Alvis resurrects 1920s Grand Prix racing car
Thu, 13 Apr 2023
The Alvis Car Company has revived the sole surviving Alvis Grand Prix racing car after it was abandoned in a scrapyard in Coventry for decades.
The 1927 model was restored to its original glory following several months of research and the use of period photographs of the car in race trim.
The Alvis caused a stir in 1927 due to its highly unusual mechanical layout, which saw it possess no conventional front axle. Instead, the steering system uses four elliptic leaf springs in a unique, independent arrangement.
A powerful in-line, eight-cylinder, 1.5-litre, supercharged engine sits just behind the longitudinally mounted gearbox, giving the car a distinctive length compared to its competition in 1927.
The car, which had a troubled history of unreliability, ultimately ended up in the hands of a car breaker in Coventry before it was sold to a motorcycle dealer, Bill Pitcher, who set about trying to find a replacement engine and gearbox.
After his business failed, Pitcher sold the car to Nic Davies, a lifelong front wheel drive Alvis enthusiast, who then owned it for almost 50 years. Davies undertook an ambitious reassembly project in 1990, which saw the car run under its own power for the first time in over 75 years on the 19th of April, 2003.
In 2006, Alan Stote, the current owner of The Alvis Car Company and Tony Cox, a front wheel drive Alvis expert, acquired the car and began the definitive restoration process to period specification.
The restoration process required the fastidious study of period photographs, surviving drawings of the car's engine and reverse engineering using computer-aided design (CAD), which enabled Alvis to manufacture new components in its factory, or with UK-based suppliers.
The car is set to be publicly unveiled at the Automobile Council 2023 in Chiba City, Japan, as a complete rolling chassis, with further work planned to complete the engine later this year ahead of a series of demonstrations and displays at key events.
The Alvis Car Company plans to return the car to Brooklands in 2027 for the 100th anniversary of its debut.
The restoration of the Alvis Grand Prix is the latest achievement for the flourishing British marque and follows its range of six ‘Continuation Series’ road cars and an order book for the handmade models stretching into 2025. Together with sister company Red Triangle, the Alvis Car Company offers parts and sales of period and new Alvis models alongside restoration and maintenance services.
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