Alvis Speed 20 SD

This Alvis Speed 20 SD began as a Charlesworth-bodied saloon, dispatched in June 1936 according to the Alvis Archive. After decades in storage the saloon body was beyond use, and the rolling chassis was rebuilt by the well-known Alvis specialist and racer Albert Sparrowhawk. He fitted genuine period Vanden Plas tourer coachwork, previously carried by Bentley chassis RC44 and understood to be one of five such bodies supplied for the six RC-series 4½-litre cars.

Power comes from an Alvis 4.3-litre straight-six, rebuilt with high-compression pistons and quality bearings while keeping Sparrowhawk's state of tune. It drives through a four-speed fully synchromesh gearbox with pedals in the modern layout. Around £30,000 has been spent since 2018, and the engine has covered about 1,600 miles since its rebuild.

The dealer describes the aluminium bodywork and timber framing as excellent, with mellowed paint and leather. The front bumper would benefit from re-chroming. It comes with a previous VSCC eligibility document, a buff logbook dating back to 1961 and a comprehensive history file.