Alvis Speed 25 SB Saloon

Fast and handsome with tremendous performance and a low, purposeful stance, the Alvis Speed 25 is the epitome of pre-war sporting elegance. Beautifully made and bristling with technical innovations such as independent front suspension, all-synchro gearbox, one-shot chassis lubrication system, adjustable Luvax hydraulic shock absorbers and four-wheel servo-assisted brakes, the car was capable of a smooth and refined 100mph and is widely regarded as the finest Alvis ever built.

A development of the 2.5-litre Speed 20, the 1936 Speed 25 SB had a 3.6-litre straight-six with triple SU carburettors, a balanced seven-bearing crankshaft, novel spring-cluster overhead valve gear and developed 108bhp. Despite weighing a hefty 36½ cwts, in Charlesworth saloon form (as here) it could charge to 50mph in just 10.4 seconds and cover the standing ¼ mile in only 20 seconds – remarkable performance for the time. An outstandingly sophisticated and handsome car, it was also very expensive (stealing sales from both the Bentley 4.25 litre and Lagonda LG45) and just 391 examples were made before production came to an end in 1940.

As the factory records indicate, this particular Highland Green Speed 25 SB was built in early 1937 and despatched to the Charles Follett dealership in London in April of that year. The car is believed to have had only nine owners since as documented in the history file, and was in America from 1958 until 1986. The current owner acquired the car in 1995 and the following year sent it to Alvis specialists Fisher Restorations of Worcestershire for a total nut-and-bolt restoration that was to take some six years to complete with bills on file totalling over £64,000.

Since then another £30,000 or so has been spent on improving the car still further and sensibly uprating it for long distance touring, both here in the UK and on the Continent. This included a fully rebuilt differential with 3.4:1 ratio for more relaxed high speed cruising – the vendor states that it will happily cruise at 60mph all day with 100mph still in reach if desired.

Other upgrades include modern oil filtration, Lucas distributor with magnetronic ignition, Facet fuel pump with modern fuel filtration and pressure regulation, plus electric, temperature-controlled water pump. Great attention has been paid to the fuel delivery system and together with efficient cooling the fuel vapourisation problems that plague many Alvises have been minimised. The oil pressure and temperature are said to be excellent at all times, as are the brakes which have recently been fully overhauled and relined. Even the fuel gauge is said to be reliable and the complex adjustable suspension works just as it should, again most unusual with this model. With the aid of simple electronic control the windscreen wipers have variable speed with intermittent wipe and automatic parking.

As you can see in the photographs, the car remains in beautiful condition and has covered some 11,000 miles since the initial restoration was completed in 2002. The Alvis-enthusiast owner has spared no expense in keeping the car in superb running order and has incorporated many ingenious touches to keep it as reliable and usable as possible. It comes with a very large file of bills and a detailed maintenance log charting all the works carried out to date. A quantity of spares is also available by separate negotiation if desired. Currently taxed and with an MOT until April 2013, it is ready to drive anywhere in confidence.

All Speed 25 models are extremely rare and desirable cars and this thoroughly well-sorted example, with some £100,000 of recent expenditure by a very knowledgeable owner, is exactly the kind of machine that any enthusiast would be proud to own. A matching numbers car that is still in its original colour scheme, it looks terrific value at the guide price suggested today.