1961 Alvis TD21

Delightful Series 1, essentially original and only 15,700 miles Only four owners from new, 2 of which had it for nearly 50 years partly in long-term storage Recommissioned by Red Triangle at a cost of ú5,000. Serviced last year by Just Classics in Rugby. With all of the original handbooks, many receipts and even the original build sheet Must be the lowest mileage TD21 available.Would certainly sit well in any car collection The TD21 was conceived in 1956 and was quite a departure from the lovely, but rather 'post-war' TC21 however, on its arrival in dealer's showrooms, it quickly set about changing established views of the Alvis. Following the loss of coachbuilders Mulliner and Tickford (who were now tied to other companies), Alvis turned to the Swiss coachbuilder, Graber whose tradition of producing sleek, modern and very elegant saloons and dropheads proved a good fit in terms of the way Alvis saw their future. Graber first presented this new style to the Alvis board in late 1957 who were very impressed with the Swiss company's flowing design and commissioned the body to be built on the new TD chassis.To ease logistical problems, Park Ward of London, built the Graber designed bodies in the UK. The Alvis Three Litre TD21 Series I was produced between the end of 1958 and April 1962 and was powered by the TC's 2993 cc engine, uprated by 15bhp to 115 as a result of an improved cylinder head design and an increased compression ratio. A new four-speed gearbox from the Austin-Healey 100 was incorporated, while the suspension remained similar to the car's predecessor, independent at the front using coil springs and leaf springs at the rear, but the track was increased slightly and a front anti-roll bar added. From 1959 the all drum brake set up was changed to discs at the front retaining drums at the rear. 737 BYK was ordered back in 1960 by its first owner, a Mr J G Read who was a poultry farmer from Sussex, and he duly kept the Alvis for four years before selling it to a Mr Rogers of Esher with some 6,000 miles on the odometer. Mr Rogers was the car's custodian for the next 16 years until he eventually sold it, in 1980. to William Osbourne from Dagenham. He only used it for around three years before it was stored away and there it stayed for the next thirty years, with Mr Osbourne never getting back behind the wheel of the TD 21 again before passing away in 2014. The title then passed to Mrs Norma Osbourne but the car still remained in hibernation for the following two years until our vendor managed to negotiate its purchase. Upon collection of the TD21, it was sent to Red Triangle, the Alvis gurus in Kenilworth, with a mandate to go through it and bring it back to a healthy usable standard. This was duly carried out and the car was fully recommissioned, MOT'd and good to go. All the work completed was out of sight as the bodywork was still as straight as an arrow, just requiring some detailing which Red Triangle also carried out. Their account for all this attention was around ú5,000 which seems like good value In more recent times the wheels have been removed, stripped and powder coated in their original Silver, and then wrapped with a brand new set of Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres at a cost of ú900.00. In 2017, the car was treated to another service by Brian Chrimes, of 'Just Classics' near Rugby, a time-served Red Triangle Technician with another ú800.00 spent. Supplied with all of the original handbooks, many receipts and even the original build sheet, 737 BYK still looks marvellous in its original Calypso Red coachwork. The cabin is a delightful place to be still retaining that luxury car smell of leather and wood, and amazingly, some of the original plastic coating protecting the carpets is still in place. Surely this must be the lowest mileage TD21 available and it would certainly sit well within any car collection.