Alvis 3.5-Litre Special (1936)

A sturdy rolling chassis with a large, powerful engine. In the 1930s, a great amount of cars sold like that to the upper class, to be fitted with a stylish, tailor-made bodywork, designed and built by a specialized coachbuilder. The customer often had a choice of numerous body styles: from a discreet four-door Saloon to a chic Drophead Coupé with an open hood, or from a Sedanca de Ville to a sporty two-seat Roadster. Many design elements were incorporated to embody the owner's personality; in the 1930s many automobiles were one-of-a-kind.

As these vehicles aged and lost their original luster, they often fell into the hands of people from lower classes, who used their pre-war cars until these literally fell through its axles. Fortunately, there were also connoisseurs, who saw a perfect basis for a sporty ‘special’ in these hand-built cars. They stripped the original bodywork to a rolling chassis with no superfluous frills – just as they had once left the factory. The new owner then set about creating a dream sports car – once again as one-of-a-kind.

The models built by Alvis had an excellent reputation. These cars for the (mainly) British high society, set high standards for build quality, interior luxury and performance. Alvis was very successful in motorsport, and was considered by connoisseurs at the same level as Bentley and Sunbeam. Alvis was an innovative brand; already in 1925, it registered a front-wheel drive vehicle for participation in a hill climb. The Alvis 12/50 FWD proved to be a great success at Brooklands and Le Mans, with several famous wins.

In 1935 Alvis introduced the 3.5-liter six-cylinder in-line engine. This power unit was praised for its exceptional smoothness and velvety running characteristics, which was partly due to the forged, seven-bearing crankshaft. Equipped with three S.U. carburettors, this engine produced more than 100 bhp. Therefore, the Alvis 3.5-Litre was a tough competitor for the SS Jaguar 100. The engine was mated to a four-speed manual transmission with full synchronization – a unique feature at the time. A fully independently sprung front suspension, too, was still quite unusual at this time.

Because Alvis continued to develop its models continously, the 3.5-Litre only remained in production for a very short time. After the model was unveiled in October 1935 as the successor of the Speed 20, the Speed 25 with a 4.3-liter six-cylinder already followed in August 1939. In total, only 61 units of the Alvis 3.5-Litre were built, most of them as rolling chassis.

The Alvis 3.5-Litre was built on a chassis with a wheelbase of 3,326 meters. An ideal basis for a spacious, luxurious limousine. Due to the heavy construction of the custom-made bodies, the capacities of the 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine hardly came to fruition. Only when several Alvis 3.5-Litres were stripped to be converted into fast lightweight 'special', inspired on the historic race cars that lapped Brooklands and Monthléry on full speed, the real potential of the engine was proven.

Peet Classics is really proud of its contribution to one of the most appealing specials based on the Alvis 3.5-Litre. The history of this example is extensively documented; records from the Alvis Trust archive confirm the corresponding chassis and engine ID numbers. In April 1936, the car was delivered as a rolling chassis to Alvis dealer Leedham's Ltd. in York. The first owner was Baron Lord Henry Frederic Hotham, who had the car bodied by Mayfair Carriage Co Ltd. in London. This company has completed a total of twelve 3.5-Litres.

In 1973 the car came was bought as a project by Briton Brian Chant, a renowned classic car specialist and historic racer. After shortening the chassis, Chant built a single-seater, while retaining the original powertrain. A few years after the construction of the special, it was exported to the United States. In 2001 the car was again converted by Chant, as a two-seater. The six-cylinder in-line engine of the car which was still in excellent technical condition, was equipped with a sharper camshaft and a lightened flywheel.

In 2014 the Alvis 3.5-Litre Special came to the Netherlands. The new owner choose to restore the car thoroughly, and to design a completely new body to fit in the shortened chassis. The new aluminum bodywork has been built by the renowned Dutch coachbuilder Carrozzeria Labro. After the bodywork was completed, it was sprayed in the current green cellulose lacquer by the internationally renowned experts at Classic & Exclusive. Peet Classics is responsible for the technical overhaul, the creation of the interior and the completion of the car.

This Alvis 3.5-Litre Special recreates the looks of an authentic racing car from the 1930s, as it could have been raced at one of the historic racetracks of Europe, such as Brooklands, Le Mans, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps. The design is simple, with beautiful hand-crafted cycle wings and black detailing. Chromed elements have been omitted as much as possible. When building the interior, Peet Classics keept the focus on functionality; while retaining the classic driving experience, the car also has to drive easily today's traffic.

Technically, the Alvis 3.5-Litre Special is in excellent condition. The modifications to the engine have been kept during the revision, with a measured maximum power of approximately 120 bhp and 280 Nm of torque as a result.

This very beautiful and technically healthy Alvis 3.5-Litre Special is currently on display at Peet Classics in Voorschoten. Please, contact us for more information.