1951 Alvis TA 21 DHC *Sold £20,000*

Description

• 3.0-litre straight six engine
• Long term ownership
• Stored for three years
• Recently re-commissioned
• New MOT to 18th July 2024
• 1 of 302 Tickford Coachbuilt cars

Alvis is one of the great names of the British motor industry. The Coventry firm pioneered a reputation for quality and style. More upmarket than Armstrong-Siddeley, less ostentatious  than a Bentley. Always a thoroughbred though.

Alvis had a reputation as an innovator, too. The TA 21 is no exception. In 1950 a new chassis with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine was announced and this became the basis of all the Alvis models.

The new TA 21 had saloon bodies by Mulliner and Tickford produced the dropheads.

This Alvis TA 21 is listed on the Alvis register.

History

Our vendor, John, is selling this Alvis on behalf of his sister. The car and two other Alvis models (one seen in the images) were known to them for a number of years.

A friend owned all three of them and they would go to shows and events together. When he sadly passed, this car went to John’s sister.

• First registered 8 September 1951
• Chassis number 24128
• Owned for the last ten years
• Three years ago it went into an air conditioned storage unit
• It is the same unit that Honda UK plc used to house all its first edition models
• John used it for his own wedding
• It has not been a “wedding car”
• Once out of storage it was recommissioned
• Comes with a new MOT dated 19th July 2023

Outside

• Royal Blue over Marine Blue paintwork
• Centre hinged bonnet
• Forward opening two door coupe style
• Steel wheels colour coded to the coachwork
• Alvis chrome wheel trims
• Bumper bar and badges
• Matching Royal Blue hood with White Piping
• Hood cover

The Alvis TA 21 was unveiled at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show. The public loved it. Alvis took 1,300 orders at the Show. In 1951 the drophead coupe arrived. The bodywork of the drophead was manufactured by Tickford, and in very small numbers, just 302 according to the most reliable sources.

The impressive radiator grille along with the other external chrome look to be in great condition, more so given the age of the Alvis and the British weather.

As you’d expect there are of course, cosmetic wear & tear and age related marks on the coachwork. Images are in the Gallery.

The stand out point on the Alvis is that cleverly built hood. It has three positions. When it is fully up, it fits in with the contours of the Alvis. With it fully open, it folds flat under its own button down cover. The clever and immensely practical bit is that it can used be three quarters open in Coupe de Ville style.

You’ll see from the images how stylish it looks with the roof fully folded and tucked away and all four windows dropped. They don’t make cars like this anymore.

Inside

• Dove Grey Leather
• Matching door cards
• Wooden dash
• Polished wooden door cappings
• Full size rear seats with fold-away arm rest
• Blue carpeting throughout
• Three spoke steering wheel
• Dash mounted rear view mirror

Fitting almost flush to the windscreen, is the plain, unfussy walnut dashboard. Its centre-piece is the large speedo flanked on each side by two gauges with an array of ivory coloured switchgear beneath. The dash is overdue some clear coat and polish as you can see.

The leather has been re-stained. The seats, door cards and carpets are, overall, in good condition. The driver’s seat base has a small tear. You can see the extent of it in the Gallery

The original three spoke steering wheel, with fixed centre boss depicting the famous red triangle in the claws of an eagle, is impressive.

You can easily see how TA 21 owners must have enjoyed that feeling, looking down the long bonnet as this distinguished but not ostentatious classic car swept up the miles in the Britain of the ’50s.

Mechanicals

The Alvis TA 21 was ahead of its time and because of that it has stood the test of time too.

• 2,993cc straight six engine
• Twin SU carburettors
• 95bhp
• Overhead valve
• Seven bearing crankshaft
• Rear chain driven camshaft
• Four speed gearbox
• Hydraulic Girling/Lockheed brakes
• Coil-sprung independent front suspension
• Solid rear axle mounted on long semi-elliptic leaf springs

Aside from shows, events and John’s wedding, the Alvis had light use before it entered storage.

John takes up the story of it coming out;

“We went to the unit to run the Alvis up. We checked the oil, that was fine. We checked the radiator, and could see it needed topping up. As we filled it, it ran straight out of the bottom of the rad. I took it back to my man cave and started the recommissioning process.

• The core plugs were replaced
• The carbs were removed, stripped, cleaned and refitted
• New fuel lines were installed
• The ball joints were replaced
• New rubbers were fitted underneath
• The Alvis had a full service
• New brake master and wheel cylinders were fitted

There were some other bits done too as I gave the Alvis a general overhaul. The invoices I have are around £1,500. I took the car for an MOT on the 12 July 2023, it failed on the rear brakes imbalance and a stop lamp bulb, but had no advisories. Having fixed those minor things I returned on the 19 July 2023 and it passed, all clear”.

That says a lot about John’s recommissioning but as much again about the build quality and engineering of the Alvis Car Company.

Summary

The obvious has to be stated, the Alvis TA 21 is an enchanting piece of British motoring history. Cosmetically it isn’t concours and it is for the lucky new owner whether to leave it as is, or not. We know what we’d do.

Either way it is has a lot going for it. The simple fact that the vendor has just put it through an MOT which it didn’t technically need and it flew through, says a lot.

This one is verified by virtue of it being on the Alvis Register. These were built in limited numbers and now are becoming increasingly rare and very collectable items.

A genuine RHD, drop dead gorgeous, drophead.