100 years of Alvis

From 20 December 2019 to 2 February 2020, the Louwman Museum presented a retrospective exhibition of seventeen Alvis cars built between 1920 and 1967.

Alvis is known as an English manufacturer of high quality cars that introduced a number of important innovations that are still used in the automotive industry today. The exhibition presented a beautiful overview of the most important models, most of which were fitted with typically traditional English coachwork.

In 1919, engineer and entrepreneur Thomas George John started a small factory in Coventry, which produced its first cars the following year. These were of high quality and equipped with a 1.5 liter four cylinder engine with aluminum pistons and pressure lubrication, which was advanced for its time.

In the 1920s, Alvis played a leading role in the use of front wheel drive racing cars that competed at Brooklands, Le Mans and the Tourist Trophy. The experience gained in racing led Alvis to introduce the worlds first front wheel drive production car in 1928.

From 1927, six cylinder cars were also added to the range. The chassis were manufactured in house, but the bodies were still supplied by various British coachbuilders. The models became increasingly large and luxurious, and the brand began competing with makes such as Bentley and Lagonda. In 1933, Alvis introduced the first production car with a fully synchronized gearbox. A year later, the brand followed with independent front suspension.

Just before the start of the Second World War, Alvis began to focus on the production of aircraft engines and military vehicles. German bombing in 1940 completely destroyed the car factory. After the war, production of cars in the higher market segment resumed. Once again, the company chose to have the bodies supplied by third parties. In 1967, production of Alvis passenger cars finally came to an end.

The exhibition '100 years of Alvis' was created on the initiative of and in close cooperation with the Alvis Owners Club Netherlands.