Discovered in a barn near Shere, Surrey, in 1995 this Alvis TD21 Drophead Coupe, formerly of celebrity ownership, was in a sorry state having been the victim of vandalism.  Not to worry though, for serial Alvis devotee Mr. DJW Larkin of Petworth, West Sussex was up to the challenge!   With the assistance of expert restorers, Humphrey Bunyan (also of West Sussex) they jointly set about what was to become a near 36-month complete restoration of this revered motorcar.

A wonderfully detailed history file which accompanies this car accurately retells the (often) frustrating story of restoration, parts supply, delays, and challenges which inevitably plague this type of surgery.  Regrettably, the proposed restoration missed the deadline of the Alvis International Day at Brooklands on 14 June 1998 by only a few months, nevertheless, it was no doubt worth the wait….

Upon completion, this car was to feature in enthusiastic ownership at a host of European car rallies and events, amongst which were The Fougeres Rally on five occasions, the AOC Tours to Angouleme twice, plus further tours to Scotland, Cornwall, Northern France and many more besides….

Since completion in 1998 this car has been looked after almost exclusively by recognised Alvis exponents, Red Triangle of Warwickshire.

Owned by its most recent keeper since October 2014, very early in his ownership he was to commission Red Triangle to set about a full engine rebuild, which, when completed was to be married back to the car with the highest quality electrical componentry, the brief being “user-friendliness”.  This was completed to Red Triangle’s exacting standards swiftly, and costing in excess of £12,000 at the time.

The depth of the detail in the accompanying history is too great to surmise here, but if you’d like to come and see the car, please budget sufficient time to pour through what’s enclosed when you get here.   Whether it’s a request for a reconditioned steering wheel, or to have all interior wood removed for polishing, its detailed within.  It extends further to a full replacement mohair roof and tonneau, this alone at a cost of some £6,000, in addition to all the annual servicing and maintenance where anything recommended by Red Triangle was completed.  Nothing was overlooked.

This is by some margin the finest history file we’ve seen accompanying a car of this vintage for some time, and the car absolutely speaks for itself as a result. The most recent keeper has been a fine example of what it is to cherish and adopt a classic car of this type, with little regard to cost, and enormous emphasis on quality.   The next custodian will be rightly rewarded for one man’s commitment to keeping his Alvis tip top.