Istorie
A few years ago Auto Retro magazine photographed and described the Alvis for an article on historic rallies. In 2009 the car took part in the Paris-Deauville Rally and also participated in the Paris-Champagne Rally.
Full description
The original company, T.G. John and Company Ltd., was founded in 1919 by Thomas George John. Its first products were stationary engines, carburetors and motor scooters. Following complaints from the Avro aircraft company whose logo bore similarities to the original winged green triangle, the more familiar inverted red triangle incorporating the word “Alvis” evolved. On 14 December 1921 the company officially changed its name to The Alvis Car and Engineering Company Ltd. Geoffrey de Freville designed the first Alvis engine and is also responsible for the company name.
The origin of the name “Alvis” has been the subject of a great deal of speculation over the years. Some have suggested that de Freville proposed the name “Alvis” as a compound of the words “aluminum” and “vis” (meaning “strength” in Latin), or perhaps it may have been derived from the Norse mythological weapon smith, Alviss. De Freville however vigorously rejected all of these theories. In 1921 he specifically stated that the name had no meaning whatsoever, and was chosen simply because it could be easily pronounced in any language. He reaffirmed this position in the early 1960s, stating that any other explanations for the source of the name were purely coincidental.
This Alvis Silver Eagle Saloon was purchased at auction on 7th November 2004 when the contents of the Musée Colline de l'Automobile in La Défence Paris was sold. At that time it was said to have been restored prior to 1995. The vendor then commissioned a total mechanical re-commissioning of the car, including checking the engine internals, replacing the pistons and the clutch. He also commissioned Carrosserie Lecoq to undertake a thorough restoration of the body including replacing any defective timbers together with a full repaint in two-tone Burgundy/Ivory.
A few years ago Auto Retro magazine (September 2008 edition, copy on file) photographed and described the Alvis for an article on historic rallies. In 2009 the car took part in the Paris-Deauville Rally (when the vendor was then President of the Club de l'Auto) and also participated in the Paris-Champagne Rally.
This car has covered 12,092 miles.
