tyres for Alvis cars. A useful section of their website gives the recommendations for both TA & TB 14s in terms of Crossply or Radial tyres, worth reading at longstonetyres.co.uk. Personally chassis 21830 ‘Aunty May’ always specifies Avon Tourist Crossply tyres when time for new boots.

Colin Newby’s Article ‘problems with your waterworks’ is an example of the detailed knowledge some people have with their lifetime experience working with Alvis cars.

The Alvis Owner Club is very fortunate to have the experience of Colin as their TA 14 Technical Advisor with his wealth of knowledge relating to Fourteens.

Should you live in East Anglia you will now have the opportunity to see a very rare ‘Mulliners’ driving around. Look closely and you will however see subtle differences as the car is in actual fact bodied by Car Panels of Nuneaton. Chassis 21016 is the only known Saloon bodied by Car Panels and only one other Fourteen is believed to have been bodied by them and its fate is unknown. She was an adventurous girl in the past judging by the surrounding snow!

Below is a write up by a former owner of a trip made in 1997to discover the home of Car Panels in Nuneaton.

Another car that has recently changed hands is chassis 21776 a Mulliners Saloon. Originally exported to Australia in 1948 she wore the registration number TA 1447. Good to see that 75 years on she is still going strong and about to embark on a new life still staying in Oz. An unusual registration and rather attractive colour scheme is shown in the photo below.

We are very fortunate to have considerable numbers of high quality Alvis fettlers and restorers. Quite interesting to set aside some time and browse their websites some of which are listed below.

Red Triangle (Kenilworth0 is redtriangle.co.uk

Earley Engineering Ltd. (Herefordshire) is earleyeng.com

Fisher (Worcestershire)is fisherrestoration.co.uk 

Hightone Restorations Ltd. (Oxfordshire) is Hightone.co.uk

M.C.I. no email address but a go to for service and repair in the north west and with particular specialist knowledge of Fourteens. Email mick.fletcher@totalise.co.uk

The Motorist is themotorist.com

Tim Walker (Buckinghamshire) is timwalkerrestorations.co.uk

Plenty more interesting websites shown under Suppliers and Services on this site. Anyone with a recommendation for excellent work can write in so that we can share the information.

For TB 14 owners there has always been a dearth of information about the Coachbuilder, A.P.Metalcraft. Very kindly the Herbert Museum has provided some notes that help to flesh out the bones for us. 

Should this whet the appetite of a non TB 14 Fourteen enthusiast there is a lovely one currently up for sale in Austria. Ruby,  chassis 23577 has been out in Austria for about 10 years and is available for an asking price of 120 000 euros. She is a lovely car and yes she has had the cocktail cabinet fitted!

Should you just want to enjoy the experience of driving along in a TB 14 see chassis 23555 in the TB 14 Gallery. then sit back, relax and feel the wind in your hair. Just remember in this car there is a Chevy V8 under the bonnet!

In carandclassic.co.uk there are not many new offerings but relevant to note that Doris is available for sale and well worth a look if you are considering a Mulliners Saloon and priced at £13 495. She is one of the later   cars with the Mulliners Saloon bodies and well known to the Alvis Owner Club.

As our cars were coachbuilt there was some latitude for prospective owners to add to the not insignificant costs and specify extras. One Carbodies, chassis  23378 is the only known one to have been fitted with quarter lights as shown in the photo. Quite a good extra in the days before air conditioning.

Finally the sun is starting to shine and time to start brushing off the dust and thinking about a wash and brush up- for the car of course!

eileen4ta.tb14s@eileen4tatb14s