The First of the Twelve

When in August 1936 Alvis introduced their 4.3 Litre, the contemporary motoring press considered it the flagship of the range. It was truly a `supercar' as it was faster than the comparable Lagonda V12 and Bentley 4.25 Litre, both in terms of acceleration and top speed. But the press went wild when in late 1937 Alvis introduced the Short Chassis Vanden Plas Tourer. They described the four-seater as: “A true expression of the coachbuilder's art”, which it was… elegant, yet sporting with its fold-flat windscreen and cut-away doors. Surprisingly the short wheelbase Vanden Plas Tourer didn’t sell. Just twelve were built and of those eleven still survive. The one shown here in wartime guise, was the first of those twelve constructed and has been in the same family from 1939 until 1966. It will be offered by H&H at their Buxton sale on April 16th. Have a look at >>>> lot 89 <<<< (photos courtesy H&H)

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