Alvis Fourteen

It is really lovely when a period photograph comes to light and even better when we have direct links to the early owners.

LYD 995, chassis 23763 is one such Mulliners. A photo taken in 1951 at North Hill, Minehead, Somerset shows Mr W.E. Challice with his daughter in 1951. Mr Challice ran W. E. Challice Ltd. in Cannington, Bridgewater and was an Alvis Dealer. We know that at least 2 other Mulliners TA 14s were sold by him, chassis 22059 and chassis 22359.
Mr Challice must have liked the car as he ran it from Spring 1950 until the eventual sale to Kraft Productions of Cornborough Place, Bridgewater, Somerset where the trail goes cold.

Another charming photo is that of chassis 20821, HDU 160.
This interesting TA 14 is a 2 door fixed head.

For those needing some Bonnet catches there is a set of 4 on eBay with an asking price of £24-99. They look as though they are suitable for a TA 14 and are used.

For £275 there is a new ‘old stock’ manifold also on eBay.

A complete windscreen opener is also available for £50 does not seem a lot.
The bonnet top for £150 could also be a good buy if you need one.
Other items of trim and spares available so worth while keeping an eye on eBay Alvis Spare Parts.

Under the books and Manuals there are usually some items of interest.
The Catalogue of Spare Parts for TA/TB 14s is on offer for £125 in its original style. To acquire a cheaper copy order a reprint from Red Triangle. The original Drivers Manual for a starting bid of £14.99 was promptly snapped up and represented good value for money.
For anyone wanting to buy brochures from past Alvis Owner Club National/International events there are quite a few up for sale on eBay and the going rate seems around £10 plus p&p. Nice to have if your car was a participant at the event.
Interesting to note that old Alvis Day pamphlets are on offer, £10 to £15. Should be of interest if you Car was attending that year.

There is an interesting website for a Company called Trade Classics. The main business is the sales of Classic Cars by Auction or Private Treaty. Their website is tradeclassics.com and they do include some very interesting Articles. One that caught the eye is on importing classic cars from overseas. The Article is clearly set out and a very useful introductory guide to the topic for anyone contemplating this route.

Something of interest if your TA 14 is off the road or maybe you are between Fourteens.
‘BookAClassic’ can offer the opportunity to hire a TA 14 with a chauffeur or sometimes self drive at an hourly rate. Check the website at bookaclassic.co.uk to find out more. The temptations of the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, E type Jaguars etc. will surely fade once the Black Carbodies drophead comes into view. Also there is the opportunity to offer your own car as available, ideally as chauffeured and not the self-drive option. The Carbodies is in the Potters Bar Area and can be hired for £120 per hour with a chauffeur, minimum hire £550. The self drive option is not available. Lovely idea if you want a trip down memory lane if you used to own a TA 14 or there is a family wedding coming up.

When was the last time you were called a dipstick? Thinking about it prompted a Google search to try and understand why someone would be called a fluid check mechanism?
Quite surprisingly the expression has no relationship to the above but originates in the 1920s when one could be called a dip, perhaps linked to dippy.

Finally the heatwave seems to be over but hopefully not the summer. As we all know the Fourteens have a slight tendency to overheat and it was ever thus.
Below is the advice given out to new owners at the time once they were reporting back with overheating problems. In the 1960s and 70s there was quite a thing for 8 bladed fans as were fitted to many export cars going to hotter climates.

Happy Motoring for September.

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

Two Tickfords have been sought for some years by family Members of original owners.
Amazingly they both surfaced within a week of each other.

JUL 110, chassis 21100 is currently available to purchase, located in Kidderminster. The asking price is circa £8000 having failed to sell on Ebay for £6500. The car is a partly dismantled restoration project. It is too large a project for the early owner’s family.

KLL 115, chassis 22377 is a happier story. She is under restoration scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. The current owner will be showing her to the family in due course.

Browsing or researching through old Alvis Owner Club Bulletins can be a very slow process. Interesting Articles and snippets of information pop up and take pleasant minutes to read through.

One such Article is in Bulletin 247, pages 8 & 9 describing the ‘joys’ of restoring a Mulliners Saloon that had been stored for 10 years. The restoration took a couple of years in the 1970s and it is hard not to mutter, yes that sounds familiar. Anyway good reading for those with the paper Bulletins or disc. Incentive to others to buy a copy from the Alvis Archive Trust.

Anyone heading for Sri Lanka (Ceylon as a was) should investigate to see if they can get to Colombo where you should find Alvis Place, off Alvis Terrace, now there are photos to bring home. There are hotels available to stay in with the address Alvis Place.

The prototype 3 litre based upon the TA 14 Mulliners Saloon returned to Europe recently and is now available to purchase from Norway. Ideal car for those who appreciate the fine points of TA 14s but would like more power with the 3 litre engine and other modifications. It is the only one of the original 3 left and has the chassis number 3L3. Whilst it is advertised on ‘Car and Classic’ for £12, 000 we understand that the price might be £11 000 to an Alvis enthusiast.

Hopefully the current heatwave will not cause too much overheating for the rest of the summer.

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

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

She may not be wearing a Red Triangle but our Fourteens can trace their heritage back to before the American revolution.

Whilst Karl Benz took out a patent on the first Motor Car, many years before, the world’s first self propelled vehicle was produced.
In about 1770 Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot demonstrated his steam powered self propelled ‘Fardier’ (large cart) in France and pulled a 5 ton artillery cannon. The original is housed in the Collection of the Conservatoire de Arts et Metiers, Paris and a faithful Museum quality replica lives in the Tampa Classic Car Museum, Florida.

Staying with American Car Museums the Sarasota Museum currently has a very interesting car that may look rather familiar!
Claiming to be the first true American Sportscar the 1947 Kurtis Omohundro Comet looks remarkably similar to the prototype TB 14 that was demonstrated at the 1948 London Motor Show.
The TB 14 has, of necessity, a seriously large rear as the body had to fit the TA 14 chassis. Looking at the photos the link between the 2 cars is very strong even down to the Aluminium spats.

The latest brochure from Red Triangle makes for some very interesting reading.
Options available for Alvis Cars are varied and increasing. Benefitting from their stock of original drawings, new cylinder heads, blocks, crankshafts etc. Could be a godsend if ever needed. Worthwhile going on the Red Triangle mailing list if not already on.

The TA 14 AOC Technical Advisor in Norfolk is steadily reducing his large quantity of mainly second hand spares but there is still a considerable quantity to go.
Should that be a daunting prospect consider going to the closed scrap yard in Georgia, USA owned by Dean Lewis. Thousands of cars are quietly rusting away in the woods and it is becoming a tourist attraction. Some of the cars have not been touched in sixty or seventy years. Wonder if any Fourteens for spares. Clip of the site on the BBC news website.

Some spares he could not source and a Carbodies Owner in Houston, Texas is looking to purchase a wheel brace, nave plate (hub cap) and the little chrome plated lever that operates the dip and switch fro the steering wheel horn boss. I can put you in direct touch, full p & p would be paid.

To facilitate the purchase of spare parts and access to specialised services the American Company, Classic Parts for U aims to expand its service supplying classic car parts and services. They have been selling on EBay since 2000 and have now signed a partnership deal with FIVA, Federation International Vehicules International. Use a search engine to find their site, classicparts4U. They aim to provide ‘virtual assembly support using modern voice and video communication’, welcome to the 21st century

Several TA/ TB 14s are currently for sale at present. The Mulliners Saloon advertised in the Alvis Owner Club Calendar used to be a familiar sight at Alvis Days in the past. Whilst Barn stored for some years, chassis 22947 represents a good opportunity to acquire a formerly cherished car. At offers in the region of £5000, well worth considering. There is a photo on Gallery 2.

For those considering the option of a drop head, the Carbodies owned by the late Peter Madge is another well known and cherished car now available. Chassis 22231 is also advertised in the AOC Calendar and there is a photo of the car on Gallery 2.

A rare 1948 Richard Mead Tickford bodied Fourteen, chassis 21852 will be auctioned at Bicester on April 11th by Brightwells. There is a lot of information on the Brightwells site and a guide price of £18000-£22000. The only reason for the sale of this cherished car is the advancing years of her owner. Considerable expense and care has been lavished on her. Several photos are on Gallery 1.

Anyone considering the need for more power and speed should consider the 3 litre TA 21 prototype 3L3. It is a modified TA 14 Mulliners Saloon with a 3 litre engine and various other modifications. Developed in the 1940s for the successor model to the TA 14 it is one of 3 prototypes and the only one we know to have survived. The car is now back fro the USA and is for sale in Oslo, contact details can be advised.

Quite frequently people search for a Fourteen that was in the family in the 1950s and sixties and almost as frequently the advice given is that the car has been lost or no longer exists. So it was lovely to receive an enquiry as to the whereabouts of Tickford chassis 22001and be able to put the current owner in touch with the enquirer. A lovely period photo was sent in and will go on The Gallery next week.

Some very good news is that Duckhams 20/50 is back. An oil that gave excellent performance and was for many the oil of choice for Classic Cars back in the day.

Not such good news is that DVLA will no longer provide the history of a vehicle in response to a V888 request.

Finally, next time you go to grab a beer from the fridge, give a thought to those who do the same at the Eldorado Gold mine, Southern Nevada. Somehow the dip and cheeseburgers seem less appealing!

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

The 3 litre prototype for the TA 21 is now for sale in America and was in fact the first of the 3 prototypes to be adapted and bodied. Great that she still survives but bit of a squeeze for working on the engine. 3L3 was followed by 3L2 then
3L1.

3L2 was given a very modern and striking body as shown below

There is a slight ‘nod to the American Styling that also influenced the rare ‘Tropic’ bodies put on the 14 chassis by Graber.
What a shame 3L2 was broken up.
For those with access to paper or electronic old AOC Bulletins, there is quite an extensive Article about the 3 litre prototypes in Bulletin 398, 1992.

The Driver’s manual for the new TA 21 was written by Ron Walton, author of ‘Young Ron’ and keen TA 14 man. Many will have met Ron at International Alvis Weekend 2016.
With the emphasis on making the car more appealing to lady drivers, a photo of an elegant lady was incorporated. This was not to demonstrate a feminine aspect of the new Model. The lady was shown ‘releasing the spare wheel tray and jacking up the car in a nonchalant manner’; these operations, as many owners will know requires the services of a weightlifter, never mind a beautifully dressed lady in high heels!

A further visit has been made to the Car Museum, at Rio Branco in the North of Uruguay, by our intrepid Alvis Club Member. Items for the Mulliners TA 14 and Museum were presented and it sounds like a great time was had by all. Hopefully photo to follow next month.

It is now nice to be able to offer the experience of visiting our own British Alvis Museum run by the Alvis Archive Trust. This means foreign visitors now have an Alvis Museum destination to add to their travels. Details on the main Alvis Archive site.

Ebay continues to be a good source of TA 14 spares and Memorabilia.
A note from France has highlighted the availability of 4 Nave Plates for the not unreasonable price of £77 and when this advert is pulled up there is also another advert for dashboard instruments that could be of interest. As always a selection of Fourteens to peruse and possibly purchase. Also an increasing amount of Manuals and pamphlets at seriously increasing prices. A 1966 National Alvis Day Programme on offer for £11. Nice to have if your car was there.

From the same ‘surfer’ came details of an Alvis with an identity crisis. This smart Woodie photo of a TA 14 in the USA or Oz appeared on a Lea Francis website. Of all the other car names at the time the Woodies bearing the Lea Francis badge appear the closest to the TA 14 Woodies and sometimes it is good to be able to see the badge to make the identification. The identity of this smart car would be welcome.

A Swedish owner who is restoring his Carbodies is searching for another Sun Visor. The photo shows the one to match or possibly 2 of the same vintage. This visor not being the same as the one available for Saloons.

To make sure this Post is not all Woodies, there are at least 3 TB 14s undergoing serious renovation and these photos from Sweden show one of them back to bare metal.

We should have the treat of seeing these cars completed in the not too distant future as all the renovations are active and ongoing. This English restoration shows progress up to the beautiful respray in red.

The one in the USA is progressing well.
For anyone with a well stocked cheque book, currently this lovely example is for sale in Cologne, Germany for £75k.

On the internet are some good clear photos of the car described as professionally restored. Soon it will become difficult to find a TB 14 without the Cocktail cabinet.

Garage costs are on many minds when assistance is needed but it appears this has always been the case. This vintage sign in Florida very clearly sets out the pricing structure for work.

Sticking to the American Theme, Alvis was keen to export cars to the USA after the war. Our TA 14s, even the Duncan’s, must have looked somewhat old fashioned when one could buy a car such as this Ford in 1950. The current owner bought this car about 40 years ago to remind him of the same model he owned as a student at College! 

Not advertised but probably available is a full set of window glasses for a TA 14 Gaze Utility that was recently sold. The new owner intends to put on a Special body and may not require the windows. They would probably be free to a good home if collected from Cambridge.

An enquiry has come through as to there whereabouts or fate of a Woodie, registration FA 9059. We have a slight conundrum as to the chassis number which is unknown but which might be 20774. It is possibly a Cooper bodied Woodie Due to the possibility of a mix up in Chassis numbers in the early days this may be a query that can be resolved with the Kithead Trust who hold many old original records. Should anyone have any knowledge of the car or it’s fate the family of an early owner would love to have contact.

To end on a very sad note, the sudden passing of Jennie Kindell is a great loss both to her family and the world of Alvis enthusiasts. At Alvis events over many years Jennie would be there, many times in an organising capacity to ensure the efficient running of events. Also much involved with the family Alvis Cars including Carbodies, ‘Blodwyn’, cared for by 3 generations of the family. Many will have also known Jennie in her role as ‘The Fast Grey Lady’ editing the monthly ‘Pink Calendar’ for the Alvis Owner Club. ‘51% Sweetheart, 49% Scary don’t push it’ was her slogan for the Pink and all new Fourteen owners were warned never, never try to slide anything in after a deadline!
Jennie will be so missed and our thoughts and prayers go out to Malcolm and family.

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

To end the year perhaps it is appropriate to reflect on the innate quality of our cars that has stood them and us in such good stead over the years.

In 1946 The Autocar Magazine printed a report of the experience testing the new Alvis TA 14 Model. The TA 14 was found to be:

‘the most attractive car of its size which the well known company has produced, because it adds to the typical Alvis sure-footed and lively performance on the road a degree of all-round refinement which is quite impeccable. It steers lightly and with a confident certainty, and holds the road to perfection; the suspension is not hard, but most comfortable, the engine is very smooth and quite quiet, and the engine mounting conceals how many cylinders there are. ‘The car’s excellent tractability, well spaced gear ratios and powerful brakes all came in for praise, Autocar concluding that the TA 14’s ‘very high level of excellence puts this Alvis right in the front rank.’

So what more can one say?

Following on from the bodies designed by Bidee another has been identified on a Talbot Lago following the principle of one design fits all. See the last October Post to check against the other cars.

Those browsing the main Alvis Archive site may have spotted this advertisement for the Mackanass Woodie for sale. This was spotted at the St. Gallen‘s Classic Car Show in Switzerland. It is the only TA 14 known to have been bodied by Mackinass and looks a very attractive and well maintained Woodie. The prices for these desirable vehicles has been quietly creeping up and the exchange rate is about S Fr 0.76 to £1.

There are still a plentiful amount of spares for sale in Norfolk with the Technical Advisor for TA/TB 14s, details in The Bulletin. For anyone who is not a Member of the AOC I can ask the gentleman to contact you. I understand the spares include 1/2 dozen sets of front mudguards.

There are also some very useful TA 14 spares for sale privately in the North of England. These include a couple of engines and gearboxes, a bonnet and other spares. Let me know if you want contact details.

A Carbodies Owner in the Cambridge area is looking to acquire some Carbodies rear window rubber surround. Can anyone help to sell an appropriate amount or donate a small piece for copying. Also is anyone else interested in adding to a potential order. Let me know and I’ll put you in touch.

The Anglia Car Auctions sale in November ensured all cars went to new homes. Some immediately went up for sale again. Here are the sale proceeds details.

The TIckford TA 14 that was sold at Auction in November has now safely arrived in the USA. Quite interesting to see the snug fit in the container as she prepares to set her tyres on US soil for the first time. She is now tucked up in her garage for the winter, just as well as there is currently 2ft of snow outside and the temperature is minus 10F!

Staying in the USA one of the prototype models for the TA 21 has surfaced again. These cars were modified and fitted with 3 litre engines. They were not allocated a Fourteen chassis number. Originally after the war the TA 14 was to be offered as either a 2 litre or 3 litre model so this was not such a radical development.

One less down from the Brexit v Remain debate is that concerning Specials.
There is no doubt that some very attractive Specials can be made from TA 14s.
One such, chassis 23761 is living in Holland and what a beautiful backdrop of the tulip fields for the Spring.

For those into EBay there is currently one of the premium TA 14 Mulliners Sales brochures available for £89.99, prices are rising.

All over the world the arrival of Santa is looked forward to by children of all ages. Popular myth advises that, Christmas Eve he will be on his way with the presents piled into a sleigh pulled by a reindeer with a red nose! Oh no, no, no, an Urban Myth!
A rare sighting of the real delivery vehicle has occurred as shown below including the real red nose.

‘Now it is just time to say goodbye’ (as Pete and Dud would say!) to 2017 and wish everyone a Very Happy New Year.

Eileen, Terry and Aunty May (chassis 21830).

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

A recent visit to the Le Mans Motor Racing Museum has paid great dividends.

The existence of the TA 14 racing car, chassis 20528, has been known and documented in the past but now there is more!
In the circular Exhibition Room, display cabinets contain models of the post-war racing cars. Bated breath approaching the 1st Cabinet for 1949. There she is, a model of number 32, ‘The Tank’ in her yellow Belgian National racing colours and sporting the number 32.

The colours allocated to National Teams originated with the 1st Gordon Bennet race in 1900. Britain did not race with a team until 1902 and by then the colours red, white and blue had already been allocated so Olive green (Shamrock Green) was chosen as the race was held in Ireland and that developed over a short space of time to become British Racing Green.
For Le Mans the entry was from Belgium and so yellow was used despite the Alvis originating from Great Britain.

Not only do we now have photos of the model but there were also 2 more photographs that actually show her racing.

The first photo shows the start of the race and demonstrates a good start with other competitors still on the grid or behind.

The icing on the cake is the photo below showing her overtaking 2 cars on a bend. On of the cars being overtaken is number 34, an HRG 1500 lightweight that lasted 13 hours.

Sadly after an hour covering 6 Laps a big end failed and the race for our valiant TA 14 was over. Had there not been searing heat on the day and perhaps more ventilation under the bonnet, who knows what she might have achieved?

Tyres are a topic where many have fixed views and Fourteens are up amongst the serious discussions, radials versus cross ply.
Some points for either should be born in mind. Some tyres, particularly those on Special Offers, could have sat on the shelves for up to 5 years and still be legal to be sold as new. It is a good idea to specify the age a tyre should be when it is purchased. There is a lozenge stamped on the side wall of all new tyres. The first 2 numbers show the week the tyre was made. The second two numbers show the year. A tyre made in The 32 week of this year would show 3217. Thus buying if buying tyres now it is worth specifying they must not be older than 2017 even if this means missing the Special Offers. Another point to bear in mind is the tyre age when buying a car as the tyres could look pristine but be years old. Interestingly tyres age faster if not used frequently or stored away.
A life of a safe tyre should be about 5 years and then checked regularly by professionals who usually recommend 10 years as an absolute maximum. For those whose tyres have a 3 digit number on the sidewall, do not look away now. The 3 digit number shows the tyre was manufactured before the Millenium and should be replaced as soon as possible if the car goes on the road. You may find that the pristine but aged tyres could be very useful for other owners carrying out long term restoration and needing tyres whilst the project is underway.
Tyres used to be checked during an M.O.T.. When checking them do not stop at the sidewalls. It has been known for cracks to develop between the treads.
Finally Cross Ply or Radial? The longevity of radials should be academic for our cars. For most of us hard cornering does not come high on the list. The noise of the tyres can be greater with radials and the steering is heavier at slow speeds. The cost of cross ply tyres is usually cheaper than radials.
To assist with the decision making process it is worth asking to see the EU tyre assessments for differing tyres. They must be available for all new tyres since 2012 and are the colourful ‘sash’ wrapping around the new tyre. This enables you to compare:
Fuel efficiency.
Wet Grip.
Exterior noise.

‘Aunty May’ has been delighted with her Avon Tourist cross ply tyres for many years and would not want to run on anything else. They are a softer tyre and grip well in the wet.

November 4th is the big day for the sale of the Late Tom Poole’s Alvis Car Collection. In addition there is a Shooting Brake that was formerely owned by Tom plus a recently added Special that should interest those with ‘A need for Speed’. See last month’s Post for more details.
Google Anglia Car Auctions and see the whole range of the cars with their details. The sale will be held at Kings Lynn starting at noon with the viewing day on Friday 3rd November. The 4 TA 14s range between the Tickford we believe to have been owned by Einstein’s pupil, 2 Shooting Brake restoration projects that could produce fascinating examples of that delightful period style. There are not many Shooting Brakes of that style left and they epitomise the 1950s style and elegance.
The Special has been owned by the same family since 1991.

For those wanting less of a restoration project the AOC site and Pink Calendar show another Shooting Brake, Coachwork by Jones, available for sale at £16900, chassis 22186. Again a long term owner selling the car.

The above Fourteens would have been significant in themselves but the title of this month’s Post is World Exclusives!

Earlier in the month a communication was received from Belgium. A Barn find had been uncovered and information was wanted about the car. Fortunately from the photos sent we could immediately identify the car as one of the lost TA 14s bodied by Belgian Coachbuilder F.J.Bidee. That Company built the prototype TB 14 as exhibited at the 1948 Motor Show. In modified form the 100 TB 14s were then produced in Coventry by British Coachbuilder, A.P.Metalcraft.
We know of at least 70 running chassis that were exported to Belgium to the importer S.I.N.C.A. Ltd., 19 Rue de la Chancellerie, Brussels, Belgium.
The majority were very early in the production run starting with the second chassis no. 20501.
Checks on the Barn find car show that she has engine no. 23509 and further checks are to be made to see if the chassis number can be found. It may well be that she will become the earliest TA 14 known to be still in existence. Certainly one of the rarest. Also checks are being made to see if the registration number can be identified.

Below is a period photo of a Bidee Alvis.

Looking rather similar! A Bidee Jaguar !!

A Bidee Alfa Romeo!!!

‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ they say but who is flattering whom.

Follow up enquiries are to be made with the Jaguar and Alfa Romeo Clubs.

Finally keep the garage doors tightly closed and locked tonight against the ghouls and hobgoblins, Halloween is upon us.

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

A Swedish owner is wanting to finish his restoration by installing twin carbs and higher ratio back axle to his Carbodies, chassis 22583. He is seeking the twin carb arrangement and back axle that were installed on TB 14s and is prepared to pay the market price and shipping. I can put you in touch directly if you have one or both that you are willing to sell.

Does anyone have information about the Coachbuilders, Airflow Streamlines of Northampton, they bodied at least 16 Fourteens. An approach is to be made to the successor Company but all information greatly received and of particular interest to the current owners of those cars.

All the cars owned by the late Tom Poole will be going up for Auction with Anglia Car Auctions.

They include 1 or 2 TF 21s. 1 TD 21 restoration project but very complete. This car was formerly owned by Lt. Colonel E.B.Dewey. T.D. (appropriate decoration)! He was a past Chairman & President of the Alvis Owner Club in the 1950s and 1960s.

One of the jewel’s in the Auction is the Tickford TA 14, KGC 539, chassis 22204. This car was owned by Professor von Klueber who was a pupil of Einstein so what a connection. See last month’s Post for more background. The guide price looks reasonable and there is 5% buyer’s premium and commission.

There is one Utility, chassis 20628. Believed to be by Gaze and the Dealer was Brooklands of Bond Street. When you look up the photo on the Auctioneer’s site you will see that there is the potential for a fascinating restoration project!!!

As an interesting project there is an 18ft Crested Eagle Limousine. Let’s hope it does not end up with the body stripped off and turned into a Special.

In the 1970s much was made of solving corrosion problems by replacement with fibreglass. AOC Bulletin 233 has a seemingly innocuous announcement on page 4.

‘We hear from David Michie that Red Triangle are now able to supply front and rear wings and body sills in fibreglass for the TA 14, TA 21 and TC 21.’ so check carefully in case some of them are still around.

Staying with the 1970s there is an entertaining and informative Article by TA 14 owner Tony Cox. A taster is set out below but the full Article can be found in Bulletin 232, March 1973, pages 2-3.

‘Even the least inquisitive variety of TA 14 owner will probably have noticed just below the carburetor a remarkable contrivance of springs and levers reminiscent of an Emmett mousetrap. It’s purpose is at first sight obscure, and bafflement usually becomes total when it is discovered that the only dashboard control to which this mechanical hallucination is connected is the ignition switch – not by an electric wire as one might expect, but by a Bowden Cable! At this point the temptation to throw out this obviously non original bodge-up in it’s entirety is almost overpowering. However, some diligent research by a hand-picked team of retired archaeologists has resulted in the deciphering of a number of ancient scrolls known as the ‘Alvis Service Data Sheets’, which show that not only is this machinery an original Alvis fitting

(or at least an original Alvis afterthought), but it also has a name – the Afterburn Eliminator.’

Tony goes on to explain that this of course has nothing to do with afterburners on jet aircraft!

Some more recent owners may now pause in bafflement as the contraption was frequently taken out or disconnected by earlier owners.

For those interested in Coachbuilders, Amazon are selling new and used copies of the ‘A to Z of British Coachbuilders 1919 to 1960’, by the late Nick Walker, past Chairman of the Alvis Owner Club. Nick was eminently placed to write this book with his vast knowledge of the topic.

Finally I may be the last person on the planet to discover and recommend the hugely entertaining programmme, ‘Shed and Buried’, currently showing mid evening during the week on The Travel Channel on Freeview. A delightful show whereby, 2 very knowledgeable Motor Bike and old machinery enthusiasts, visit the owners of vast quantities of motor bikes, cars and mechanically related stuff. They go through the barns and piles of old ‘material’, haggle for something(s) and then go back to Oxfordshire to restore and sell. So far no Fourteens but you never know. By the looks of the photos, on the Anglia Car Auction  site, the TA 14 Utility and Crested Eagle might have been Candidates for the Show!

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com

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