Launched in October 1958, the Graber-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 as standard, 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.
This 1962 car, registered 8192 RW, was one of the original Alvis factory demonstrator cars and was the subject of several road tests in 1962-63 (eg Autocar, August 1962, as pictured). It has been one family owned from 1963 until 2008 and has covered an indicated 81,000 miles. Sporting dark green coachwork with light tan leather upholstery, it is equipped with automatic transmission, painted wire wheels with new tyres all round, disc brakes and a new stainless steel exhaust system. Said to be in fair condition throughout, it has just been issued with a fresh MOT.
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