**Please note that these photographs have been supplied by the vendor**

Highlights

Once owned and campaigned by the esteemed former Alvis Owner Club President K.R. Day
Boasting a rich competition history spanning half a century including a great many VSCC events for which it is eligible
Features Vanden Plas-style two-door open tourer bodywork fitted during the early 1970s
Scrupulously serviced with an extensive and carefully curated maintenance record beginning in 1974 and last modified in June 2023
Impeccably presented inside, out and under the bonnet

The Appeal

Conceived as a high-performance sports tourer, the Alvis Speed 20 was amongst the most eagerly anticipated and exciting cars of its day.

Besides a range of standard bodies offered for early ‘SA’ examples, Alvis supplied a small number in bare chassis form, and we’re delighted to present one such example which was delivered new to C. Follet Ltd in 1933. Vanden Plas were entrusted with the coachwork and for much of its life, this Speed 20 handsome two-door saloon. During the early 1970s, it was re-bodied as you see it today, as a Vanden Plas-style open tourer.

Owned by and campaigned by the esteemed former Alvis Owner Club President Kenneth R. Day from the early 1950s, this Speed 20 regularly participated in trials and rally events. The earliest competition entry was the 1954 Kentish Rally and the last was the Brooklands Speed Trials of October 1999.

A rich and detailed history file preserves numerous scrutineering tags and assorted VSCC competition ephemera as well as a comprehensive record of servicing spanning back to 1974. It’s also featured in several significant works including the Vanden Plas Coachbuilders book (page 129) and regularly appeared in the Alvis Owner Club bulletin during K.R. Day’s custodianship.

Presented in enviably good condition inside, out and under the bonnet, this superb example of Alvis’ coveted Speed 20 SA is eminently worthy of serious consideration.

The History and Paperwork

Delivered new without coachwork to the London Alvis agent Charles Follett Ltd in 1933
Originally bodied by Vanden Plas with two-door saloon coachwork, chosen by the first owner
Owned for a number of years by Kenneth R. Day - author of the seminal tome ‘Alvis; the story of the Red Triangle’ and President of the Alvis Owner Club
Rebodied during the early 1970s as an open tourer in the period-correct Vanden Plas-style
An entrant into numerous VSCC events, holding a VSCC competition car “buff” logbook

The extensive and painstakingly curated history file includes:

Regular competition entries and associated paperwork from 1954 until 1999
Results from Wiscombe, Colerne, Prescott, Brooklands and the Brighton Speed Trials
Various Alvis Owners Club articles and bulletins spanning four decades
Service records starting in 1974 and updated continually (last entry dated June 2023)
Factory ‘Car Record’ and ‘Archive’ documents
‘New Registration Book’ issued in April 1954
A factory lubrication chart
Description of the petrol ‘Telegage’
Lucas Technical Service manual
Original ‘Handbook of Instructions’
Repair manual

The Condition

Vanden Plas-style two-door open tourer bodywork
Complete with a neat folding roof and tonneau cover
Excellent red paintwork and gleaming chrome
Wire wheels finished in black
Beautifully restored upholstery
The commemorative dashboard plaque for the 1949 Tunbridge Wells Rally hints at some even earlier competition history
All the switchgear and instrumentation presents very well indeed
Supplied with a new set of Blockley tyres

This Alvis’ sporting open tourer bodywork proves an apt accompaniment for its low-slung “double drop” type chassis. Its sleek lines convey a real sense of high performance, as do the bold red paintwork, door-mounted competition roundels and black wire wheels. Climbing aboard, the interior has undergone restoration work in the past, although one of its original charm has been lost. We particularly enjoy the light patina accrued by the controls and the discreet commemorative dashboard plaque hinting at early competition exploits.

Condition-wise, all is beautifully presented which is a testament to the vendor. The paintwork shines brightly, as does the chromework and there isn't a hint of corrosion in sight. As for wet weather equipment, the vendor demonstrates that the folding roof works correctly and shows us that a tonneau cover is also provided.

The Mechanics

2,511 cc straight-six fed by a brace of three SU carburettors
Four-speed manual gearbox
The vendor reports that this example runs and drives impeccably
The original starting handle remains present
All is smartly presented under the bonnet
The latest maintenance entry dated June 2023 details a starter motor and water pump overhaul carried out by Red Triangle Ltd

Praised in period for its competent road manners and brisk performance, the Speed 20 was an immediate hit with reviewers and buyers alike.

With years of competition success under its belt, it comes as no surprise that this SA is very well sorted, having been judiciously maintained for decades and exercised regularly for much of its life. The vendor doesn’t report any mechanical issues and a mere glance at the maintenance record demonstrates that this car has never lacked attention.

BEFORE YOU BUY

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