THE EARLY YEARS
After taking over a small Coventry carburettor manufacturer named Holley Bros. the original company, TG John and Co. Ltd., was founded in 1919. It originally made stationary engines and motor scooters. The company’s founder, naval architect T.G. John, was approached by Geoffrey de Freville with advanced designs for a 4-cylinder engine with aluminium pistons and pressure lubrication.
It is thought that de Freville proposed the name Alvis combining the words “aluminium” and “vis” (meaning “strength” in Latin) although de Freville himself denied it.
The first car model, the 10/30, gained a reputation for quality and performance for which the company became renown. After a trademark challenge from Avro Aviation whose logo was similar to the first Alvis winged triangle, a change was made to the now familiar inverted red triangle incorporating the word ‘Alvis’. In 1921, the company became the Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd. and moved production to Holyhead Road, Coventry.
At the end of the 1920’s the first six-cylinder engine was in production and became the foundation for the large six-cylinder cars produced throughout the 1930’s and up to the Second World War. In true Alvis tradition these cars were technically advanced with the world’s first all-synchromesh gearbox, independent front suspension and servo assisted brakes.
POST WAR
Car production resumed with the reliable and attractive four-cylinder TA14 model based on the pre-war 12/70. Capt. Smith-Clarke retired in 1950 and Willie Dunn took over as chief engineer.
In 1950 a new chassis with a 3 Litre six-cylinder engine was announced and this became the basis of all the remaining Alvis models.
In 1955, after negation with Graber, Alvis decided to base its coachwork on Graber designs and the first TC108/G model were built by Willowbrook of Loughborough and in 1958, with the launch of the TD21, production was contracted to Park Ward, coachbuilders for Rolls-Royce and Bentley. They continued to manufacture coachwork for the TD21 range, the TE21 and finally the TF21.
In 1968 the passenger car interests were relocated to Kenilworth along with the complete stock of spares, nearly 22,000 Car Records and over 50,000 works drawings, technical data sheets and correspondence files and as Red Triangle they have continued to provide support for passenger car owners to the present day.
TODAY
The Alvis Car Company has now resumed production of the famous Alvis 4.3 Litre model, 72 years after the last 4.3 Litre car was produced. This Alvis model was the fastest non-supercharged production car of its day, and the all-British “Continuation Series” will live up to that heritage. Manufactured from the original works drawings, the car will be powered by the Alvis 4.3 Litre six-cylinder engine faithfully produced to the 1936 design and retaining all its period character and quality, but utilising modern technology for emission compliance as well as delivering even more power.
THE CONTINUATION SERIES
The Alvis Car Company are manufacturing to special order a limited number of famous Alvis models. They are faithful to the original design and by using our Works Drawings from the period they retain all their traditional character and quality, yet are emission compliant. The cars carry Alvis chassis numbers and engine numbers which follow on from the last in the model sequence, which is why they have been designated the Continuation Series.
Images and content credit: The Alvis Car Company
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