1933 Alvis Firefly 11.9hp Two-Seater with Dickey

Registration No: YD 7867
Chassis No: 10778
MOT: Exempt

• One of 871 Fireflys manufactured
• One of just two bodied with two-seat plus dickey coachwork by Cross & Ellis
• Comprehensively restored between 1993 and 1994 by Tim Walker
• Now fitted with a synchromesh gearbox for increased usability
• Offered with a substantial history file detailing much expenditure

SALE ROOM NOTICE: Please note that only a copy of the current V5C is on file, so prospective purchasers may need to apply for a new one.

Introduced in September, 1932, the Alvis Firefly was built to the same high standards as its more expensive brethren. Notably low-slung, it was based on a 'double-dropped' ladder frame chassis equipped with all-round semi-elliptic leaf-sprung suspension, friction dampers and four-wheel 14in. drum brakes. Utilising a 9ft. 10½in. wheelbase and 4ft. 4in track, the model was praised by the contemporary motoring press for its ride and handling capabilities. Powered by a 1,496cc OHV engine—essentially a four-cylinder version of that found in the legendary Speed 20—allied to either four-speed manual or ENV pre-selector transmission, the Firefly was reputedly capable of 75mph. Available with a choice of saloon, tourer, or drophead coupé coachwork, it remained in production until 1935, by which time some 871 are thought to have been sold. Just two are believed to have been bodied by Cross & Ellis in the two-seater with dickey style.

This 1933 Alvis Firefly is a very special survivor, being one of only two bodied by Cross & Ellis in the two/three-seater (two-seater with dickey) style, with just six others built as two-seaters without dickey. The factory record reveals it was originally painted ‘Broken White’, having Black paint on the wings and above the waistline, and White wheels, with Black leather and hood. It was supplied new to the agents Windmill & Lewis of Bristol on September, 20th, 1933, and although registered in Somerset its first owner was resident in Coverack, Cornwall. By the early ’50s, a young bachelor named David White owned it, but he sold it for something more family-oriented after marriage in 1954. By 1964, it had surfaced with one Owen Keith Williams of Hemel Hempstead, who sold it that year to Peter Francis Robinson of Wickford, Essex. In 1966, Christopher Butler of Banstead, Surrey, sold it to Washington state in America, and its owner in 1967 was one Fred Voorhees of Port Orchard.

The Alvis was repatriated in 1990, and in 1993 the then-owner began an extensive restoration, spending some £25,000 with Tim Walker Restorations up to the end of 1994, with work including a complete mechanical overhaul. Between 1996 and 1997, the radiator was renovated with a new core by Walkers Radiators, and in 2000 £3,377 was spent with Earley Engineering on fabrication of a new exhaust and fuel tank base and the renewal of the brake cables and pivot pins. It was also around the millennium that the car’s colour was changed from Black with Red wheels to the present, more original scheme. More recent work involved MCI (Blackburn) Ltd. relining the clutch and overhauling the steering box in 2010, and in 2014 MCI replaced the original gearbox with the all-synchromesh unit from an Alvis TA14.

Our vendor acquired the Firefly in 2018, after it had been out of use for a few years, and promptly spent thousands of pounds recommissioning it with Red Triangle, including the renewal of the ignition coil and core plugs. Also in 2018, £2,000 was spent with SM Trimming having the front seats retrimmed, and more recent maintenance up to March, 2026, has been overseen by Rees Bros., who relined the brakes shoes, fitted a new SU fuel pump and performed an ignition service in 2022.

Altogether, this is an almost unique survivor with highly impressive history. It is sold with the current V5C, past ownership records (including correspondence), copies of the factory car record and 1960s letters from Alvis, the 1968 Washington title and copious invoices back to 1993.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430