1938 Alvis 4.3 Litre Drophead Coupe

Registration No: EXK 80
Chassis No: 14298
MOT: Exempt

• This charming Alvis 4.3 Drophead Coupe has had thousands spent over the years
• A large number of receipts from Red Triangle and other aspects of the restoration
• Full engine overhaul, with documentation and bills
• All-weather equipment and the interior have been refurbished to a high standard
• It comes with a current V5C, continuation Buff logbook and history file

With the 4.3-litre, introduced by Alvis in August 1936 at the same time as the SB Speed 25, the developmental line that began with the first Speed 20 back in 1932 reached its pinnacle. From that earlier year, this succession of sports / touring chassis had steadily established a peerless reputation. Of 198 examples of the '4.3' that left the Coventry factory before wartime conditions stopped private car production, this is the only chassis ever fitted with this pattern of striking 4-door fully-opening drophead coupé bodywork by Abbey Coachworks.

The 6-cylinder OHV engine (92 x 110mm, 4387cc) has a seven-bearing crankshaft and triple SU carburettors. With a 6.25:1 compression ratio, maximum power output was quoted as 137bhp. Period road tests record that the 4.3 Alvis was the first standard British saloon car accepted to be capable of achieving the magic 100mph. A single plate clutch takes the drive to the all-synchromesh 4-speed centre change gearbox, a unit that is generally accepted as the best gearbox ever made before WWII. Independent front suspension of the transverse leaf spring design was a feature of the finely engineered and top quality chassis. The braking system was vacuum servo-assisted. The dashboard contains the fullest array of instrumentation, and Lucas P100 headlights add to the already impressive frontal appearance of the car.

The first owner of this imposing car was A Erwin Goldschmidt (1917 - 1970), then of Oxford, and it seems that it returned with him to New York, USA. From 1960, Alvis Owners Club records list just 4 owners here in the UK, including the current one, who purchased the car in 2001 and has carried out and commissioned a great deal of work to lift the car up to its present mechanical and body condition.

Alvis factory records show that this chassis was delivered to London Alvis agents, Messrs Oxborrow & Fuller Ltd in February of 1937. Messrs Abbey Coachworks of Acton, London NW10 were selected to clothe chassis no 14298, and it must have been rare indeed that luxury and panache were so happily married. It was 12 months later that the car was complete, available for sale and first registered (in London) as ‘EXK 80’. In 1930, Abbey Coachworks Ltd rose from Compton Sons & Terry, whose origins in the North London coachbuilding firms' melting pot were linked back to Jarvis, and to Compton & Hermon. Abbey would, in 1937, take over Martin Walter Ltd of Folkestone. Martin Walter's 'Wingham' style of fully-opening cabriolet, clearly influenced the type of bodywork made for this particular Alvis chassis. Abbey's build quality was epitomised and akin to the amount of many remarkable and original features. The glass pane of each rear door window (metal-framed), is in two parts that slightly overlap. The forward piece falls vertically, as normal, whilst the rear moves downwards at 45° to clear the intrusion necessary to accommodate the rear wheel arch. Present with the Alvis is a large file of invoices detailing work carried out and expenditure over the past dozen years. In short, this 4.3-litre Alvis is a prime example of the leading chassis and coachwork designs of the glamorous immediate pre-war epoch.

For more information, please contact:
Mike Davis
mike.davis@handh.co.uk
07718 584217