1934 | Alvis Speed 20

This beautiful low mileage Charlesworth bodied Alvis Speed 20 left the factory on the 20th March 1934. The Alvis was sold new by Brooklands Motor Company and first registered on the 3rd July 1934 in Liverpool, allocated the registration mark LV 9363. On the 24th March 1938 the car changed hands for the first time and the Alvis was last taxed by its second owner in March 1956. LV 9363 then spent forty-one years off the road having been found during the 1990’s by its third owner. A sympathetic body off restoration was carried out where as much originality was retained as possible. A fine balance between restoration and conservation was found and demonstrated, and the Alvis then put back on the road and MOT tested in 1997 with a mileage of 34488. Photo records of rolling body off chassis are with the detailed history file

Our Alvis was supplied new with the ‘Charlesworth' body, said by many to be one of the most elegant. LV 9363 also has the provenance of retaining its original engine and is a matching numbers car. Information in the history file also confirms the car was on parade at Buckingham Palace for the 80th Birthday Celebrations for Her Majesty The Queen and a photo is on file showing the car within the Palace Gates. The impressive file with the car also includes an original brown ‘buff' logbook. Between 1997 and 2013 the Alvis covered in the region of 7000 miles and then sold to an Alvis collector in Strassfurt, a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. From 2013 to 2017 the car had been kept as part of an impressive collection of Alvis Motor Cars and US Motorcycles, and covered some gentle use in Germany. On arrival back into the UK, we sold the Speed 20 to the then Chairman of the Alvis Owner's Club who has enjoyed driving and further improving this beautifully presented example. In 2019 the Alvis returned to us and we supplied the car to a regular customer of ours in Cottingham and in several years of ownership the Speed 20 was thoroughly enjoyed. Over this period expenditure wise the car had a rebuilt radiator at a cost of over £3,000, a new fuel pump and regular servicing. The car has proven a true delight to own and proven an enjoyable, robust and reliable pre-war classic.

LV 9363 has now covered in the region of 10,000 miles since the restoration and drives very well. The six cylinder performs beautifully with smooth power delivery and very good oil pressure. The engine is lovely and quiet, no concerning noises or smoking, it's just delightful and commensurate with a low mileage, gently used engine. The syncomesh gearbox is perfect to use and changes up and down perfectly, the steering feels good and the car offers impressive performance.

The Alvis, twenty years on since restoration retains an impressive, deep paint finish in the popular combination of Black over Maroon. The original leather is still in place and is beautiful with so much patina. The carpets and headlining have been replaced and are excellent, door cards are lovely and original, the dashboard and gauges are superb and very impressive. With just 42000 miles and in such highly original good condition, this Speed 20 is something quite collectable and special. It also has a proven track record to show its capable of covering miles, whether long distance or short, this is a stunning Alvis with provenance.