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1963 Alvis TD21 Series II
Vendor supplied images
Highlights
- Extensive history file dating back over 32 years
- Desirable S2 variant with more power, all-round disc brakes, a five-speed ZF manual gearbox, aluminium doors and a raft of other well-judged improvements
- Voluntarily MOT tested: valid until 9th May 2025
- Benefits from a recent service, the fitment of chrome wire wheels, and the most-apt registration 'TDZ 633’
- Retrimmed front seats and recent new carpets
- Numerous invoices dating back to a £17,000 restoration bill in 1992, from numerous well-regarded marque specialists including Red Triangle, Chris Prince, Hightone and many others
The Appeal
Looking for a sporting ‘60s two-door?
Naturally, you’ll be wanting a straight-six engine, five-speed manual gearbox, all-round disc brakes and coachbuilt bodywork. Well, you could spend six figures on an Aston Martin but we’d urge you to consider this first - a rather lovely 1963 Alvis TD21.
This example has benefited from copious recent work and expenditure and comes with an extensive history file dating back over 32 years. It’s also been serviced and voluntarily MOT tested in readiness for its next custodian. The Alvis presents superbly throughout, sitting on a recently fitted set of wire wheels and adorned fore and aft with the appropriate registration ‘TDZ 633’. Inside the opulently appointed cabin, we find recent new carpets and reupholstered front seats, making this a most luxurious place to sit on long-distance Continental grand tours - an activity this car is especially well-suited to. The bodywork was repainted in 2011 in the rather fetching Rolls-Royce dark blue and it continues to present very well indeed.
The substantial and richly detailed history file is brimming with significant invoices from several highly-regarded marque specialists We also find numerous old MOT certificates and various hand-written notes dating back to the 1990s as well as mileage records, wiring diagrams, copies of workshop manual pages and several expert valuation reports.
The History and Paperwork
- Registration ‘TDZ 633’ included
- Chassis # 26868
- Engine # 26828
- 89,200 miles indicated
- 17,000 restoration bill in 1992
- Numerous other invoices from well-regarded marque specialists including Red Triangle, Chris Prince, Hightone and many others
- 2013 Alvis Owners Club valuation of £25,000 and a 2009 Red Triangle valuation of £20,000
- Please see the gallery for a selection of the aforementioned paperwork
Persevering with the noble art of coachbuilding, even when faced with the challenging post-war market, the 1950s were unsurprisingly a challenging time for Alvis. To make matters worse, the company was left without a British coachbuilding partner for several years after Mulliner entered into an exclusive deal with new owners Triumph and Tickford was absorbed into Aston Martin Lagonda. A deal was struck with Swiss coachbuilder Graber to build bodies for the new 3.0-litre chassis, but it could only support small-scale production.
Fortunately, Alvis’ fortunes were to change in 1958 when Park Ward offered the capacity to build the new bodies at full-scale production. Thus, the TD21 was born.
A second series was introduced in 1962, featuring several notable improvements including a switch to a five-speed ZF manual gearbox in October of that year. These are the most driveable of all TD21s and that’s exactly what we have here in two-door saloon form.
The Condition
- Freshly repainted in the original colour
- New chrome sill strips from Chris Prince
- New chrome door mirrors
- Recent fitting of chrome wire wheels
- New carpets fitted during the last few years
- Retrimmed front seats
- Original patinated rear seat retained and recently cleaned and treated with hide food
- Some repairs and age-commensurate marks are evident at the rear of the headlining either side of the rear window. A common issue with the TD/TE/TF
- The veneers present very well indeed
- Offered complete with expensive indoor/outdoor fitted cover
This Alvis is offered in very usable condition, striking a well-judged balance between original patina and restoration. The coachbuilt bodywork looks fantastic following its respray, with only minor imperfections noted, and the various new pieces of brightwork present very well indeed. The doors appear to fit well on both sides while the wire wheels look smart with just a little light pitting visible upon very close inspection.
Inside, we find a light patina to the door cards, headlining and rear seat while the front seats and carpets have undergone retrimming in recent years. The veneered dashboard is beautiful and in very good overall condition, as are the controls, instruments and switches.
The Mechanics
- 3.0-litre straight-six
- Five-speed ZF manual gearbox
- Disc brakes on all wheels
- Recent fluid and filter service]
- Original-looking and smartly presented engine bay
As we mentioned above, these TD21s, especially Series II cars were very forward-thinking when it came to their engineering. Few cars of this period - indeed even a decade later - had five-speed gearboxes, let alone all-round disc brakes which some new cars even don’t have!
You can make really brisk progress in an Alvis of this vintage, perfect for comfortable long-distance cruising as they’re also quite softly sprung. Following a recent service, we’re informed that this TD21 drives very well indeed, always seems to start on the first attempt and shows good water temperature and oil pressure.
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