1964 ALVIS TE 21 CONVERTIBLE (series 3)

ONE OF ONLY 99 TE CABRIOLETS IN LONG TERM PRIVATE OWNERSHIP

Sold at Auction 2016 Blenheim Palace for $69,800 US Dollars.

Its always good to discover something new.  I couldnt find a lot of information on these British Alvis cars.  They were a low production brand for a short period from 1963 to 1966.

This is a 3 liter drop head coupe produced by English Manufacturer called Alvis.    These cars were built between 1963 and 1966.  Their bodies were built by Mulliner Park Ward.

From 1963 to 1966 only 352 cars were produced but less than 100 Cabriolets.

Description:

The name Alvis was always synonymous with craftsmanship and performance and the final models produced by this very British manufacturer were no exception. When production of the three litre cars ended in 1954 that might have been the end of Alvis cars for good had it not been for Swiss coachbuilder Graber, who for some time had successfully re-bodied Alvis chassis with his own elegant and modern designs. In 1953 Alvis reached an agreement to build the Graber cars under licence; Loughborough coachbuilder Willowbrook built the first model, the TC108G, but it was expensive and only 17 examples were built in three years. Production ceased in 1957 when Alvis, having bought the Graber rights two years earlier, struck a deal with Park Ward to build the cars at a more reasonable cost.

The resultant new TD21 was announced in October 1958 and benefited from a strengthened chassis, sharp styling and increased interior space. In 1962 a series II version was launched and while all round disc brakes became standard so did a five speed ZF gearbox. It received excellent press, Autocar calling it “one of the most enchanting owner-driver cars imaginable”. In 1964 the Series III, otherwise known as the TE 21 was released and by this time the three litre engine had increased power output from 104bhp in 1959 to 134bhp. Just 355 TE21 models were produced in total, less than 100 as cabriolets.

The Alvis owners Club archive register on file indicates that #27207 was first dispatched on December the first 1964. Having been first registered as BAE-567B to a Bristol footwear manufacturer G. B. Britton & Son Limited of Kingswood the car changed hands once more before it was purchased by the renowned American anthropologist Robert M. Laughlin in 1975. Sometime in the mid to late 90s the car was then taken to a British Marque expert in Bainbridge, Philadelphia. Sadly Mr. Laughlin passed away before the restoration could be completed.

The car was then sold to the current vendor and imported into the UK on March the 11th 2015 and the restoration subsequently finished this year with an exquisite re-trim with new leather, carpets and newly lacquered decorative wood. Included in the history file are numerous invoices from specialist workshops such as Alvis marque experts Red Triangle and some of the recently completed work includes new front suspension springs being fitted, along with a new exhaust, a new voltage regulator, a new brake servo, a new clutch & clutch slave cylinder, brake calipers, a complete fluid change, and new chrome wire wheels and tyres.

Finished in resplendent Ruby red with contrasting Zanzibar red leather interior, this example is difficult to realistically fault and is ready to be enjoyed by its new owner. Currently registered to the UK and provided with a new V5 Log book, the car also still possesses the Viriginia Certificate of title from 1975, a true testament to the cars complete history.