1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition. Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition.
Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition. Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition.
Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition. Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition.
Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition. Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition.
Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition. Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition.
Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition. Photo: Silverstone Auctions
1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition.
Photo: Silverstone Auctions
Vintage racing has special thrills that can’t be matched with modern machines. Taking an antique vehicle and running it hard can feel like time travel, experiencing the machine in all its unsophisticated and imperfect glory by driving it as hard as it can be driven.
That’s why we want this 1940 Alvis 12/70 Competition, which is going up for auction at the July 26 Silverstone Classic Sale in England. Not only is it a sweet old vehicle made in the early days of World War II, it’s ready to race. Since 2007, the Alvis has participated in hill-climb competitions at courses including Mallory Park, Donington, Silverstone and Prescott.
Alvis made cars in Britain between 1919 and 1967. It now makes special-order Model 4.3s, an updated version of its 1936 model. But for a real slice of British automotive history, the company’s early creations like this are the prize.
This 12/70 is one of just 741 examples produced, but most of it bears little resemblance to its peers. The engine has been converted to a different Alvis 6-cylinder, and the body is a home fabrication made by the late owner and vintage racer Robin Everall. In 2010, it won the Silver Con-Rod Trophy from the UK’s Vintage Sports-Car Club, for best presented competition car.
If you love the brand, with all its championship titles, this is Alvis you want. Silverstone Auctions estimates it will sell for £100,000 to £200,000 ($171,000 to $342,000). It comes with a pile of spare parts (including tires, front and rear axles, and two differentials), should it suffer any damage in competition. Even better, Everall left instructions for how to start the car, and how to best drive it under various race conditions.
This Alvis would look great under museum lighting, but we hope the owner takes it back out on the track as soon as the check clears.
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