Alvis

The Alvis Car and Engineering Company was founded in Coventry in 1919 under the original name of T.G. John and Co. Ltd., founded by Thomas George John, and adopted the Alvis brand in 1921. From the beginning, the company stood out for its technical innovation and craftsmanship, producing refined automobiles that were superior to its competitors. The first cars were equipped with four-cylinder engines designed by Geoffrey de Freville, who played a key role in the brand's reputation. During the 1920s, Alvis introduced significant innovations such as the first fully developed synchronized gearbox and series-production front-wheel drive with the 12/75 of 1928, one of the very first examples of this solution in the automotive world. The 1930s marked the company's success with elegant, powerful models appreciated by a discerning clientele, so much so that Alvis became synonymous with British quality and high-end engineering, with bodies designed by renowned ateliers such as Vanden Plas, Cross & Ellis, and Charlesworth. With the outbreak of World War II, automobile production was suspended, and the company focused primarily on the construction of aircraft engines and armored military vehicles, sectors in which it maintained a strong presence even after the war. At the end of the conflict, Alvis resumed production of civilian automobiles with luxury models such as the TA 14, TA 21, and the subsequent TC, TD, and TE series, characterized by elegant lines and solid performance, often with bodied by Mulliners or Tickford. In the 1950s and 1960s, Alvis continued to offer refined vehicles such as the Graber and the TF and TE series, which stood out for their refined design and robust mechanics, but the company had to contend with market developments and the growing difficulty for small manufacturers to sustain development costs. In 1965, Alvis was acquired by the Rover Company, with the aim of ensuring a future for the production of prestige automobiles. However, shortly thereafter, with the formation of the British Leyland group and the resulting industrial reorganization, production of Alvis cars was halted in 1967, leaving promising projects unfinished. Despite the end of car production, the brand continued to live on through its military division, which remained active for decades, producing armored vehicles and vehicles for the British Army and various international clients. In the following years, the Alvis name was maintained primarily in the military sector, until its merger with other industrial companies and acquisition by large groups such as BAE Systems in the early 2000s. However, the passion for the brand's automobiles did not fade, and in the 21st century, a renaissance took place through the Alvis Car Company, which has dedicated itself to the artisanal construction of faithful replicas and continuation models of historic vehicles, made to order with the same original techniques and equipped with modern homologations, thus allowing collectors and enthusiasts to enjoy the experience of driving a new Alvis even today. In this way, the brand, despite having ceased mass production in the 1960s, continues to be a symbol of elegance, innovation and British craftsmanship, inextricably linked to a tradition of excellence that unites past and present.