Can it really be that time of the year again?

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

England Expects

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

So many Fourteens, so little garage space!

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

Home Wanted!

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.

The Global Garage

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 Sun is shining, Spring is on its way!!

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

‘Twas the night before Christmas

With Christmas almost upon us it is to be hoped that some enticing Alvis related gifts will be wrapped and laid out under the Christmas tree amongst the socks!

For future reference or to treat yourself it is worth going on the Red Triangle site, redtriangle.co.uk to see the tempting items available.

First item shown is the splendid new book Alvis Society-A Century of Drivers by the leading Alvis Motoring Historian Dave Culshaw.

A beautiful hardback book to grace your coffee table and full of fascinating information about the numerous famous people who have owned Alvis Cars, many of the cars being TA/TB 14s. Included in the book is the first ever complete listing of every Alvis car ever made, 1920-1967. A great addition to anyone’s Alvis related ‘library’. £44-95 + p&p. Also. Many previously unseen photos and original works material.

Next is the new ability to have a brand new Drivers’ Manual as per the original quality. Not a photocopy as has previously been available. Full details on the Red Triangle site but a very tempting item to go with your car and keep the photocopy in the glovebox.. £34-95 + p&p.

Sadly the new Coachbuilders plates do not yet include our own Coachbuilders but hopefully in time?

The Alvis tool roll with set of tools looks very tempting and useful to pop in the back of the Alvis.

The set of 8 prints of Alvis cars through the years shows a lovely red Carbodies and it is £9-95 +p&p for the single high quality print.

Finally some more books to acquire that make essential Alvis reading.

So if you received cash donations for Christmas………

With the ever ongoing need for spares it is worth checking out the large quantity of spares for sale by Alois Grubemuller at ag@cablelink.at. They are advertised on the AOC Calendar but there are more spares not photographed. Tucked up amongst the photos are spares and body parts for Fourteens and Alois is a Fourteen owner. Some nice Mulliners doors stand out. There are plenty more spares not in the photos so worth making contact to discuss requirements. Factor in postage from Austria.

Several bulk collections of spares for Fourteens have been sold recently but if you have any surplus we can always put them on ‘ABay’, see heading above and free for all. Helps to create more space in your garage or workshop unless of course you are in the buying mode. We can post up spares wanted as well. Always worth keeping a few of the larger spares such as rear wheel cover and chrome radiator. Some availability up on Abay. Nave plate spares are useful as difficult to get hold of these days.

For Tickford Dhc.owners we have recently been donated a pair of pram irons by a gentleman in Bradford currently restoring a Tickford. This means no pattern making if you seek to have pram irons cast.. These are somewhat as hen’s teeth if you do not have a set of your own or they are the hollow ones that are too fragile to use for casting having rotted from the inside! A set has already been cast from them by Monkman Brass Foundry of Bradford for a very acceptable price, see Suppliers and Services above for contact details of the Company. The pram irons can be borrowed to allow for the casting of a set. A donation to the Alvis Archive Trust will be required for the loan.

Also on Abay have a look at Beatrice. A lovely Carbodies, chassis 23361 who could be the perfect car for you to start 2023. She is an older restoration but still looks very good.

In this busy world it is nice to take time and browse through old Bulletins etc. to see Fourteens in their younger days. For those without paper Bulletins go to the site for The Alvis Archive Trust to purchase the disc or stick of all old Bulletins up to 2012, about £30. You can then upload the Bulletins onto your computer. Contact details on website alvisarchive.com to acquire the disk or stick.

Bulletin 142 from June 1965 devotes the front cover to show the proud owner of Carbodies chassis 22470 receiving the award for ‘Best Car in the car Park’ at the 10th National Alvis Day, Crystal Palace. A mere 17 years old at the time she looked very tidy. Later she moved to The Netherlands where she is very cherished.

Another Carbodies TA 14, chassis 22548 was the star of the show and featured on page 5 of the Bulletin. The registration ARB 14 was one of the most well known at the time being the property of the late Ron Buck and most deservedly usually won most prizes going.

ARB 14 has now reverted to her original registration and is alive and well in Southern England still attending Alvis Days and looking very smart.

Finally for the photos in Bulletin 142 comes the TA 14 described as the most immaculate Saloon in existence. Chassis 21536, JP 6741 is still going strong and now shown on DVLA as being Beige in colour.

So certainly the TA 14s were head turners back in the day as they are now.

As a potential Dutch purchaser of a new Drophead Alvis after the war you would probably have made a beeline for the 1949 Motor Show in Amsterdam. Expecting to see Carbodies or maybe Tickford coachbuilt cars you might not have recognised the Pennock with its strong leanings towards the American styling of the day. This cabriolet with its sleek faired In styling and whitewall tyres does not even bear the Alvis radiator but showed what could be done with the running Alvis chassis. Constructed on chassis no. thought to be 23494 she was later rebodied as a Special.

Staying on the Continent a barn find Carbodies has emerged in Germany and reported on Facebook Alvis Cars 1919-date.

Anyone with any further details of the car?

We are always appealing for photographs of our cars and it is much appreciated when someone goes out of their way to send some in.

This rare photograph of chassis 23474 recently arrived from the son of someone who used to work for University Motors, presumably they were offering the car for sale.

Sad to see the rather run down state of this unique car originally bodied by Bosistos of Bristol and owned by racing driver Archie Scott Brown. Currently no knowledge of her whereabouts.

Another very kind effort has been the sending to us from Belgium of a period photograph of The Tank, the only TA 14 racing car chassis 20528. This car ran in the 1949 Le Mans race driven by Louis Eggen and his Co driver Emmanuel Kraft de La Seaulx, Chevalier, both from Belgium.

The Tank lasted a very creditable 6 laps of the Le Mans race before engine trouble forced retirement. Fastest lap averaged 80.95 kph.

Sadly there are occasionally times when an owner, of a cherished car, passes away and it is left to family members/executors to deal with the cars.

In an effort to help people at these difficult times DVLA has a team dedicated to the sensitive handling and dealing with such matters. Go to the DVLA and ask for the ‘Sensitive Case Unit’ team.

Another very useful organisation is SAGA. Their website gives detailed advice on Inheritance etc.. one such example is that if the owner of a car passes away the insurance lapses immediately.

With advice that the weather may turn cold after Boxing Day why not enjoy a gentle drive in Canada with a very original green TB 14 that was put up for sale.

Go to vimeo.com/730471667 and enjoy the ride.

Great excitement recently when we received details of another Tickford body number (takes all sorts!). So this takes us up to 15 cars with body numbers. Removal of the wooden caps over the doors should then show a 4 digit number written on the back starting with a 2. Have a check to see if you can find the body number if not already known. It should also be on the back of every piece of internal decorative wood. Good for provenance if you find it.

Quite enjoyable to watch clips of film of old Motor Shows, particularly the Pathe news. The start of the 1948 London Motor Show featured the TB 14 prototype as it was one of the stars of the Show.

Finally another year draws to a close and one can only hope that the new one sees further reduction in Covid severity and peace in Ukraine.

Very Best Wishes to everyone for Christmas and New Year 2023 and thank you for reading.

Eileen and Terry.

” MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT”

Barn Finds ????

Based in W Sussex. Vendor would ideally like to sell as a job lot! Offers to be considered?

SVS424 Chassis  20965  Black – on the left in the photo

KSV601 Chassis  23055  Green & Cream – in the middle on the photo

GMJ492 Chassis 23031  White – on the right in the photo.

Three TA14s – one Carbodies drophead and two saloons.  All have been in dry storage for 10-15 years now.  The coupe and one saloon ran before going into storage and both of these have had restoration started, so not all parts are on the vehicles, but are present. The other saloon has had some parts taken off in preparation for restoration. There are many spares with the vehicle’s: – engine; gearboxes; axle and more.

There is a literal “barn full” which includes three complete cars (including interiors / glass) plus additional spares.

Logbooks for all three. 

They all require restoration: –

1 x Alvis TA14 drophead coupe by Carbodies (this was running before going in to dry storage)

2 x Alvis TA14 Saloon models (one of these was running before going in to dry storage)

One (and a half!) spare engines

Three, (possibly four or five!) spare gearboxes

Front axle (maybe more)

Numerous parts, bits and pieces.

Saloon Wanted!!

Do you have a nice Mulliners saloon you are thinking of selling?

Not a restoration project but a car in good condition ready to drive.

Looks like the prospective owner can offer a good home and of course no selling fees.

Contact me Eileen Goddin on eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com  

July Jottings!

Following the previous Post with the sad announcement of the passing of Richard Williamson I am pleased to confirm that all his cars and spares have found a new home.

A TA 14 owner has purchased everything and the clearance is nearly complete. Good to know everything has been saved.

In due course there will be an addition to the bookshelf for Alvis cars. This will be a book about Alvis cars in Australia and will be in a while. Whilst assisting the author it became apparent that we know very little about the Coachbuilder for the TB 14, some 7 of which were exported new to Australia. They were supplied to Tozer, Kemsley & Millbourne Ltd., of 84 Fenchurch Street, London. EC3. This Company then exported them to Devon Motors of Melbourne, Markwell Bros., Brisbane, Highway Motors, Adelaide plus one private owner.

A.P.Metalcraft were the Coachbuilders commissioned by Alvis to make the 100 TB 14s. They were the successors of A.P.A. Aircraft. The name comes from A.E.Austin and Mr Perks. These 2 gentlemen had been with Cross and Ellis before the War. They were commissioned by the Wartime government to make panels for the Blenheim aircraft during the war. So a parallel to Saab?

The Company was based in Stoke Row, Coventry so convenient for Alvis.

Below is an interesting Article written by an owner in 1967. It should be noted that King and Taylor built the prototype, chassis 22568 that followed the Bidee Bros. Special, both actually being TA 14s

Any more information about A.P.Metalcraft would be appreciated.

Also sought are drawings for the TA 14 that raced at Le Mans. May not exist but just maybe tucked up in a book somewhere?

Staying with TB 14s, a quiet car has just reappeared and is available for sale. Chassis 23598 JGB 56 has spent time in Canada and Alaska following her life in Scotland since 1968.

The advert is shown here to whet the appetite for this ‘Flamboyant’ car with only 35 000 miles on the clock. Will she return to the Motherland?

Alvis TB14

Classic. Rare. Exotic.

 “A thoroughbred, with some surprises’’

—Tony Dron, Thoroughbred and Classic Cars

 “’Flamboyant’” is the only word for this British sportscar”

–conceptcarz

Designed by Belgian coachbuilder FJ Bidee, built by former Riley aircraft employees at AP Metalcraft of Coventry in 1950, this Alvis TB14 is number 98 of only 100 ever produced.

The current owner bought this classic in 1968, in Scotland, from the original owner. It’s a roadworthy driver, not a concourse model, and has been taken out on the road every summer for festivals, parades, and special events, to the joy of the local populace in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.

The Alvis TB14 is as sporty a ride as it appearance suggests. In a test-drive in 1995, Classic and Sports Car Magazine found that “Rolling along, you soon find that the gear change has excellent synchromesh….The cam-and-peg steering…makes manoeuvring fun….[with] its neutral cornering stance and decent radial-aided adhesion, it handles very well.” Tony Dron said “the steering itself…had that ‘true’ feel which one associates with a good beam front axle design.”

Specs and Features

• All-steel shell, welded and riveted in small sections;
• Timber floorboards and dash, aluminum door skins, boot and bonnet lids and hood tonneau;
• 1.9-litre engine fitted with twin SU carburetors offering nearly 70 horsepower;
• Suspension comprised of non-independent leaf springs at all four corners;
• Heavily cut-away door tops, rear hinged doors, long, sweeping front wings and a fold down windscreen;
• 35,000 miles on odometer;
• In good mechanical condition: almost completely original, some professional work done on engine; rebored for oversize pistons, head ground, valve sleeves relined in 2002.
• New vinyl canopy and removable side windows;
• Radial tires have improved driving comfort;
• Tools and some parts come with car, with the original instruction manuals.

For more information please write hectorm@northwestel.net.

• Contact Name : Hector MacKenzie
• Make : Alvis
• Model : TB14
• Year : 1950
• Mileage : 35,000 miles

https://oecc.ca/oecc_listing/alvis-roadster/?fbclid=IwAR3o_FZnZSvgGwH5g51ymgHwidcDBwCMZllMhmyfGlFaj3RFuagoDBek2o8

Recently had cause to advertise one of Dagenham’s finest on eBay and carand classic. Can thoroughly recommend the free advertising service provided by carandclassic, they did what they said on the tin. For anyone advertising with a classified advert on eBay be aware of the following. Within minutes of the eBay advert going live the car was sold at the asking price. Only to find that when we were contacted by the ‘buyer’ it was only to open negotiations for a lower price and we were stuck for 4 days before we could deal with anyone else.

There is still a good selection of TA 14s on carandclassic including a real head turner.

Chassis 22941, FAV 169 could never pass unnoticed and is available for an asking price of £35 000.

Fitted with a 3 litre Alvis engine she is quite far away from our usual Fourteens but does look fun!

Also the unique Car Panels of Nuneaton Saloon was available for Auction today and looking smart in blue. Should she not sell, the Auctioneers are Hampsons Auctions of Northwich, Cheshire.

Also available, a Duncan part restored, should make an interesting project.

The elegant grey Mulliners ‘Doris’is sadly back on sale. Hope she will find a permanent home soon.

Recently a Fourteen enthusiast bought original Driver’s Manual and Spares Catalogue and found a bonus inside. Correspondence between Alvis and Henry Buck concerning his Mulliners Saloon, chassis 22062. So far we cannot produce a link to the Buck family, keen Fourteen enthusiasts including Ron Buck. Also no record that Henry was a Member of the AOC. Does anyone know more? We never knew the registration only that she left the Alvis factory on the 19th May 1948 and was given the Mulliners body no. M431. Henry was her second owner and there the trail goes cold in the 1960s.

henry-buck-letter-1Download

henry-buck-letter-2Download

Enjoy the rest of the Summer

eileen4ta.tb14s@rocketmail.com