Highlights
- One of only 283 Type SC Speed 20s built
- Delivered new to model ‘guru’ Charles Follett
- Sleek four-seater Vanden Plas body in dark green
- Well-presented car with lovely, gentle patina
- Only six well-documented keepers from new
- Featured in the Alvis Archive
The Appeal
For those pre-war customers who didn’t fancy the more flamboyant style of a Bentley or Rolls-Royce, there was Alvis and its extremely tasteful Speed 20. Bodied by leading coachbuilders like Vanden Plas, these were technically advanced, hugely capable cars with proper racing pedigree. Ownership was varied and included George Formby and the king of Iraq.
The SC featured a stronger chassis and a larger 2,712cc straight-six Alvis engine. 283 were built between September 1934 and May 1936. The improved model had been championed by Alvis specialist Charles Follett, who campaigned a SC at Brooklands in 1936, winning twice.
This car, chassis number 12067, was assembled during February 1935 and dispatched to Follett before being first registered in March of that year. Since its first registration, it has had just six keepers, all carefully documented in the history file, with the current one since 2006. It features on the Alvis Archives website, featuring the cream colour scheme worn before its 1991 repaint.
It really is a magnificent example of the Speed 20. Bodied by Vanden Plas with a beautiful, long and low four-seater body, it is tastefully finished in dark green with a burgundy cabin. The condition is impressive and arguably the kind you really want on a car of this nature - it is certainly well kept, but with a few signs of age that add the sort of character freshly restored cars lack.
History and Paperwork
- First registered 29th March 1935
- Six registered keepers from new
- Full details of each keeper shown in photos
- Current keeper since July 2006
- Factory built February 1935
- Despatched on 22nd February to Charles Follett
- Engine number 13759 (previously 12518 and 13400)
- Chassis number 12067
- Car number 17237
- Body number 3283
- Colour change from cream to green in early 1991
- Features in the Alvis Archive when painted cream
The Condition
- Dark green paintwork in very good order with light age to note
- Evocative low-body Vanden Plas four-seat touring body
- Panel fit and finish is very good as can be checked in the photos
- Chromework in good order, including bumpers and headlight bezels
- Features front badge bar
- Black wire wheels with classic Dunlop tyres and Michelin-shod spare
- Tyres in good order, including sidewall condition and remaining tread
- Black fabric roof with side screen and tonneau for rear and cabin as shown
- Burgundy leather interior with matching carpets showing some light wear
- Cabin veneers and four-spoke factory wheel are both in good condition
The Vanden Plas four-seat touring body on this Speed 20 is a long, low and really handsome design. We approve of the car’s switch from cream to dark green, applied in 1991, with the new colour really suiting the lines and complementing the burgundy interior. Neat details like those black wires add to the effect.
The body is very well kept, with only a few edge chips and marks to note. Inside the story is similar, the burgundy leather and carpets betraying a few signs of use. They would be easy to rectify, or perhaps are part of this 90-year-old car’s character.
The Mechanics
- 2,762cc straight six Alvis engine
- 4spd manual gearbox
- Triple SU carburettors
- Engine replaced as detailed above
The SC, with its stronger chassis and more powerful engine, made the Speed 20 even more competitive. This car retains the correct specification, although we understand that the engine is not original.
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