Lot details
Registration No: 6568 D
Chassis No: 26380
Mot Expiry: June 2007

Owing its stylistic origins to a special order Hermann Graber coupe variant of the preceding TC21/100, the Alvis TD21 was launched in late 1958. Suitably reinterpreted for 'mass production' by Park Ward, its sleek two-door coachwork incorporated notably more interior / luggage space. Available in saloon or drophead coupe guises, the new model was based around a cross-braced box-section chassis equipped with independent coil-and-wishbone front suspension (including anti-roll bar) and a leaf-sprung 'live' rear axle. Powered by a 2,993cc OHV straight-six engine mated to either four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission, it could be had with optional servo-assisted Lockheed front disc brakes from day one (while, an improved 12-port cylinder head was phased in soon after production proper got underway). Capable of over 100mph, the TD21 is perhaps best summed-up in the words of marque authority Kenneth Day who noted that it was "acclaimed by those connoisseurs seeking a car which unites the best of the past with the best of the present". Essentially hand-built, just 1,070 TD21s are thought to have been despatched between 1958 and 1963.
Finished in white with white leather upholstery and blue carpets, this rare drophead coupe is variously described by the vendor as being in "fair" (bodywork), "good" (electrical equipment, chassis, paintwork, wheels / tyres) or "excellent" (engine, automatic transmission, interior trim) condition. Although, its early history is unclear, '6568 D' is said to have had "seven known owners since 1977" and to have undergone a significant amount of work during the last sixteen years. The recipient of a new hood (1990) and respoked wire wheels (1993) the Alvis has also benefited from an engine, autobox and carburettor rebuild (1991) not to mention a thorough brake / suspension system overhaul and recored radiator (1992). Treated to a respray, re-chromed exterior brightwork, reupholstered seats, new carpets, renewed door cap veneers and fresh tyres as part of a cosmetic rejuvenation carried out in 2001, the seller informs us that the car could now do with "a new hood and some attention to the body". A seemingly fine example of one of the most desirable post-WW2 Alvis Cars, '6568 D' is offered for sale with MOT certificate valid until June 13th 2007 and historic class (free) road tax until May 31st 2007.