The last-surviving Alvis Grand Prix car will make its European return at the Scramble on Sunday 8 October, a week shy of the 96th anniversary of its only race outing.
Recently restored by The Alvis Car Company and revealed for the first time in refurbished state in Japan in April, the front-wheel-drive racer will be a prominent feature of the Main Drive at the very centre of the venue.
Though it was entered into the British Grand Prix on 1 October 1927, the long, cigar-shaped straight-eight car raced just once when ‘Bentley Boy’ George Duller took the wheel for the Junior Car Club 200 Mile Race at Brooklands a fortnight later.
The Alvis entrant started on the front row and got away on the lead, smoke billowing from his spinning front wheels, but a misfire led to retirement. The car would never be reunited with that engine again, but the offending broken con-rod remains on display at Alvis’ headquarters.
The car remained at the factory until the 1930s, when it was sold to Coventry car breakers Roach Brothers under the agreement that it would be broken up. Yet the complete assembly found its way into the hands of enthusiast Bill Pitcher, who managed to locate a replacement engine and gearbox from the 1929 Alvis TT car and later sold the project on to Nic Davies.
It was reassembled and running under its own steam, though not complete, when Alvis Car Company custodian Alan Stote and Alvis FWD expert Tony Cox took ownership of the car in 2006. The latest technology has been used to reverse engineer missing parts, using diagrams and archive imagery, and a period-correct engine and gearbox will be installed with the intention to run at Brooklands in 2027 on its centenary.
“We are delighted that visitors to the October Scramble will be the first in the UK to see the chassis, fresh from its return from its world debut in Japan this Spring.” says Alan Stote. “Alongside the 12/50 display, there will be much for Alvis enthusiasts to enjoy.”
A century of the 12/50 is marked by a display around the Watch Office as part of the ‘Birthday Brits’ theme.
Daniel Geoghegan, CEO of Bicester Motion: “Alvis were at the forefront of automotive innovation and development in the pre-war period, a rich culture that is perfectly represented by its remarkable twin-cam, straight-eight, front-wheel-drive Grand Prix car.
“We are delighted to be hosting its European public return at the Scramble, and to celebrate an understated a hero of the engineering world.”
