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 Memories of Vintage Motoring - FWD Alvis
Edited extracts by MartinStubbs from the unpublished autobiography of Dacre Stubbs
® Photos: Dacre Stubbs, Dacre Stubbs Collection

I had only recently faced up to the sad need to part with the Aston Martin, which my friend Ronny Robinson had taken over, thus allaying what worries I had about its future. I also still had two Bentleys, the next cars to go (my future father in law had advised that if I wanted to marry his daughter I needed to change my playboy lifestyle).

But a friend of mine in the north wanted a home for his very unique Alvis of 1 1/2-litres, front-wheel-drive and supercharged. I could see this car as a replacement for the Bentleys, being much smaller and utterly fascinating. My great friend Bertram Morris found out that Harrison (the owner) was scared to death of it and would let it go at a bargain price to anyone fool enough to drive it. It therefore became mine for a sum well under two hundred pounds, and although I devoted a lot of time improving the front suspension, it never cost me another penny. This was a special model of Alvis built for racing and related to the renowned 12/50 and 12/60 models. But there the relationship ceased for the designer had taken one of these engines, supercharged it and turned it completely around back to front, and with the gearbox attached, had contrived an assembly of differential, brake drums and short axles to drive the front wheels. It had many other interesting features and it had indeed had considerable success at Le Mans and in Tourist Trophy races, but it was difficult to handle and had built up a reputation for consuming a number of unwary drivers. I had plenty of pre-knowledge about this car, its peculiarities and its variety, so temptation got the better of me and it entered my dwindling stud of thoroughbreds.

 
 
Having seen the little holiday and fishing resort of Salcombe some years previously with its very narrow and tortuous streets, I decided that the 4 1/2-litre Bentley which was my ‘fleet’ flagship at the time, might be a bit cumbersome and could throw a temperamental on so long a journey. I therefore chose the more compact and spartan FWD Alvis, although its screaming supercharger might disturb the locals.