Lot Ended
Description
Just five owners from new, the current since 2017; mechanically
excellent and in regular use; power steering; new MOT; one of only 80 TF saloons
made; a wonderfully usable example of this graceful and sporting
motorcar
Launched in
October 1958, the Graber-styles Alvis TD21 was an immediate success, the
combination of a luxury interior, elegant bodywork and 100mph performance
proving immensely attractive to the well-heeled clientele at which it was
aimed.
The Motor described it as having "a
Jeeves-like quality of responding to its master's whim" while Autocar praised it
as "one of the most enchanting owner-driver cars imaginable," singling out the
quality of the Park Ward coachwork with doors that "close with a majestic clunk
- more like an air of finality than a noise."
Qualities that were no doubt appreciated by owners as august as the
Dukes of Edinburgh and Windsor, Sir Douglas Bader and James Mason – all as
quintessentially English as the car.
Powered by a
torquey 120bhp 3.0 straight-six, the TD was capable of effortless
high-speed cruising and handled exceptionally well for such a stately machine.
In 1963, it was replaced by the TE21, immediately distinguished by its
stacked-headlight front end, another design flourish by Swiss coachbuilder,
Graber.
Just 349 TEs left Coventry before it was
replaced by the TF in 1966. Incorporating a number of improvements to the
suspension and dashboard, which sited the major dials in front of the driver,
the big news was the boost in power. This was raised from 130bhp to 150bhp
thanks to triple-carburettors, sufficient to give it a top speed of 120mph with
all-round disc brakes for effective stopping power. Only 106 TF models were made
(80 saloons and 26 drophead coupes) before production came to an end in
1967.
The factory build record shows that this
TF21 Automatic left the works in June 1966 destined for Henlys of London
and it has only had five owners since, according to the V5C. The extensive
history picks up when the second owner, Mr Fulkes of the Commercial Ignition
Company, traded in his TD21 for this later model via Red Triangle in 1982.
Lots of bills and correspondence state that it had been “extensively restored”,
with various new body panels, a full repaint in Pewter Grey and a new set of
carpets.
It was subsequently sold to Mr Jones of
Cheltenham in 1988, numerous bills showing that he continued to carefully
maintain the car. This included a £2,300 top-end overhaul in 1999, with further
frequent visits to Red Triangle.
From 2009 – 2017
it was owned by a Mr Flexon of Brecon who sent it to Alvis specialists Earley
Engineering for a complete front suspension rebuild, new gearbox mountings and a
brake overhaul in 2010 which cost £2,308. Further work, including some body shop
time and paintwork cost £3,079 while a further £4,800 was spent on 56 hours
of labour for unspecified work.
In 2013, the
carburettors were overhauled for £1,500 and the car prepared for the owner’s
90th Birthday party. Subsequent work saw the replacement of the starter motor
for another £1,077.
Our vendor acquired the car
via Brightwells in 2017 and has spent much time and effort getting into a really
good state mechanically, as he relates below: :
“I'm an engineer, so immediately after purchasing the car we
replaced all the engine fluids and spent months checking the engine,
transmission and all the mechanical parts. It was all perfect, really good
compression, oil pressure, etc. but very unreliable.
The fuel system was getting contaminated, so we had a new
stainless steel fuel tank made to replace the old corroding one. The fuel
lines were replaced and/or refurbished, the fuel pump replaced, the carburettors
refurbished and tuned.
Failed/unreliable
electric wiring was replaced plus a new battery, new (correctly rated) coil, new
electronic ignition system, HT leads and plugs. The car then ran
perfectly.
We enjoyed it for the next
few years just tootling to the village and back. Bodywork is not my
specialty, and we had a notion to have the roof removed and turned into a
convertible (as the chassis, frameless doors, etc. were designed to accommodate
both variants). However, we came to prefer the hard top, elected to keep
it, and were arranging for a bodyshop to carry out remedial works and respray
when health issues struck my wife and I.
The odometer reads just over 12k miles which I originally thought
was more likely to be 112k miles. However, I can find nothing in the
documentation, garage bills, previous MOT's, etc. that indicate more than the
current reading.
I've done about
1,000 miles in the 8 years we've owned it. The previous owner did about the
same in the 8 years he owned it. Similarly, we understand the owner before
that (Brian Jones) only did a few thousand miles in the 20 years he owned
it. The engine runs and sounds like new, and I have become ever more
convinced that the true mileage is correct, although this cannot easily be
proved. Hopefully the next owner will sort out the bodywork and enjoy the car as
much as we have.”
As you can see in the
photos, this TF is an extremely attractive car and the ‘shabby chic’ patina adds
to its character. It has been starting instantly and running beautifully as we
have driven it around on site, with good 50psi oil pressure, light power
steering, effective brakes and a delightfully easy-to-use automatic
gearbox. The whole driving experience is so relaxing you wonder what car
designers have been up to these past 60 years.
Only reluctantly for sale due to our vendor’s health issues, this
handsome Alvis feels fighting fit and eager for exercise and could be
smartened up over time as desired. Although it no longer needs one, it has an
MOT until July 2026 with just a couple of minor advisories ('steering column
coupling slightly deteriorated; rear brake disc pitted/worn').
Perfectly
capable of keeping up with modern traffic, it will draw crowds of admirers
wherever it goes. We like it a lot and we are sure you will too so do come and
take a look!
Consigned by James Dennison –
07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com