1938 Alvis Speed 25

Sold for $330,000 at 2007 Gooding & Company.
Sold for $115,500 at 2020 RM Sothebys : Shift/Monterey.
Background
Alvis manufactured cars from 1920 until 1967 and never officially imported their products to the United States. When the company was first created, it was the T.G. John Company which manufactured stationary engines. The man credited with providing the necessary motivation for the first complete Alvis automobile came from Geoffrey de Freville, the principal of Aluminum Alloy Pistons. He provided a 1498cc side-valve four-cylinder engine and the Alvis name written in a red triangle.

The production version of the new Alvis 10/30 car featured a reduced 1460cc engine that provided 30 horsepower. The reduction in size was for taxation purposes. Founder T.G. John made the decision to continue with automobile production and by the end of 1921, a total of 150 Alvis cars had been produced with a modest profit to boast.

The Alvis cars were well-engineered. The taxation laws crippled engine size but the Alvis marque found ways to maximize the potential of their products by using lightweight construction techniques such as the use of aluminum in mechanical and structural components. This helped the company achieve its goal of a 100 mph car.

The Speed 25
The Speed 25 Alvis was produced from August of 1936 to a1940 with 391 examples constructed. 39 were given Tourer bodies. The Speed 25 was basically an upgraded version of the 3.5-liter Model and resting on a shortened 126-inch wheelbase. The spare wheel was moved from the rear to the left side and there were many minor aesthetic detail changes, including a revised air-cleaner system and Luvax hydraulic shock absorbers which replaced the earlier Andre units. The engine displacement was unchanged but several other modifications to the engine resulted in a boost in horsepower to 106 bhp at 3800 RPM. The heavier-bodied sedans were able to achieve a top speed of just under 97 mph. The lighter-bodied cars were surely able to achieve the 100 mph mark.

Chassis 14579
This is one of 39 Tourer Speed 25 Models constructed. Of those, only seven, including this car, were fitted with the upgraded SC series engine.

In the mid-1990s, this Speed 25 was treated to a restoration where it was finished in ivory coachwork with twin side mounts. There is a folding canvas top and aluminum covers for the side-mounted spares. Other features include Brooklands-style windscreens which are original to the car.

In 2007 it was brought to the Gooding & Company auction held in Pebble Beach, Ca where it was estimated to sell for $200,000 - $250,000 and offered without reserve. Bidding exceeded the estimates, settling at $330,000 including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008

During the close of the 1930's, Alvis introduced new models to their line-up that shared many similarities and carried over many of the design and mechanical features that had made the Speed 20 model so successful. The first of these new models sat atop a slightly lengthened chassis with the old 2.8-liter engine replaced by a 3.6-liter six-cylinder unit. Next was the 4.3 Litre which actually had a 4.4-liter engine. Both of these versions were popular with coachbuilders often being delivered as only a rolling chassis. The most popular of these new models was the Speed 25 which had the same chassis as the Speed 20 but powered by a 3.5-liter engine.

The three new models were produced from 1936 until the onset of World War II with only minor modifications occurring over that period. All three had ladder frames with hydraulic shock absorbers with the rear being independent. The drum brakes were adequate while the four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh was considered technically advanced. In 1937 a brake servo was adopted to help the driver keep the vehicle under control at speeds.

Most of the Speed 25 vehicles were delivered to the customers as a complete car. A few received custom coach bodies which are very rare in modern times. During the production lifespan of the Alvis Speed 25 nearly 400 examples were produced. There were around 60 examples of the 3.5-Liter version produced while the large 4.3-Liter version had nearly 200 examples produced.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2008