Car of the Week

Owner: Chris Chilcott - Aberdeen

Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd was a British manufacturing company in Coventry from 1919 to 1967. In addition to automobiles designed for the civilian market, the company also produced racing cars, aircraft engines, armoured cars and other armoured fighting vehicles.

Car manufacturing ended after the company became a subsidiary of Rover in 1965, but armoured vehicle manufacture continued. Alvis became part of British Leyland and then in 1982 was sold to United Scientific Holdings, which renamed itself Alvis plc.

The original company, T.G. John and Company Ltd., was founded in 1919 by Thomas George John (1880–1946). Its first products were stationary engines, carburetors and motorscooters . Following complaints from the Avro aircraft company whose logo bore similarities to the original winged green triangle, the more familiar inverted red triangle incorporating the word "Alvis" evolved. On 14 December 1921 the company officially changed its name to The Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd. Geoffrey de Freville (1883–1965) designed the first Alvis engine and is also responsible for the company name

The car is an Alvis SA 12/50 Super Sports, commonly referred to as a Ducksback. It is one of the earliest and most original Alvis of this model in existence being delivered in January 1924. The 12/50 was the model which put Alvis on the map, winning the 1923 200mile race at Brooklands at an average of over 93mph.

The car belonged to an Edinburgh medical student just after WW2, but ended up in a scrap yard. It was rescued and restored in the 60s and was exhibited at the Myreton Motor Museum and attended many local rallies. Mechanically restored in the early 2000s, it is still capable of well over its guaranteed speed of 70mph. Not bad for a 1500cc car coming up for its 100th birthday.