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1928 Alvis 12/75hp Front Wheel Drive supercharged sports…
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Sydney
Date:
13-Nov-2010
Lot No.
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Description:
1928 Alvis 12/75hp Front Wheel Drive supercharged sports two-seaterRegistration no. Not RegisteredChassis no. 7190Engine no. 7653, Despite the somewhat conservative image Alvis has today, T G John Ltd produced some technically innovative cars in the Vintage period, pioneering front-wheel drive technology and championing small-capacity, high-performance engines. Engineer T G John had founded the Alvis company in 1919 when he acquired the rights to an automobile engine and with it the brand name of its aluminium pistons û 'Alvis'. The first Alvis car - the 10/30hp - appeared in 1920. Conventional yet well engineered, the four-cylinder, sidevalve-engined 10/30 was unusual among contemporary light cars in having a four-speed gearbox. Chief engineer Captain G T Smith-Clarke and chief designer W M Dunn experimented with front-wheel drive in 1925 in the form of a racer known as 'Tadpole', which was built for sprints and hill climbs. Early signs of promise resulted in a far more ambitious plan to run two Fwd cars in the new 1¢-Litre Grand Prix formula of 1926. Despite boasting supercharged straight-eight engines and De Dion front suspension, the Alvis Grand Prix racers proved a failure, but faith in the concept remained undiminished and a new front-wheel drive 12hp sports model - the Fd - entered production in May 1928. At the heart of the Alvis Fd was a robust four-cylinder engine with single overhead camshaft and a bore/stroke of 68 x 102 mm, giving a displacement of 1,482cc. The camshaft, magneto and water pump were all gear driven and the cylinder head detachable. The chassis frame consisted of deep channel sections while, unusually, there was independent suspension all round. Supercharged (12/75) and un-blown (12/50) versions were offered, the former's 75bhp endowing it with phenomenal performance for a 1¢-litre car. A long wheelbase (10') Fe version arrived in September 1928. The works team cars built for the 1928 season more than vindicated the Fwd concept, placing 1st and 2nd in class at Le Mans and finishing 2nd overall in the Tourist Trophy.Few front-wheel drive Alvis cars were made, the total being
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified