First Registered on 22nd September 1961. The matching numbers car is fitted with a 4-speed manual gearbox, considered more desirable than the Borg Warner 3-speed Automatic Transmission, more usually found on this model.
Acquired by a Mr W of Blackburn in 1994 who purchased the Alvis from the previous owner, who lived in Cumbria, as a project car as the vehicle had been off the road since the last road tax expired in September 1977. This tax disc has been preserved and is still with the car to this day. The recorded mileage of 67,000 was reputed to be correct. (It now shows around 80,000)
After some re-commissioning works Mr W used the car to attend Car Shows and Club Rallys. In June 2008, after a period of non-use, Mr W gifted the car to his son James who decided to undertake a complete restoration.
Like his father James is a keen Red Triangle enthusiast who has owned and rebuilt 7 previous Alvis motorcars.
During the strip-down James discovered that the saloon roof pillar framework was in poor condition so decided to remove the top completely and reconfigure the car into a much more desirable Drophead Coupe model.
The finished car has been inspected by the AOC who confirm that the rebuild was to a high standard and accordingly the car is eligible to attend all Club events.
The comprehensive rebuild, which took several years to complete, included:-
Rebuilt inner and outer sills.
New rear wings and inner wings.
Rebuilt boot floor, with new metal as necessary.
New front wings (in rust-proof grp)
Bare tub respray in Metallic Blue.
Rechroming as required.
New Michelin XAS tyres (cost £1,000)
New brake pipes & hoses.
New shock absorbers., trunnion pins, wishbone bushes.
New front wheel bearings, brake disc and pads.
New anti-roll bar bushes.
New spare wheel tray.
New stainless steel exhaust.
Lumenition optronic ignition.
Rebuilt rear springs with new main leaf.
New lined PVC hood and frame.
Re-lacquered centre dash panel.
Renovated and restored leather seating and trim by Rolls Royce specialists.
New carpet and trimming.
Retro Stereo AM/FM Radio.
The engine was serviced and new external core plugs fitted. The cooling system was pressure back-flushed and the block was rodded (through the core plug apertures) to remove contamination blocking the water ways. It is now one of the few Alvises which doesn’t run HOT! Those heavy doors also close with that satisfying clunk with no evidence of play in the hinges, another rarity.
TMS 593 was back on the road in July 2011.
Having handled several similar types we can confirm that this is far and away the best driving Alvis we have handled and following such a comprehensive rebuild it will make an ideal Rally car for serious long-distance Club events and for touring around UK or further afield.
The car has been shown at a number of Classic Rallys already and was easily the main crowd-puller at these gatherings due to its striking appearance and flowing lines. It is surely one of the most elegantly styled cars ever to grace the Alvis stable.
You can pay up to £90,000 for a TD21 DHC and indeed there is an advert for an identical looking car in the History file for such a figure. However, for a comparatively modest sum this highly usuable car is yours to enjoy and likely to remain so for many years to come.
Comes with photo record of the restoration and a selection of rebuild invoices, original owner’s handbook, hoodbag, modern toolkit. History folder. V5, Historic tax and current MOT.
Historical Note
Launched in October 1958, the Graber of Swizerland-styled Alvis TD21 was an immediate success, the combination of a luxury interior, elegant bodywork and 100mph performance proving immensely attractive to the well-heeled clientele at which it was aimed. The Motor described it as having "a Jeeves-like quality of responding to its master's whim" while Autocar praised it as "one of the most enchanting owner-driver cars imaginable," singling out the quality of the Park Ward coachwork with doors that "close with a majestic clunk - more like an air of finality than a noise."
Qualities that were no doubt appreciated by owners as august as the Dukes of Edinburgh and Windsor, Sir Douglas Bader and James Mason – all as quintessentially English as the car.
Powered by a torquey 120bhp straight-six engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox or optional 3-speed automatic, the car was capable of effortless high speed cruising and handled exceptionally well for such a stately machine. Just 1,069 TD21s were made before it was replaced by the TE21 in 1963.