| A bit of history of "Doris": owned by Bruce Hewitt in New Zealand
Purchased in mid 1953 for 1800 pounds by a Hawkes Bay farmer, Nigel Giblin
who owned the car until 1964 and raced it for 5 years between 1958 and 1963.
Recorded 96.5 mph and fastest saloon in the 1960 flying quarter mile at Ahuriri
racetrack in Hawkes Bay. I have met Nigel who is now 86 years old and still
going strong. Had a chequered history from then and was partially rebuilt
and repowered in about 1970 at which stage someone repowered the car with
a 3.3 litre Vauxhall motor & gearbox.
In 1993 the remains (on a trailer) after 5 years of storage were purchased
by Doug Dickson, the Librarian and Registrar of the Alvis Club in N.Z. and
became his first resto project. The car was rebuilt (not to concourse) and
repowered with a rebuilt Alvis Tc21 motor, the motor having been rebuilt
as a project by the Alvis Club.
I purchased the car about two & a half years ago and have continued to
work on her to bring her up to as close to original as I can. Doug in the
meantime is restoring a 1960 TD21 Graber.
Chassis Number is 25256 and Engine Number is 25361 the engine originally
in Chassis number 25361.
Research indicates that there were 257 of this model built and it is unknown
how many are left. It would appear that the majority of them were exported
to Australia & New Zealand in the British drive to revive their economy
after the war. There are 33 registered TC21's on the Club register in N.Z.
and 34 TC21/100 Grey Ladies.
I have the original ownership papers, complete history of the car and photographs
of the car racing at various tracks around the country. On 21/22 August there
is a car show in Levin (couple of hours from here) to commemorate the Levin
Race Track one of our early tracks which operated between 1956 and 1977.
The Alvis is entered as she raced at Levin many times.
I've attached another couple of photos showing the car in the state she was
prior to restoration.
Feel free to use her in your page. If you'd like some other photo's let me
know, I have plenty of good ones.
By the way, my wife drives a 1972 Rover P6B V8 as her every day car. It's
completely original and has done 99,000 miles genuine.
Regards
Bruce
|
