Alvis Graber – A Classic Reborn

Almost two years ago to the day, we went to see what was going on at The Alvis Car Company, and we were in for a treat. There is a lot of talk at the moment of ‘continuation’ cars. You know the sort. A classic, often iconic design that has been rebuilt as a new car today. Aston Martin is at is, as is Bentley. People love a bit of heritage, and the novelty of buying a brand new old car is something that has set the wallet of many a collector fluttering with anticipation. The thing is though, these ‘continuation’ cars are built from all new stock. They are completely, from bumper to bumper, brand new. And in being so, they can lack some of the soul an original ‘in period’ version might have. Alvis, however, has not faced this issue. The Graber Super is evidence of that. It’s a new car, having only just been finished after a two-year build. But it’s built from original, not reproduction parts.

You see, when Alvis stopped building cars in the late ’60s, it didn’t throw anything away. Instead, thousands of technical drawings were kept. So too were thousands upon thousands of parts from cars that were yet to be. Chassis, engines, trim, lights, suspension, bolts, fixings, glass, you name it. And when we went to the Alvis premises in Kenilworth in 2019, we saw all these parts for ourselves. A veritable time capsule of perfectly preserved automotive history.

This rich collection of authentic Alvis history has of course been a vital lifeline for owners of these most impressive of British classics. But they also facilitated something far greater than your traditional restoration. This car, a ‘new’ Alvis Graber Super Coupe is a true continuation. It has been built using parts that have been waiting, patiently, for decades. In fact, the chassis number is a follow on from the cars built nearly half a century ago. The Graber is very, very special.

After a two-year build, which was delayed by the pandemic, the completion of the brand-new Graber, destined for Japan, represents a major milestone for the company, which is set to ship at least five cars to customers there via Meiji Sangyo, Alvis’ Japanese distributor.

The Graber Super Coupé is one of six models offered in the expanded Alvis Continuation Series with both pre and post-war derivatives. Each model is built to a bespoke specification with options such as air conditioning and all comply with regulations to be driven on the road. All six have been developed from original drawings and feature an in-house designed and manufactured six-in-line, 3-litre or 4.3-litre engine. This car draws on the new old stocks of chassis and engine blocks, carefully stored by Alvis since the Coventry factory closed in 1967. That’s when all the factory parts and racking were moved to Kenilworth where this Graber Super Coupé was assembled.

Thanks to the addition of fuel injection, a higher compression ratio (9.5:1) and modern digital machining processes resulting in tighter tolerances, the engine produces 172bhp, up 42bhp from the 1960s’ version. Torque also rises to 209 ft / lbs @ 3750 rpm and it can achieve a 0-60 time of 8.9 seconds.

“Seeing the Graber Super Coupé leave the works at Kenilworth for the first time was a huge moment for all of us at The Alvis Car Company,” says managing director Alan Stote. “So much hard work has gone into producing it by our staff over the past two years, that it’s almost sad to see it leave.”

As for the way the car looks, there is some modernity at play. A pristine example of an ‘in period’ Graber was painstakingly 3D modelled, which then allowed the Alvis team to build a wooden buck on which the aluminium could be formed. Furthermore, parts like the nose were 3D printed in full-scale so that the aluminium could be formed over them. It’s the perfect mix of new tech and a classic design, as Alan enthuses: “The all-aluminium bodywork looks stunning up close, the engine runs faultlessly and the handcrafted interior is both comfortable and stylish. As a complete package, this Graber serves as a reminder that our manufacturing processes, which haven’t changed at Alvis since the early 20^th century, still produce a product of the highest quality. And unlike so many continuation cars, we have ensured this can be enjoyed on the road.” 

With the Graber Super Coupé now road-tested and ready for shipment, focus shifts to the build of the first Continuation Series Graber Cabriolet, which is also set to be exported to the Far East in 2022 and in parallel, the first Lancefield pre-war 4.3 chassis car.