Previously owned by Vernon Bohay-Nowell of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
Well-documented history
Rebodied and refurbished in 2011
THE APPEAL
And now for something completely different…
LXS 611 started life as an Alvis TJ 12/50 Atlantic saloon until it was 33 years old, when it was acquired as a restoration project by Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell, bassist for the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.
Bohay-Nowell owned the car in the mid-Sixties and re-bodied with a distinctive boat-tail body of his own design, though the owner before last began a total rebuild of the car when he bought it in 2010, describing the body fitted by Bohay-Nowell as a “frightful concoction” in some wonderful correspondence that comes with the car.
The car was stripped down to the chassis and fitted with a much more elegant alloy body made by Terry Hall of Cirencester.
There’s not a huge amount to the cabin of the Alvis – just a hand-turned aluminium dashboard and six dials, plus a smart leather double seat.
New carpets, new leather and a new fold-down windscreen were all added as part of the restoration, while there’s also a useful rear hatch for discreet luggage storage. It’s all in fabulous condition. jCLpsAy4J480kUqxAyXbr8YwHz61t2A5jsB7H6hb.jpeg1.09 MB
THE EXTERIOR
Bare metal respray
Rebodied with new alloy tub and panels
Red wire wheels
Blockley vintage tyres
The body of the Alvis is similar to that which the car wore when it belonged to Bohay-Nowell, but is a much neater and smarter installation, built by renowned coachbuilder Terry Hall in the Cotswolds.
It looks fantastic in its two-tone grey paint, offset by smart red wire wheels and its gloss black chassis, which is in terrific order with no signs of any rot.RdW0YZ9DuwfQBnXp7EZBb2nGEvTrvONFlWVxHTY1.jpeg1.92 MB
THE MECHANICS
1,645cc 4 cyl OHV
Four-speed transmission
Floor start
Reported to drive well
The 1.6-litre OHV Alvis engine was a very advanced unit for its time and was used in a lot of military installations as well as the company’s high-end sports and touring cars.
With 50bhp, it’s described as being easily capable of 70mph-plus cruising speeds thanks to the lightweight alloy body. It runs very well, with no known problems.
This is a wonderful example of an Alvis special and a terrifically stylish car that’s entirely unique – and guaranteed to turn heads.
And that’s before you dig into its fascinating history.
It’s a remarkable old car with a huge amount of style.
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