Alvis 3.5-litre Drop Head Coupe by Charlesworth

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Founded immediately after the Great War by TG John and GPH de Freville, Alvis quickly gained a reputation for making high quality cars which offered excellent performance, appealing to the well-heeled sporting driver.

In 1923 Captain GT Smith-Clarke joined from Daimler as chief engineer and together with chief draughtsman WM Dunn, were responsible for some of the best products in the company\'s history including the famous overhead-valve 12/50, one of the best-loved vintage sports cars of the period. Their cars were elegant and bristled with technical innovations, front-wheel drive making an appearance in 1925 and later models having independent front suspension, servo-assisted brakes and the world\'s first all-synchromesh gearbox.

The fruits of this remarkable partnership culminated in a series of luxury sports chassis’ aimed directly at the Bentley 3 ½-litre. Smooth and powerful, with independent front suspension and all-synchro gears, these later cars attracted some of the finest examples of the coach-builders art, though its high price of £775 for the bare chassis meant that ownership was always restricted to a privileged few even if it did undercut the Bentley by a sizeable margin.

The first of the new breed, the Speed 20 was developed from the Silver Eagle and incorporated a ‘double drop’ chassis which raised up at both the front and the rear to keep the centre section as low to the ground as possible. As a consequence the bodywork tended to be low and rakish, with some stunning designs being produced. The Speed 20 gave way to the 3 ½-litre, the Speed 25 and finally the big 4.3-litre.

The 3 ½-litre made its debut at the London Motor Shown in October 1935 and used a 3,571cc straight-six engine which developed 102bhp at 3,600rpm. Triple SUs were standard fitment, the overhead valves being closed by 108 tiny valve springs rather than the conventional 12. A regular Cross & Ellis saloon-bodied car would top 90mph and took just 40 seconds to accelerate from 10mph-80mph in top gear.

Just 61 3 ½-litres were produced, dispatched to a wide variety of coachbuilders. Charlesworth were one of Alvis’ favourites and they fitted just two of their elegant drop head coupes to the 3 ½-litre chassis making this car on offer today rare in the extreme.

Delivered new to the Earl of Inchcape in 1935 for use by his Mother, this Charlesworth DHC was chauffeur driven for the first few years of its life before disappearing from sight, resurfacing in 1955 in Bilston Staffordshire according to its continuation logbook. Passing through a number of hands in the late ‘50s, it was ‘rescued’ by its current owner in 1963 looking rather worse for wear.

In rough but running condition, the car had just been fitted with a replacement gearbox which had been sourced through well-known Alvis club member Commander Klinkard. Not long after acquisition, the body was removed for a comprehensive restoration, a job with took five years to complete. During the dismantling phase, the rear of the body disintegrated, the vendor replacing much of the woodwork, although thankfully managing to retain the original panels. He rebuilt the engine, putting the car back on the road with a zero’d odometer having smartened it up with a fresh coat of paint in 1968.

By the late 1970s, he had retrimmed the interior in Connolly hide and fitted replacement seat frames, using the car regularly for numerous Alvis Club events and holidays.

A camshaft problem in 1993 resulted in the engine being removed and sent to Arthur Archer for a comprehensive rebuild. Bills on file for over £1,000 detail line-boring of the cam bearings, a re-profiled camshaft and new main bearings. An old MOT on file from the period indicates that by this time it had covered some 44,000 miles since its 1960s restoration.

The next major event was its preparation for the Alvis Club trip to America in 2000. By now it was looking rather tatty around the edges and not wishing to let the side down on the far side of the Atlantic, he removed the wings and took the whole car back to bare metal, repainting it in black with a grey coach line. Performing admirably for the 2,000 mile venture, the transmission was next up for attention in 2003.

Arthur Archer undertook a thorough rebuild of the gearbox, overhauling the rear axle at the same time. He renewed the crown-wheel and pinion with a new high-ratio 3.8:1 unit, fitting new bearings throughout, the mileage covered since acquisition in 1963 having now risen to 78,185 miles.

A new Alvis Club ‘long-stud’ head was then fitted with hardened valve seats (the original short-stud unit is included in the sale), mounted on the car’s original block and crankcase. In 2008, Jonathan Wood was entrusted with a front suspension overhaul including new bushes and kingpins, taking a great deal of care to get the original Telecontrol shock absorbers to function as they should. At the same time the rear springs were reset, new wheels from Richards Brothers in Cardiff being added in 2009.

The most recent work has been a brake overhaul in 2013, the car being described by the vendor as ‘smart and serviceable but not perfect’. He adds that it still maintains the maker’s oil pressure and runs nicely on its rebuilt carburettors, its high-ratio back axle giving it a relaxed cruising speed and the electric fan and indicators allowing it to cope well with modern traffic.

Longer in the wheelbase and 4” taller than the more common Speed 20 and Speed 25, this fine 3 ½-litre is most imposing and much admired wherever it goes, the vendor having covered some 97,000 miles in the car since it came into his care 52 years ago.

Bidders are advised that since its arrival on site, we have been able to view the huge history file, which includes all bills back to the early \'60s which makes very interesting reading. There is also an owners handbook and a record of all fuel used since acquisition.

AMENDMENT: Please note that we are advised that the new head does not have hardened valve inserts for unleaded fuel. The rear springs are new (supplied by Red Triangle) which replace the previously rebuilt items. The original head is not physically with the car and is located in Suffolk. It is the responsibility of the new owner to collect this item directly from the vendor.

When the car arrived, it was noticed that there is an oil leak from the front of the engine.