Turbocharged 1961 Alvis TD 21?!
One of the best parts about working at Barn Finds is the opportunity to learn more about beautiful automobiles that I had no idea existed. Such is the case with this rare British sports saloon: a 1961 Alvis TD 21. Located in Gardnerville, Nevada, about an hour’s drive from Carson City, it’s advertised here on Craigslist with an asking price of $39,700. Many thanks to MattR for the tip!
Alvis produced the TD 21 between 1958 and 1963, making it yet another example of an amazing car introduced just before the demise of the company: Alvis would halt production of passenger vehicles in 1967 following their purchase by Rover. It came in two varieties: the fixed and drophead coupes. Power was supplied by Alvis’ own 2,993cc I6, with power routed to the rear wheels through either a BorgWarner three-speed automatic or a four-speed manual sourced from Austin-Healey, with electronic overdrive appearing as an option in 1960. In terms of stopping, this car would have left the factory with discs up front and drums in the rear, though it’s anyone’s guess as to how things sit at the moment– more on that in a bit. With limited production numbers and a hefty price tag, these cars were aimed at a refined clientele. In 1961, the TD 21 was more expensive than the brand new Jaguar E-type, its nearly £3,000 price tag equivalent to over £67,000 today.
As unusual and beautiful as this car might be, its history maybe even more interesting. At some point in the last sixty years, it came ashore in Nora, Sweden, where many of its Alvis components, including both the engine and the transmission, were swapped out for Volvo equivalents. The Alvis straight-six was traded for a Volvo four, which means displacement dropped from nearly three to, at most, 2.3 liters. Yet this drop in displacement likely wouldn’t meaningfully affect performance, since even without turbocharging the Volvo engines can, when properly tuned, certainly match the original powerplant’s 115 horses. The combination of a four-speed with electronic overdrive and Bosch LH Jetronic fuel injection would place the donor vehicle between 1982 and 1986; likely a 240 series. Much of the interior has likewise been altered, though the magnificent walnut dash remains in place. Curiously, while the steering column doesn’t appear to be 1961 vintage, it also isn’t the boxy unit found on most Volvos from the 80’s– if any readers have thoughts on the origin of this part, I’m all ears.
While the conversion was artfully done and definitely warrants the craftsmans’ signature plate fixed to the dash, I can’t say what effect the loss of originality might have with respect to the desirability of the vehicle. The seller notes that service for the Volvo mechanicals is relatively easy to come by, and this is true– especially compared to the trouble one might face finding replacement parts for an Alvis. Yet a great deal of the appeal of a British car from the Sixties lies in the engine, and for the purist, any substitution of a mid-Eighties Swedish four-banger for a British inline-six is not going to go down easy. Still, in terms of ease of maintenance and, perhaps, reliability, it’s hard to argue that this would be an easier ownership experience for someone more inclined to drive than wrench. Here’s hoping this classic finds the perfect new owner to add another chapter to its unique story!
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Comments
An interesting car which brings to mind the British term “jumble” !
Is that a Petri steering wheel?
Why would anyone pay that kind of money for a mash-up car? Perhaps if they remove a zero it would be attractive. I’m really confused this morning.
Try pricing an almost identical, new one. https://thealviscarcompany.co.uk/the-vehicles/graber/
PS- Credit to the conversion specialist – he even used the Alvis valve cover, or some of it.
Alvis has left the building.
Alvis has very definitely not left the building.
The company had stopped making cars to concentrate on military vehicles such as the Saracen, Salamander, Stalwart, and Saracen, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvis_Stalwart ,Following the Rover ownership the company ended up in the possession of BAE Systems. This company had started out as the holding company for pretty much all of the British aircraft industry, and is now a major armaments manufacturer with aircraft manufacture almost non-existent.
BAE, in 2009 sold all the car related stuff they had to Red Triangle Ltd. (founded 1968 by the ex employees of Alvis Cars, and situated at the original premises at Kenilworth, the original extant factory on it’s site.) https://www.redtriangle.co.uk/ . The Alvis Company passed everything to Red Triangle – the complete stock of ALVIS PARTS, all the tooling, all 22,000 Car Records, one for every car Alvis produced and over 14,000 works drawings, correspondence files and data sheets – in fact everything to do with Alvis cars from 1920 to 1967.
With all these resources and with their workshops still servicing and maintaining the Alvis cars still in use it was decided that, since it was possible, physically and legally, to re-manufacture the older models, they would do so.
Consequently five new models are offered, three based on the pre-war straight six 4.3 litre engined chassis, but updated with electronic fuel injection and disc brakes and new six speed Getrag gearboxes, and two models based on the TD21, (i.e. this very model on Barn Finds), The Graber Coupe and The Park Lane Convertible, with the later 3.0 litre six, five or six speed boxes and electronic fuel injection, and disc brakes.
Of course, hand-making cars is not cheap and this is reflected in the pricing which parallels that of brand new Bentleys.
Still as the head of Red Triangle stated, ‘Well, Bentleys ARE mass produced on an assembly line, our cars ARE entirely made by hand.’
https://thealviscarcompany.co.uk/the-vehicles/graber/
Oh, my! That pleases me no end, though even the welcome increase in my fortunes won’t come near covering any of that! However, I can look forward to daydreaming about a nice new three liter Coupe with either gearbox and the EFI and modern brakes. Left to my own devices I’d sell the house and move into something small with a decent garage …
I had this very car, although it was a left hand drive and needed extensive work both body and mechanical. I did get it started. I still have pictures of it. The car was given to me without a title as it had been sitting outside for quite some time and a tree had grown around it. Getting it towed out was a task. I placed an ad in Hemmings and sold it immediately without a title. Some guy drove a zillion miles with a flatbed to get it. I’m still kicking myself for not keeping the grill for myself. I seriously don’t feel that the conversion to this very rare vehicle demands the asking price. As mentioned… the engine and drive train make the car what it is. Good luck to anyone interested in this car. It is quite unique.
Lack of proper British DNA 🇬🇧 will certainly dissapoint , banishment from the English auto clubs
With the conversion done here, wouldn’t this actually be considered an “Alvis Impersonator”?
I personally have no brand loyalty
If the manufacturer builds a good car, i will drive it and enjoy it
Pontiac, toyota, chevrolet,ford, dodge, porsche, bmw, i have had the opportunity to have /drive/own many
And i certainly have no issues with upgrading cars as the new stuff beats the old hands down
So this mish mash doesn’t affect me
But i would take it out for a short spin but would NEVER want to own it , as it doesn’t fit my tastes
After reading the comments I realize I am just like everyone else, I fall in love with a car, I know nothing about and want to buy off pure emotion..Then as I find out more about it. Then it surfaces, I should have done my homework before I reached for my billfold. I looked at this car knew of it but not much and thought ,that sounds fair, I want this car.
They are also running the Volvo 700 series alloy wheels which used the 5 x 108mm PCD which isn’t shared with any other car that I know of, which probably means they’re also using the Volvo rear end and front hubs from the donor car.
5 x 108 PCD shared with Ford Taurus and derivatives, all Ferrari, Lancia 5 stud, Peugeot 5 stud, Jaguar S-type, Lincoln LS, Renault 5 stud, Fiat 130 etc.
Conversion to a Volvo engine was a common swap. Many MG T Series cars received Volvo engines. Yes, it should effect the price for British car purists. Others don’t care – saw an MGB at a national MGB convention with a Mazda rotary engine. There was a lot of room in the engine bay!
Hi to all you barnfinders i had a td21 for a year or so was a lovely looking and driving car had lovely art deco leather upholstery but very bad rust! Would love another one but not this one with the engine change all the best Barry
-0- i6 – my fav nxt to the i8. A TR6 motor would have been nice. Here you really gets body’n dash. I’d feel funny for a yr or 2 till I wuz ‘broke in”.
Really like the Park Ward style (RR’ss coach builder, a swissman’s design, Mr. Carrosserie Graber) just the 3rd year produced. Y not get the rest? May take a good while but worth it to me. Drive the rest while researchin, sourcin~
You need parts for a what??
Beautiful car. I don´t like Volvos – no special reason – but here I think whoever altered the original did a bang-up job. What a classy ride, PLUS Swedish reliability and German fuel injection — what´s not like? Well, the price is of course off the charts.
I love Volvos too, but any marque as rare and interesting as Alvis, at least as far as I’m concerned, really needs to stay Alvis all the way unless those innards are beyond redemption. The TD21s are particularly worth saving if at all possible, unlike the rather ugly previous TD – TD14 I’m thinking but I could well be wrong. The original TD21s had Graber bodies; I seem to remember that one of the British houses took over the job at some point, but I’m not going to go look it up right now.
Hey Andy Parrish, Gardnerville NV is only about 20 minutes south of Carson City NV. It is however about an hour south of Reno NV.
Pretty car with reliable mechanicals. Not too far from me, but too far from my wallet.
Interesting – they used saab OG9-3 vert seats (not even tan ones) and volvo mechanicals – I am shocked, shocked that name on the build plate seems so…swedish! for me I would swap over the gear knob switched OD for a stalk mount – a la the standard british cars, and with some actual period looking seats I think this could be looking better inside in no time. Maybe even just tan saab seats – at least they would currently bolt right in.
And bingo https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1961-alvis-td21-2/ here it is on BaT bid to $32,250.
Seems to me the seller would have done better to negotiate it with the high bidder on BaT rather than try to squeeze an extra few $$$ from what will surely be a hard sell.
Good investigating
You are right
The way i see it , the prices on bat are always higher
They are the barrett jackson crazies
But
Online
So , the seller should have accepted the offer
He still has it , so time will tell who was right
He may have to keep it for a few more years …