Lot Ended
Description
Substantially restored about 25 years ago and lightly used since; lots
of history; recent brake overhaul; carbs rebuilt; use-and-improve
Better known
simply as the Three-Litre, the Alvis TA21 was launched in 1950 as the successor
to the TA14 and was the company’s first all new post-war car. More streamlined
than its predecessor, it was also wider and longer with a stiffer chassis and
considerably more power from an all-new six-cylinder engine. Other improvements
included Lockheed hydraulic brakes, independent front suspension with coil
springs and adjustable Luvax hydraulic dampers.
Coachwork was normally
of the traditional four-door sports saloon type by Mulliner and the accent was
on luxury and refinement. Initially rated at 86bhp with a single Solex
carb, the power output soon rose to 93bhp with the adoption of twin SU carbs,
raising the top speed close to the magic ton.
This Mulliner-bodied
twin-carb saloon comes with copies of the factory build sheets showing that it
left the Alvis works in June 1952 finished in Grey with a sunshine roof and a
red Vaumol interior destined for Henry Farr & Son of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
It seems to have gone back to the factory in February 1967 to have the engine
rebuilt with new pistons, bearings etc.
The buff
logbook lists six owners up to 1977 and in 1998 it was acquired by a Mr G Grant
of Spalding who substantially restored the car over the next three or four
years, as detailed in numerous invoices and various photos on file. The finished
car looked very nice indeed having been repainted in light blue metallic with
red painted radiator slats (see last photo).
There are a few more invoices for routine upkeep over the next dozen
years or so, including a major service in October 2011 when the odometer was
showing 3,488 miles. Nine old MOTs show that the car covered some 2,000 miles
between 2001 and 2011 and it seems to have been barely used since, the odometer
currently showing 3,517 miles.
Our vendor
acquired the car from a dealer in Bedfordshire early last year (for
considerably more than the guide price suggested here), by which time it had
already been repainted in its current black/ivory livery. He has spent around
£1,600 getting the brakes rebuilt and the carbs overhauled and
believes that it had a new set of tyres and much new wiring not too
long before he acquired it.
He was intending
to get the interior smartened up but a knee injury means he can no longer drive
the car or comfortably work on it, hence its appearance in this sale.
We are told that the Alvis runs and drives well and it
has certainly been starting promptly and running nicely as we have moved it
around on site, with good 50psi oil pressure.
It comes with the original
Alvis jack and wheel-changing kit and the spare tyre looks virtually new. An
original handbook is also present and it retains its original
Staffordshire-issue number plate, XRE 883, which is transferable according to
the V5C and no doubt has a value of its own.
These Three-Litres were fast cars in their day and are still a
capable A-B machine in the right hands. This one would benefit from some
smartening up here and there but it looks like a lot of Alvis quality and
performance at the modest guide price suggested.
Consigned
by James Dennison – 07970 309907 –
james.dennison@brightwells.com